Objects and their Properties

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Namast Advaitins,

When a crystal is in the presence of a rose it

takes on a rosy hue. We are asked to consider this as the transfer of

an attribute of the substantive rose. However when a concrete block is

in the presence of a rose nothing happens. Why? Unlike a crystal the

block lacks reflective properties. Instead of the mysterious travelling

of attributes the phenomenon remains with the common sense and obvious

nature of the block or the crystal as an object. If we place a ball on

an inclined plane and let it go the ball will roll. Has the inclined

plane transferred its rollingness to the ball? A ball is round so when

placed in certain situations it has the disposition that its shape

imparts to it. In other words objects have properties and dispositions.

 

Similarly and likewise the human mind has as a substance the property of

being transparent. Cf pg. 15 & pg.188 of V.P. trans. Sw.Madhavananda.

It also has the properties of being light and mobile. It can go out to

the object. " This explains its powers to reach and take the form of

objects and reveal them " (Sw.Madh. note pg.16) An object such as a jar

is inert and is not of itself luminous.

 

" For instance, the luminous mind, being a transparent substance, can by

itself manifest the Consciousness that is the individual self, but a jar

etc. cannot do so, because they are opaque substances. When, however,

they are connected with a mental state of the same form as they, their

inertness is overcome by it; and being possessed of a capacity to

manifest consciousness , imparted by the mental state, they manifest

that Consciousness after the appearance of the mental state. So it has

been stated in the Vivarna, " For the mind imparts to a jar etc.

connected with it, as well as to itself, the capacity to manifest

Consciousness " (V.P. pg.188 trans. Chap. Subject-Matter of Vedanta)

 

So again we are talking about the capacities of objects or their

properties or their dispositions and not about the mysterious movement

of attributes from a substantive that may or may not exist. That the

mind is a luminous substance is due to the predominance of tejas in its

composition which would allow it to reflect some of the nature of

Consciousness. This is why the sphere of dreams is called Taijasa.(cf.

Ma.10)

 

How this concept of 'tejas' would translate to the modern categories of

neuroscience is an interesting question.

Best Wishes,

Michael.