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DIŃNAGA ON TR1KALA PARIK$A : AN EXPLORATION INTO SOME AVENUES... 125

philosophy, for^this sort of inclusive approach alone is likely to provide a proper insight in his views concerning a particular issue like, say, his conceplion of the real. Or, just as diflcrent organs taken together constitute our body, similariy all the works of his taken together would enable us to understand his philosophy and comprehend its conceplual framework. Further, it is a fact that all of his works were not written simultaneously. If one may be allowed to surmise, they might not have been written in quick succession as well. Given this, a careful study of his different works major or minor is morę than likely to unfold interconnection among them and bring to the notice of the concemed lines and stages of growth and development in his philosophy. For this reason also it seems desirable to study his different works including T.P. not so much in isolation from one anolher but in their interrelationship with his other works, irrespcctive of the fact whether DińnSga has madę refcrence to them in his later wrilings.

2.    Apart from ovcrall comprchcnsive unity and lines of growth and development of Dirtn3ga^łs thoughl, study of his minor works like T.P. also rcmains significant for yet anolher reason. Various problems and issues he grapplcd with in his philosophical scrutiny and the sort of paradigms he might have loyed with in its course must not have bccome available to him either simultaneously or in quick succession. He might have come to lay his hands upon them through at least two prominent ways: (a) responding to the problems posed and paradigms adopted by his prcdecessors and / or contemporarics - Buddhist as well as non-Buddhist - and realization of inadequacies they are beset with in his considered opinion, and (b) in working out a viable altcrnative, at once morę inclusive and yet distinctive. On the lattcr count, too, it is not inconceivable that thcre was shift, consideration of growth and dcvelopment. If so, one has to see what light his dilTerent works shed on such issues and through which phases his thought developed, as far as possible ensuring that it does not remain susceptible to those sorts of weaknesses and vulnerabilities of which either his own earlicr position or that of his predecessor or contemporary were subject.

3.    Thirdly, while studying different works of Dińnaga their bearing upon overall coherence and consistency of his philosophy, without jeopardizing possibility of conccptual growth, is a mallcr of addilional concern which needs to be kepi before us in analysing and interpreting works like T.P. One may take up the task of unfolding the philosophy presented in it by finding out its connection with his other writings and reinforce the findings through cross-refcrence so bccoming available.

On this backgr^ind, wc outline bclow briefly plausiblc rationale of Dińnaga’s writing T.P. ?** its co-rclalion with his other works. For, as slated earlier.