57. A Criteria

A Criteria For Truth. 

Question प्रश्न 57.

What Is A "Criteria"?

सत्य की कसौटी

Whatever is known is the perception and is known in "Consciousness". In the absence of "Consciousness" the perception is no more.

One could however think of that state of the mind where nothing is known, but that too will be in imagination only and the fact that this imagination is taking place is known in the "Consciousness" only.

A "Criteria" therefore is but another word meaning the "Evidence" or the "Proof". 

This Evidence or Proof could further be of the three kinds as is defined and described in the following Yoga-Sutra  of Patanjali 

प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि।। 

This means whatever is known through and in "Consciousness" or any perception is in the three forms namely --

प्रत्यक्ष, अनुमान, and आगम 

The Appearance,

The ideation and;

The conclusion.

Testing the truth this "known" is again proved to be "true" or verified in the three ways namely ;

The Experience,

The Logic / Reasoning, and; 

The Example.

The above three could be accepted as the primary "Criteria"  for testing "Whatever"  is "True" "False" "Untrue".

The "True" is "Whatever" is "Real" or the "Reality" that abides irrespective of Time and Place. Saying "always" and "everywhere" is but only a superfluous assertion, leading no-where. In other words, saying  that "The Truth", or "The Reality" is "Wha-so-ever"  That abides irrespective of Time and Place is the rather only the correct way of assertion of  The Truth or The Reality.

In this way though it may be the first step in the direction of finding out the Truth or the Reality that abides always and everywhere, and therefore it is here and now also present,  - could neither be experienced, described, nor is to be known in terms of  "perception"  in the "Consciousness" .

A Reality Check :

In this way, having rejected the three kinds of  knowing, what remains to know that could be called the "Knowledge"?

Let us check this by means of thinking over the Truth or the Reality of  The World  .

This world where we think we are born and live in appears and is perceived in because of the "knowing". This "Knowing" / perception is because of "Consciousness" and the three words : the perception, the consciousness and the knowing are but different words to describe one and the same fact.

In appearance though the world seems to be an ever-existent Reality, common to be known to all, therefore it is thought to be the one and the same for all those who too are felt and are in appearance only as soon many individuals other than one who thinks I'm in this world and like me, all they too are here, in this very common world of us all..  

It is basically a wrong and false notion / idea and is because of the in-attention or the lack of attention only.

Interestingly, there are two other states of the mind namely - the dream state and the deep dreamless sleep state where the "World" that is known appears to be "Real".

Though all go through these three states of mind voluntarily or involuntarily many times during the whole life, it never occurs to one how the three states "happen" to oneself. Isn't there a hidden support and thread that holds and exists throughout these three states? If due attention is paid to this understanding, it is the next, the second step in the direction of finding out "What Truth or Reality" is that is the only support and the common thread where-upon are strung the three states of the mind namely : The waking the dream and the deep dreamless sleep state of mind.

Therefore what is experienced as the "World" is but appearance and in appearance only. It is the  प्रत्यक्ष,  what is thought while in waking state of the mind, and also as in appearance as in dream and dreamless sleep is but the  अनुमान, while what is known in "Conclusion"  is the आगम. 

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