These, the learned know,
exist for perception of their respective objects.[1313] Vision, hearing,
smelling, touching, and tasting are the functions of the senses. The five
senses are concerned with five objects in five ways. Know, by the
inference of reason, their similitude of attributes.[1314] Form, scent,
taste, touch, and sound, are the five properties that are (respectively)
apprehended by the five senses in five different ways. These five
properties, viz., form, scent, taste, touch, and sound, are not really
apprehended by the _senses_ (for these are inert), but it is the Soul
that apprehends them _through_ the senses. That which is called Chitta is
superior to the multitude of senses. Superior to Chitta is Manas.
Superior to Manas is Buddhi, and superior to Buddhi is Kshetrajna.[1315]
At first a living creature perceives different objects through the
senses. With Manas he reflects over them, and then with the aid of Buddhi
he arrives at certitude of knowledge. Possessed of Buddhi, one arrives at
certainty of conclusions in respect of objects perceived through the
senses. The five senses, Chitta, Mind and Understanding (which is the
eighth in the tale),--these are regarded as organs of knowledge by those
conversant with the science of Adhyatma. The hands, the feet, the anal
duct, the membrum virile, the mouth (forming the fifth in the tale),
constitute the five organs of action. The mouth is spoken of as an organ
of action because it contains the apparatus of speech, and that of
eating.
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