Page:A History of Indian Philosophy Vol 1.djvu/151

 v] Theory oj" Good and Evil 135 oblivious of the principle of sameness (samatii.) that underlies all things which are one and perfectly calm and tranquil and show no sign of becoming. N on-enlightenment is the raison d'etre of sarpsara. When this is annihilated the conditions-the external world-are also annihilated and with them the state of an interrelated mind is also annihilated. But this annihilation does not mean the annihilation of the mind but of its modes only. I t becomes calm like an un- ruffled sea when all winds which were disturbing it and producing the waves have been annihilated. In describing the relation of the interaction of avidya (ignor- ance), karmavijnana (activity-consciousness-thesubjective mind), viaya (external world-represented by the senses) and the tathata (suchness), Asvaghoa says that there is an interperfuming of these elements. Thus Asvaghoa says, "By perfuming we mean that while our worldly clothes (viz. those which we wear) have no odour of their own, neither offensive nor agreeable, they can yet acquire one or the other odour according to the nature of the sub- stance with which they are perfumed. Suchness (tat/latii) is likewise a pure dharma free from all defilements caused by the perfuming power of ignorance. On the other hand ignorance has nothing to do with purity. Nevertheless we speak of its being able to do the work of purity because it in its turn is perfumed by suchness. Determined by suchness ignorance becomes the raison d'itre of all forms of defilement. And this ignorance perfumes suchness and produces smrti. This smrti in its turn perfumes ignorance. On account of this (reciprocal) perfuming, the truth is misunder- stood. On account of its being misunderstood an external world of subjectivity appears. Further, on account of the perfuming power of memory, various modes of individuation are produced. And by clinging to them various deeds are done, and we suffer as the result miseries mentally as well as bodily." Again" such- ness perfumes ignorance, and in consequence of this perfuming the individual in subjectivity is caused to loathe the misery of birth and death and to seek after the blessing of Nirva1!a. This longing and loathing on the part of the subjective mind in turn perfumes suchness. On account of this perfuming influence we are enabled to believe that we are in possession within ourselves of suchness whose essential nature is pure and immaculate; and we also recognize that all phenomena in the world are nothing