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ME 39-LOGICAL REASONING FIVE MEMBERS OF ARGUMENT By Ven. Uttamnanda (Exam Guide-1) (29 Oct 2010)

There are two ways of direct and indirection perception in order to get right knowledge and they are called inference. Direct perception means using the sense organs and their respective objects. When sense faculties and their respective objects come into contact, there arise feelings. Thus feeling result in perception is called direction perception. Again, all humans must die. Men and women are humans. Therefore, they must die. This is called in direct perception or syllogism. This syllogism has five members; Pratij, Hetu, Udharaa, Upanaya and Nigamana and they are called five members of argument to prove something as a truth. One can say that there has fire on the mountain and it is called statement, Pratij. Then he should give the reason that I saw the smoke at the top of the mountain to prove his previous expression and it is called reason, Hetu. Furthermore, he should give another similar instance like in the kitchen whenever smoke, there also has fire and it is called example, Udharaa. Then he has to unite the reason and example as combination like there is always fire in the kitchen, so there is smoke in the kitchen. Similarly, there is smoke on the mountain, therefore there is fire on the mountain and it is called combination, Upanaya. Finally, he can conclude that the mountain has fire and it is called Nigamana, conclusion. Subsequently, it should give proper reason to the reasonable topic which can show new idea. Here if we refer to Pli-grammar, there were Vedic-language, Pli, Sanskrit, Mgadh. Most scholars said that the Pli had derived from Vedic and Sanskrit. Someone however may argue that the Pli is the original. For instance, we called Ambha in Vedic, yet in Sanskrit Ambhra while the Pli calls Ambha. It is very similar to the first and the last one. Although it is very similar to Vedic, we cannot say that the Pli is derived from Vedic. Such a new concept should be in the Topic. Nevertheless, it is not enough merely a reason and it should have at least three reasons. In yabindu, there are three conditions in regard to the reason; 1. Anunaye sattva = The reason should be completely related to the inference. 2. Sapake sattva = The reason should be relevance to the main topic and similar aspects of topic. 3. Asapake asattva = If there is any point against the Hypothesis, then our reason should not support those opposite ideas. When the reason is incomplete, it calls Hitvbhsa, fallacy, in logic. It seems like a reason but not real. Actually, animals have no logical thinking and they act according to the challenges, yet human being possesses it. However the Buddha said that finally we have to give up even the logical thinking and we have to depend on reality. However we have to use the logic when we go to the ultimate level. Therefore in our daily life and religious life, we should have these five members of argument to live properly. Words (500)