The argument that sense perception shows only'sat' is criticised.
Sense perception does not show mere existence in which case all perceptions
will be of the same thing. But we see things differently as 'this is a
pot,;'this is a cloth,' etc. When a thing is perceived its jati is also
perceived so that there is no doubt about either the entity or its jati. If
only the existence is perceived how can one proceeding to buy a buffalo returns
empty handed on seeing only a cow there, asks Ramanuja. Moreover, seeing a
horse the cognition that this is not an elephant arises out of the memory of
having seen an elephant to be different from a horse. Besides if all
perceptions see only the existence then a man who is blind can see with his ear
and the deaf can hear with his eye etc..because the sense preception is the
same and there is no bhedha between that of the eye and the ear.
Then Ramanuja proceeds to show that 'sat,' that is, existence alone does not
become the object of any sense organ. The eye sees an object possessing
colour,rupa, the ear hears the sound as being the attribute of the object
heard, the skin cognises the particular touch of the object.
If Brahman, nirvisesha chinmathra, can be perceived as 'sat,' it becomes an
object of perception that belies the declaration of the vedas that Brahman is
athindhriya, beyond cognition by senses. Sruthi says, 'yathO vAchO nivarthanthE
aprApya mansA saha,' (Kena.) Brahman will then cease to be self-proved and
will become prameya, known, which makes it jada, insentient and nAsya,
perishable as according to advaitin that which is prameya, object of cognition,
is so.
Therefore,says Ramanuja:
'vasthusamsTHAnarupajAthyAdhilakshaNabhedhavisishtavishayameEva pratyaksham.'
That is, the perception is of a thing distinguished by the attributes like
jati, form,colour etc. only.
Advaitin's contention that since 'sat' alone is perceived as being common to
all objects, the visesha, difference,being not perceived as we go from one
object to another and hence apAramArthya, not real, is criticised by Ramanuja.
We say that one knowledge is sublated by the subsequent knowledge when there is
conflict between the two as in the case of rope and the snake. But in seeing
one object after another there is no conflict.The bheda, difference between the
rope and the snake vanishes when the knowledge of the rope arises because both
cannot exist at the same place and time. But when we see a pot and a cloth
subsequently the presence of one does not exclude that of the other. So the
difference of a pot from a cloth and vice versa still persists. If 'sat' is
said to be real because it is found in every perception, and by 'sat' the
advaitin means the sattha, existence in general, such inference requires no
proof as in the case 'I exist because I live.' If 'sat refers to the existence
of the particular thing perceived then the hetu, reason given,that it is found
in all perceptions is not tenable because the existence found in a pot is not
that of a cloth.
The advaitin says that the perception, anubhuthi is real because it is found in
all experiences and hence there can be no vishayavishyibhava, object-subject
relatinship between anubhuthi and 'sat'. therefore anubhuthi is 'sat.' Here it
should be remembered that the term 'sat' and Brahman,are synonymous and denote
attributeless consciousness in advaita.The two terms, 'sat' and perception are
used by the advaitin in the absract sense, meaning the absolute existence and
absolute perception and not that of objects in general.Since both are real
because of their persistence they should be identical as there cannot be two
reals in advaita philosophy. But Ramanuja summarily dismisses this saying that'
sat' is the object of anubhuthi and hence cannot be identical.
May god bless you,
Dr. Saroja Ramanujam, M.A., Ph.D, Siromani in sanskrit.
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