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The Sixth Lesson: The Minor Systems.1227
that is, “of the same kind and nature,” but are exclusive in nature, and can
never “blend” with each other, but may only form combinations in which
the separate atomic individuality of each is preserved. These combinations
of the Ultimate Atoms are merely temporary, and are subject to change,
destruction and alteration, so far as the combinations are concerned, but
the individual Atoms, of course, can neither be destroyed nor changed
nor altered in their nature. The student of philosophy must see in this
Vaisheshika teaching the fundamental ideas which were afterward advanced
by Democritus, the early Greek philosopher, who is generally regarded as
the father of the Atomic Theory; and which are now advanced and held
by the most advanced modern Western scientists. Even the destruction
of the former Atomic Theory of the West, and its replacement by the
Corpuscular Theory, is in accordance with Kanada’s teaching, in which he
held that the Ultimate Atoms were invisible and without dimensions, while
in combination they became visible and acquired dimension—the Ultimate
Atom of Kanada being similar to the Corpuscle, Ion, or Electron of Twentieth
Century Western Science in its last conclusions and theories.
vi. The sixth and last of the Categories, or Padarthas, is that of Samavaya
or Coherence, whereby the parts of certain inseparable things are held
together in their respective places. These “Inseparable Things” of Kanada,
for which this Sixth Category is required, are rather abstract in nature, the
following “parts” in “coherence” being mentioned as examples of the nature
of the Category, viz.: The Parts and the Whole; Quality and the Object
Qualified; Action and Agent; Atoms and Substance; Subject and Object,
etc., etc.
In addition to the Six Padarthas, or Categories, the Later Teachings of the
Vaisheshika add a Seventh Category, or Padartha, which is called Abhava, or
Non-Existence, and which is divided by the teachers into four classes, viz.: (1)
Non-Existence which is without beginning, but which has an end; (2) Non-
Existence which has neither beginning nor end; and (4) Non-Existence which
is the negation of identity. Many of the Vaisheshikas vigorously oppose this