The Lamp as an Example for Self-Awareness: Prajñākaragupta’s Theory

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  • 灯火の喩え――プラジュニャーカラグプタの自己認識理論――

Abstract

<p>A cognition cognizes itself, as a lamp illuminates itself. A lamp is a model example that Buddhist logicians, such as Dharmakīrti, cite to illustrate their theory of ‘self-awareness’ （svasaṃvedana）. It is generally accepted that a lamp has a self-revealing character. In order to illustrate that a cognition does not cognize itself, however, counterexamples can be adduced: the blade of a sword cannot cut itself; the tip of a finger cannot touch itself; a man cannot mount on his own shoulders, and so forth. As long as Buddhist logicians advocate the theory that a cognition has a self-luminous character, they have to accept the task of showing that there is no incongruity in a cognition cognizing itself.</p><p>Prajñākaragupta is one of the Buddhist logicians who attempted the task mentioned above. In commenting on Dharmakīrti’s Pramāṇavārttika III 329, he tried to show that what is said of the blade of a sword and the like is not true of a cognition.</p><p>Prajñākaragupta says: “A pot can never be illuminated by a lamp.” This is the key to understand the point he makes. According to him, it is not the case that a pot is illuminated by a lamp, but that a pot arises with the essence of shining. In the svasaṃvedana theory, ‘cognizing x’ should not be regarded as a kind of act; rather, it is to be considered as referring to a cognitive event in which the x arises with the essence of shining.</p>

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