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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À SOURCB-BOOK ÎN JAINA PHILOSOPHY because it has the characteristic in it of the origin, permanence and destruction (utpāda, sthiti and vināśa).
Vaiseşikas have made Ākāśa as independent substance and it has a characteristic of producing sabda (sound). They have considered the directions different from Akāśa.1 That which has the attribute of sabda is Ākāśa, and that which limits the external world by direction is called dik.? Nyāya-kārikāvals makes dik as that which has the attributes of the farness and nearness (dūratva and sämpiya) and which makes distinction between the one place and the other. Dik is one and nitya (eternal). By the phenomenal distinctions for practical purposes it is called the east and west and other directions.3 In the Jaina philosophy dik is not considered to be distinct from Akāśa. Because in the variable measurable distinctions of Ākāśa, we find the dik i. e. , the direction. These are conventional measures. Akāśa is not one which produces sound because sabda is produced by matter which has form and Ākāśa is formless. It is not possible to say that the formless Akāśa produced substances with form. Similarly, we cannot say that Akāśa is a product of prakrti nor is it an appearance of Brahman4 because Akāśa is an independent substance.
According to Jainism, Akāśa as a substance has infinity number of pradeśas. From the point of view of extension, it is endless and limitless extending from Loka to Aloka. From the point of time, Akāśa is beginningless and endless and considered from the point of view of nature, Ākāśa is formless.
Dik (direction) is a form of empirical measurement of Akāśa with reference to the existence and location of the things. It is the masurable extent of Akāśa, with reference to different locations. From the slanting loka (tir yak loka), we have the “disa and a anudiśā.”
1 Tarkasangraha p. 2, 9.
Tatra dravyāni prthivyaptejovāyvakāśakāladigatmamanānsi navaiva ... Sabdagunakamākāśam. tatryaikam vibhunityam ca...präcyādi
vyavahāraheturdik. 2 Vaiseșika Sūtra, 2, 2, 13. 3 Nyäyakārikāvali 46, 47. Dürāntikādidhiheturikā nityādigucyate.
Upādhibhedadekāpi prācyādi vyapadeśabhāk. 4 (a) Sadānānda : Vedāntasāra, p. 32.
b) Sāṁkhyakārikā, 3.