Source Book in Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001263
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Devendramuni
Publisher: Tarak Guru Jain Granthalay
Publication Year: 1983
Total Pages: 590
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 10 MB

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ssion about the inner life in relation to the conception of gandharva. Similarly, in some other works and in the writings of Vasubandhu and other Vaibhāṣikas there is mention of transmigration from one body to the other1. It is like the subtle body. In Theravādī Buddhaghosa there is no mention of the subtle body (antarābhavasarīra). He has given certain examples of the movement of consciousness from one body to the other.2
A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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UPANIŞADIC THOUGHT
In the Upanisadic tradition we do not get a uniformity of views regarding the nature of the self. Sometimes even in one Upanisad, we find the mention of different views, regarding the conception of the self. For this reason, those who have speculated on the nature of the self have presented various views. Badarāyaṇa wrote the Brahmasutra and in the Brahmasutra, we find the mention of various views of the self as presented by the ancient seers. Brahmasutra became a very important work like the Upanisads and several commentaries on that were written. But unfortunately all the commentaries are not available today. Śamkrācārya wrote a commentary on the Brahmasutra and presented Māyāvāda (theory of Appearance). But those who did not accept Māyāväda wrote commentaries on the Brahmasutra and presented their own interpretations of the Brahmasutra refuting the Māyāvāda. Among them may be mentioned the Acaryas like Bhaskara, Rāmānuja and Nimbārka. These Acaryas presented different views in their commentaries but the basic uniformity of their presentation was that they all refuted the argument of māyāvāda and said that jīva is real as the Brahman is real. Jīva is different from the body. It is eternal and is imperishable. Śamkarācārya while presenting his māyāvāda based his argument on the Upanisadic teachings. Pandit Sukhalāljī has analysed the Upanisadic streams of thought as presented by these writers into three states, as 1. Samkara's Advaita. 2. Madhvācāryas Dvaita and 3. the Vedic interpretations of other Acaryas.3
Samkara said Brahman is real. It is the ultimate reality and all other things are appearances. The differentiations of Jīvas in the
1 Abhidharmadīpa, p. 142 with notes. 2 (a) Visuddhimaggo, 17-163 (b) Bharatiya Tattvavidya, p. 99. 3 Bharatiya Tattvavidya, p. 100.