Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture

SR No.: 002012
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 400
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, Religion, & Nyay
File Size: 23 MB

Page 38

The Axioms of Non-absolutism 21 predicables is also found in some cases. 31*
Once Gautama asked Lord Mahāvīra—'O Lord! is a two spaced aggregate self, not-self or indescribable ?
Lord replied--O Gautama! a two spaced aggregate is self in some respect, not-self in some respect and indescribable in some respect.'
Gautama said-'How is it so, O Lord!?'
Mahāvira replied—'O Gautama! it is self in respect of its own nature, it is not-self in respect of alien nature and it is indescribable in respect of both.'
Four additional predicables follow spontaneously,viz.1. A two-spaced aggregate is selfin some respect, is not-self in some
respect. A two-spaced aggregate is self in some respect, is indescribable in some respect. A two-spaced aggreagate is not-self in some respect, is indescribable in some respect. The seventh predicable follows in respect of a three-spaced
aggregate 4. A three-spaced aggregate is self in some respect, is not-self in
some respect, is indescribable in some respect.
A thing is positive and negative rolled into one. The doctrine of sevenfold predication has been framed on the basis of this dual attribute of position and negation. The dualities of universalparticular, permanent-impermanent, describable-indescribable can also constitute this system of sevenfold predication (saptabhangi).
31. Ibid, 12. 2. 9.
In the case of the objects that are non-composite (for instance, a monad), the attributes are only three in number, viz. self, not-self and indescribable. Here 'indescribable' means the impossibility of the object being spoken of or described exclusively as 'self' or 'not-self' because of the same object being both (self and not-self) at the same time. These three attributes, however, become six in the case of a dyad (a composite body of two space-points) as follows: (1) self, (2) not-self, (3) indescribable, (4) self and not-self (one attribute for each space-point), (5) self and indescribable (one attribute for each space-point), (6) not-self and indescribable (one attribute for each space-point). These six ways again become seven in case of a triad (a composite body of three space-points) in the following way: (1) to (2) as above, and (3) self, not-self and indescribable (one attribute for each of three spacepoints). Here the fourth, fifth and sixth ways have each two more subdivisions. Thus the fourth, viz. self and not-self, has the following two additional subdivisions. (1) self (for two space-points) and (2) not-self (for the remaining one space-point). The fifth and sixth ways also have similar subdivisions.