Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t12.44

v1.c7.s7.t12.44

The “Vijñāptimātratāsiddhi” translated and compiled by Hsuan-tsang contains parts specifically dedicated to repudiating the Vaiśeṣika theories, arguing that the Padarthas considered “eternal and permanent” by Vaiśeṣika cannot be eternal and permanent if they can generate effect. For instance, if the atoms of earth, water, fire, and air in the Dravya-padārtha can be combined to create “effect”, they must be non-eternal and impermanent, because they have functions and therefore are subject to changes. As for those “eternal” Padarthas that don’t generate “effect”, such as kāla (time), dik (space), sāmānya (generality) and samavāya (inherence), they are like such non-existent things as rabbit horns, having no “prakriti” apart from consciousness. And those Padarthas considered “non-eternal and impermanent”, if blocked, will be like such things as armies and woods, having no “prakriti” whatsoever; and if unblocked, they will be like consciousness or manifestations thereof, having no concrete “vehicle” and thus, no “prakriti” apart from consciousness. In addition, the book also challenged the rationality of categorising pṛthvī (earth), ap (water) and tejas (fire) into Dravya (substance) and rūpa (colour) into Guṇa (quality), arguing that they are all subject to the control of body organs, and therefore should be put under the same category. The “Vijñāptimātratāsiddhi” also argued that there is no need for the sāmānya-padārtha as proposed by Vaiśeṣika, because according to the school’s own theory, the Dravya-padārtha shall exist of its own accord, without having to depending on the sāmānya-padārtha to verify its existence. For these reasons, the “Vijñāptimātratāsiddhi” concludes that the padārtha theory of the Vaisheshika school is self-contradictory, and therefore is not valid.