________________
72
Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion
(b) The unconditionality in the statement “All statements are conditional” is quite different from the normal meaning of unconditionality. This is like the idea contained in the passage-'I do not know myself', where there is no contradiction
een 'knowledge' and 'ignorance' or in the sentence, 'I am undecided', where there is atleast one decision that I am undecided. Similarly, the categoricality behind a disjunctive judgement (A man is either good or bad etc.? ) the categoricality is not like the categoricality of an ordinary categorical judgement. “The horse is red'. The question of 'why' has been discussed elsewhere2 in detail.
(c) Samantabhadra, an early Jaina logician, in one of his worship-songs, clarifies this position the light of the doctrine of manifoldness of truth. He says, "even to the doctrine of nonabsolutism can be interpreted either as absolute or non-absolute according to the pramāņa or Naya respectively. This means that even the doctrine of non-absolutism is not absolute unconditionally. 3
(d) However, to avoid the fallacy of infinite regress, the Jainas distinguish between Vaild non-absolutism (Samyak anekanta ) and invalid non-absolutism (Mithya Anekānta4 ). Like an invalid absolute judgement an invalid non-absolute
1. Bradley, F. H. : The Principles of Logic, Oxford, 2nd ed.,
Vol. 1, p. 130. 2. Jaina Antiquary, Arrah, Vol. 22, No. 1, article of the
author entitled 'The Nature of the Unconditionality in
Syadváda', pp. 20-24. 3. Svayambhu Stotra, K. 130, Vira Seva Mandir, Sarasawa,
1951, p. 67 and Nyaya-dipikā of Abhidharma Bhūşaņa, Ed. Darbari Lal Kothia, Vira Seva Mandir, Sarasawa,
1945, pp. 128-129. 4. Samantabhadra : Āpta-Mīmāsā, K. 108, Sanatana Jaina
Granthamala, Kasbi, 1914; Aşta-Sahasri : Vidyananda, Nirnaya Sagar Press, Bombay, p. 290; Nyaya-dipikā, pp. 130-131.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
