Jaina Concept of Omniscience

SR No.: 001547
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ramjee Singh
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 258
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Knowledge
File Size: 17 MB

Page 106

PROOFS FOR THE SOUL BEING..
93 III. Proofs for the Soul being the Ground of Omniscience
(A) General Omniscience, having been shown to be an innate poten: tial property of the soul, the fact of its being the ground of omniscience is also thereby established. The soul is, for the Jainas, the knower, who possesses four-fold perfection, both in its natural state and liberated states. Without the soul, the whole edifice of Karma-phenomenology, and that of ethics and morality will remain unexplained and untenable. Similarly, without it, transmigration, rebirth, etc. cannot be explained.
But can we not say that, although Buddha said that there was no soul,99 his attitude was never less ethical and moral than anyone else's and he also regarded Karman and rebirth as acknowledged facts. Let us find out the reasons. At the outset, this may be mentioned that Buddha did not reject the soul altogether. What he rejected was the substantial conception of self (sakkāyiditthi), which is avidyā par excellence and hence cause of all passions. Buddha simply rejected the Brahmanical conception of s vul, which was regarded as the inner core of the fundamental reality, immutable, permanent and eternal. In its extremely radical for a, namely Advaita Vedānta, this soul or Ātman is said to be one without a second and hence the denial of all plurality and reality of the phenomenal world. Now according to Buddhism, if we regard soul as such an unchanging, permanent, being, there will be no scope for moral endeavour. On the one hand it might lead to moral
99 "Practically inseparable from the doctrine of Annica is that of
Anatta” (A. Coomarasvamy, Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism, Bombay, Asia Publishing House, 1956, p. 88). See Samyutta Nikaya, XII. 70. 32-37; XXXV.85; Digha Nikayı (Miālidārı Sutta) 15; Vinaya Pitaka (Maha Vagga), I. 6.38-46. Säntarakṣita goes to the length of saying that Doctrine of Non-substantialism (Nairatin yavada) is the distinguishing feature of Buddha, and therefore he stands at the head af all philosophers, Tattva Sangraha, 3325, and “ he who believes in Atman, perishes,” Tattva Sangraha, 3340.