A comparative study between Buddhism and Nyaya
by Roberta Pamio | 2021 | 71,952 words
This page relates 鈥楶erception according to others鈥� of the study on perception in the context of Buddhism compared to Nyaya (a system of Hindu philosophy). These pages researches the facts and arguments about the Buddhist theory of perception and its concerned doctrines while investigating the history of Buddhist epistemology (the nature of knowledge). The Nyaya school (also dealing with epistemology) considers 鈥榲alid knowledge鈥� the means for attaining the ultimate goal of life (i.e., liberation).
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3.4. Perception according to others
[Full title: 2. The Navya-Naiy膩yika Theory of Perception鈥擯erception according to others]
Perception According to 艢iv膩ditya
艢iv膩ditya a scholar of Navya-Naiy膩yika, school also maintains that perception is direct or immediate knowledge. Right knowledge by means of perception is the cognition of truth produced by an instrumental cause which is not itself cognizable. Perceptive knowledge has for its cause the sense-organs and their contact with objects. Senseorgan being supersenuous (atindriyam) is the special cause of direct perception. Atindriyam i.e. being special cause of direct perception is inserted to eliminate inference. 鈥�Manasa鈥� or contemplation which also leads to direct perception is not 鈥�atindriya鈥� (supersenuous).[1] It also eliminates God who is both an instrument of direct perception supersenuous but is not indriya.
Perception According to 痴补谤补诲补谤腻箩补
痴补谤补诲补谤腻箩补 who is a scholar of Navya-Naiy膩yika and the author of 罢腻谤办颈办补谤补办峁Ｄ� maintains that 鈥減erception is immediate valid knowledge.鈥�[2]
Perception According to 碍别艣补惫补 惭颈艣谤补
According to 碍别艣补惫补 惭颈艣谤补 鈥渢he instrument which gives rise to direct valid cognition is called perception.鈥�[3] The definition only stated the particular condition of perception. According to him, the source of knowledge is sometimes a sense organ, the contact between sense organ and object, and a judgement. In the case of sense organ the result is a non-propositional judgement. In such cases the sense-objectcontact is the intervening operation (补惫腻苍迟补谤补惫测腻辫腻谤补). In the case when the senseobject-contact is the instrument, the result is a propositional judgement. Lastly, when the instrument is the non propositional judgment, the results are taken to be the reactions of attraction or repulsion to the object. Here the intervening operation is the propositional judgement.
Perception According to Annam 叠丑补峁弓补
According to Annam 叠丑补峁弓补, 鈥減erception is the peculiar cause of perceptive knowledge. It is the perceptive knowledge which arises out of the contact of the sense organ with the object.鈥�[4] In Annam 叠丑补峁弓补鈥檚 definition of perception, 鈥渢he term indriya is that which, not being the seat (补苍腻艣谤补测补) of a manifest (耻诲产丑奴迟补) specific quality (惫颈艣别峁驳耻峁嘺) other than sound is the seat of that conjunction with manas (尘补苍补峁噑补峁儁辞驳补) which is the condition of cognition (箩帽腻苍补 办补谤补峁嘺).鈥�[5] For Annam 叠丑补峁弓补 perception is both the source and the resulting knowledge. The source is defined as 蝉腻办峁Ｄ乼办腻谤补箩帽补苍补办补谤补苍补尘.[6] Others again define perception as pratayk峁pram膩办补谤补峁嘺m or s膩k峁Ｄ乼k膩ripram膩办补谤补峁嘺m; but he seems to have used 箩帽腻苍补 in order to insert both right and wrong apprehensions.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
J. S. Jetly, 厂补辫迟补辫补诲腻谤迟丑墨, pp.62-67.
[2]:
aparok峁pram膩vyapta峁� pratyak峁m. TR., p.57.
[3]:
s膩k峁tk膩ri pram膩办补谤补峁嘺m pratyak峁m. S.R. Iyer, 罢补谤办补产丑腻峁Ｄ�, p.36.
[4]:
Y.V. Athalye and M.R. Bodas, op.cit., p.211.
[5]:
Ibid.
[6]:
Ibid.