Gita Rahasya -Tilak
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CHAPTER VI
THE INTUITIONIST SCHOOL AND THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BODY AND THE ATMAN
(ADHIDAIVATA-PAKSA AND KSETRA-KSETRAJNA-VICARA) They say that deciding whether a thing is good or bad (sat or asat), just or unjust, righteous or unrighteous, is quite different from deciding whether a particular object is heavy or light, white or black, or whether a calculation is correct or incorrect. The Mind can, by logical methods, decide matters which fall within the second category; but the Mind itself is incapable of deciding on the matters mentioned in the first category, and that is a thing which can be done only by the Mental Deity in the shape of the Power of discrimination between good and bad. They explain this by saying that in determining whether a particular calculation is correct or incorrect, we first examine the additions or multi- plications involved in it, and then arrive at a decision, that is to say, before determining this question, the Mind has to go through some other actions or activities ; but the same is not the case in the matter of the discrimination between good and bad. As -soon as we hear that somebody has murdered somebody else, we immediately utter the words: "What a bad thing has been done by him I ", and we have not to think about the matter at all. As the decision whioh we arrive at without any consideration, and the one which we arrive at after con- sideration, cannot both be said to be the functions of one and the same mental capacity, we must say that Conscience is an independent Mental Deity. As this power or deity is equally awake in the hearts of all human beings, every one looks upon murder as a crime, and nobody has to Ibe taught anything about the matter.' This Intuitionist argument is answered by Materialistic philosophers by saying, that from the fact that we can spontaneously arrive at a decision on any matter, we cannot draw the conclusion that such matter must be different from another matter as to which we come to a decision after proper consideration. Doing a thing quickly or slowly is a matter of practice. Take the case of calculations. Merchants quote the rate for the seer immediately on being given the rate for the khandy, by mental calculation. But on that account, their deity of calculation does not become different from the same deity of the best mathematicians. By habit, something becomes so much part and parcel of oneself, that one does it easily and without the slightest consideration. |
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