Jain Theism

SR No.: 006509
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hemant Shah
Publisher: Hemant Shah
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 218
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Religion
File Size: 10 MB

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Jain Theism
(1) The Jain philosophy of soul 'begins with the assertive judgement : “The soul exists'. Jainism is an Ātmavādi Darsana. Further it recognizes the soul to be pure and divine in its natural state. It has infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite power or onergy and infinite bliss and turns out to be all divine, supreme and absolute. Soul thus, in Jainism in its pure form is absolute. But then, Jainism does not stop here. It comes forward with its metaphysical background and puts before us the theory of pluralism of souls. In fact the ‘soul' is so a wide concept in Jainism that we find it not restricted to human beings or birds and beasts only, it expands right up to insects and plants. This results into pan-spiritualism, i.e. all is soul. Now if we interpret God as the manifestation of the highest values, highest virtues and highest morals then we find Jainism is full of high values, full of ethics. full of stress on right knowledge, right faith and right conduct. In fact if these high values and high morals are taken away from Jainism it will be reduced to nothing. Therefore we can say that Jainism is theistic even from high spiritual values point of view.
(2) Following, logically, from the above we see the soul in bondage. But then bondage, though beginningless is not endless. Jainism explains the mechanism of bondage and schematism of the liberation. It means for release centres round Ahimsā (non-injury) Samyama (selfcontrol) and Tapa (austerities). Here we are reminded of Śrimad Bhagwat Geetā expressing Jain theistic spirit : “With faith one attains knowledge, and with knowledge one attains self restraint and such a person attains bliss with self-Knowledge."100 Not merely the acceptance of soul and liberation makes Jainism theistic in its approach but even the path to salvation makes it all the more theistic. Professor Padmanabh S. Jaini in his book “The Jain Path of Purification discusses at length the Jain way and approach to salvation. He writes : “Perhaps more than any other religious tradition, Jainism is imbued with an emotional commitment to self-reliance. Thus Jains have found both theistic and fatalistic doctrines repugnant, for these doctrines not only negate the efficacy of the Tirthankara's path, but they totally deny the soul's ability to influence its own future, Although Jain philosophers have made much of the burden of Karma, this burden is not to be construed as an inescapable, unalterable, externally imposed effect."101 The Jains believe in the innate divinity of each soul. The perfection of the soul
100. Bhagwat Gita IV-39. 101. Jaini Padmanabh S., The Jain Path of Purification, (1979) p. 138.