Living Systems in Jainism: A Scientific Study: 09.04 ►Upayoga (Manifestation of Consciousness)

Upayoga is a general term comprising all activity related to consciousness. Literally, it means the attention or coordination of a subject and object. It is the manifestation of the faculty of knowing that is possessed by the soul. Cognition is also upayoga. This is of two types: nirakaraupayoga (general perception) of consciousness (inarticulate cognition) is darshana (or perception); sakaraupayoga (particular cognition) of consciousness (articulate cognition) is jnana (or knowledge). The articulate cognition is designated as jnana or ajnana according to the faith of the knower.

Siddhasena (2^ndCE) defined upayoga in two ways: (1) consciousness, which is a constant characteristic of the soul, manifests itself as the stages of jnana and darshana. This manifestation is upayoga. (2) Upayoga means the attention of jnana and darshana towards an object. This definition can be applied to the case of constant cognition also.

Akalanka said that upayoga is a mode of cognizer, related to consciousness, occurring at the possible incidence of external and internal means. Is every mode of the soul an upayoga? No: only those which are related to consciousness. In fact, consciousness is power and upayoga is the manifestation (or application) of this power. There are two types of causes of upayoga: external and internal. Each of them is further divided into inseparable and separable. Thus, there are four causes of upayoga:

1. External separable – an object, light etc.
2. External inseparable – the physical senses
3. Internal separable – the physical mind, material cause of thinking etc.
4. Internal inseparable – bhava-yoga or any activity of the soul that results from the partial or complete destruction of the karmic matter

In certain cases, all of these causes are necessary; in others, three, two or even one will do. However, the 4th cause is essential in all activities.

Vidyananda mentions two types of upayoga: ksayika (emanating from the annihilation of karma) and ksayopashamika (emanating from the annihilation-cum-subsidence of psychic karma). The former does not require any external or separable means; it solely depends upon the fourth type of cause, which is always present. Ksayikaupayoga is permanent; once it appears it never vanishes. Ksayopashamika is impermanent; it appears and vanishes according to external and internal conditions. "Temporariness" here means a change in respect to objectivity, intensity, kind, etc., rather than a total disappearance.