Book Title: Theory of Karman in Indian Thought
Author(s): Koshelya Walli
Publisher: Bharat Manisha

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Page 319
________________ [ 307 ] Paramātmā. He believes in momentory consciousness entitled Pravṛtti vijñāna which functions as separate units in a series called Alaya vijñāna. They are inclined to think that what other philosophers describe as Atma is in fact no other than this stream of momentary units of consciousness entitled Alaya vijñāna. So far as Iśvara is concerned, the Buddhist either of the old school or of the more advanced later schools has equally no faith in Him. From the view point of the Buddhist, the Buddha occupies a very important place. Even in later Buddhism we have the elaborate scheme of Buddha-kaya such as nirmāņakāya, Sambhogakaya and dharmakaya but the nirmāņakāya is no other than the Buddha who is a human being in a state of perfect Enlightenment. In other words nirmāṇakaya is identical with the historical Buddha known to us who is neither Isvara nor Isvarāvatāra. The Sambhogakaya represents a higher conception of the Buddha engaged in teaching the higher beings called the Bodhisattvas. The third kaya known as dharmakaya represents the essential nature of the Buddha which is no other than truth itself. None of these Buddhas is identical with Ïśvara from any point of view. In way the same the Jainas also did not believed in the extsience of Isvara, but unlike the Buddhist he belived in the existence of an eternal Atma which cannot be identified with momentary consciousness. The Jaina thinker is a staunch believer in karma as his friend the Buddhist is, but he does not recognize his necessity of positing a supreme conscious person for the administration of karma. Hence though Acaryas like kundakunda, and others believe in Paramātmā they do not believe in I'vara either as a creator or as a universal teacher (Guru). The Nyaya and Vaiseṣika systems believe in karma as well as in Iśvara. They say that karma is an unseen force (Adṛṣṭa) which is not self-conscious nor self-governing. It is a sort of psycho-physical disposition stored in the Atma and waiting for a proper momet for fructification. It is unconscious and therefore it cannot control itself and adjust itself in order that proper result may be produced. These philosophers say that karma is con

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