v] Theory of Consciousness 89 the cross-roads beholding all that come from any direction 1. Bud- dhagho!?a in the A tthasiililli also says that consciousness means that which thinks its object. If we are to define its characteristics we must say that it knows (vijiinana), goes in advance (pubbmi- gama), connects (sandhiina), and stands on namariipa (llii1llaritpa- pada!!hiinam). When the consciousness gets a door, at a place the objects of sense are discerned (iira1ll1llana-vibhiivana!!hiille) and it goes first as the precursor. When a visual object is seen by the eye it is known only by the consciousness, and when the dhammas are made the objects of (mind) mano, it is known only by the consciousness 2 . Buddhagho!?a also refers here to the passage in the Mili1lda Paflha we have just referred to. He further goes on to say that when states of consciousness rise one after another, they leave no gap between the previous state and the later and consciousness therefore appears as connected. vVhen there are the aggregates of the fi ve khandhas it is lost; but there are the four aggregates as namariipa, it stands on nama and therefore it is said that it stands on namariipa. He further asks, Is this con- sciousness the same as the previous consciousness or different from it? He answers that it is the same. ] ust so, the sun shows itself with all its colours, etc., but he is not different from those in truth; and it is said that just when the sun rises, its collected heat and yellow colour also rise then, but it does not mean that the sun is different from these. So the citta or consciousness takes the phenomena of contact, etc., and cognizes them. So though it is the same as they are yet in a sense it is different from them 3. To go back to the chain of twelve causes, we find that jati (birth) is the cause of decay and death,jariimarala, etc. ]ati is the appearance of the body or the totality of the five skandhas 4 . Coming to bhava which determines jati, I cannot think of any better rational explanation of bhava, than that I have already 1 Warren's Buddhism in Translations, p. 182. .lIfililZ(/a Paiiha (628). 2 Atthasiilini, p. 112.
- I Ibid. p. I 13, Yathii hi rupadini upiidaya paiiiiattii sUl'iyiidayo na atthato ruPii-
dihi aniie honti ten' eva yasmin samaye stlriyo udeti tasmin samaye tassa kjii-san. khiitam rUpa'!l piti eva'.n vucca11liine pi na rUpiidihi aiiiio stlriyo lziima atthi. Tatlui cittllm phassiidayo dhamme ujiidiiya paiiiiapiyati. A tthato pan' ettha tehi aliiiam eva. Tena yasmin samaye cittam uppanna'!l hoti eka1!lsUI eva tasmil1 samaye phassiidihi atthato aiiiiad roa hotf ti. 4 "Jiitirdehajanma paiicaskandhasanmdiiya{z," Govindananda's Ratnaprablzii on Sankara's bha.!iiya, JJ. ii. 19.
