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

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ARGUMENTS BASED ON: .
omniscient being, since if it calims to prove non-existence of the omniscient unconditionally (nirvisesana), it is inconclusive (anaikāntika) because one cannot be sure if nobody else has the cognition of its existence. On the other hand, if it claims to prove it only in a qualified sense (savisesaņa), i.e., subject to certain conditions, then the proof has no status. Further, it cannot also be proved by the non-apprehension of all men (sarva-sambandhī) because such non-apprehension it. self cannot be proved. If someone knows the nature of all men then he himself becomes omniscient.
Non-apprehension cannot be valid reason as it is neither the cause (kāraņa), nor the effect (kārya), nor the pervader (vyāpaka) of 'omniscient being'. 116 When 'non-apprehension' cannot be either the 'cause' or the 'pervader', the absence of it cannot mean the absence of omniscience. Similarly, 'nonapprehension cannot be the 'effect' since there are scriptures containing instructions about many supra-sensible phenomena like dharma etc. In short, “non-apprehension ” with regard to the above cases will not be operative because at the moment the non-apprehension of the omniscient is inevitable because at this moment there is none who is omniscient. So any attempt to deny the omniscient person on the ground of mere nonapprehension' is like denying the marriage of one's mother because mother's marriage 117 is inevitably non-cognisable or naming one's father. If it is said that the cause is known from its effect and hence there is no need of denying the marriage of one's mother, this would not be a valid argument since a wicked woman might bringforth a son even without marriage. It might be urged against this, what is cognised is not non-existence but existence, and the non-existence of
116 Prabhācandra, Nyāya-kumudacandra, p. 91; Sāntaraksita, Ibid.,
3270. 117 śāntarakṣita, Ibid., 3282. It may be pointed out that a child can see
the marriage of his mother with other man who becomes his stepfather, but it is a case of remarriage.