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

Page 191

172
Jain Theism
About the worship in Jainism he says that, “Worship in Jainism, is the expression of sincere devotion (Bhakti) of the aspirant for the spiritual values he esteems most hence for the personage or the soul who has fully realised, attained and manifested those values, properties, attributes and qualities.... The purpose is to get inspiration and guidance from the example of the worshipful."}4 The Jain religion is a way of life “which offers much that is permanent and eternal, and has stood the test of time."185 About the state of liberation, Dr. J.P.Jain says that Moksa means “the bound becomes the liberated, the slave becomes the master, the Ātman becomes the Paramātman, self come to self, the pure entity, the very God."186 “Moreover, with Jainism, liberation is essentially a religious concept, being recounted as the last and the highest of the seven Tattvas."187 Thus we can very conveniently conclude that Dr. J.P. Jain finds Jainism, in more than one regard out and out theistic. (6) Dr. S. Rādhākrishnan :
Dr. S. Rādhākrishnan discusses Jainism as one of the systems of Indian philosophy in his Indian Philosophy Vol. I. He calls Jainism as 'pluralistic religion'. After discussing the Jain methaphysics, theory of knowledge, logic and ethics, he discusses Jain's attitude to theism. He agrees to certain Jain objection to conceive a creator God of the material out of which the world is created is difficult to answer."188 Regarding the Jain theism he says, “Though there is no divine creative spirit, still every soul when it reaches it's highest perfection becomes a Paramātman or supreme soul. God is only the highest, noblest and fullest manifestation of the powers which lie latent in the soul of man. All perfect men are divine, and there is no rank among them, since all are equal."189 Dr. Rādhākrishnan feels that "strictly speaking there is no room for devotion or Bhakti in the Jain system."
He says so because his logical argument is that since all attachment and love is to be burnt up in the glow if asceticism'! and no Bhakti or devotion is possible without the personal love or attachment. Dr. Rādhākrishnan though logically sound in his argument,
184. Religion and Culture of the Jains by Dr. J.P. Jain,
Bharatiya Jñanapith Publications, New Delhi, (1977), p. 106 185. Ibid., p. 170
186. Ibid., p. 173 187. Ibid., p. 46 188. Radhakrishanan S., Indian Philosophy, Vol. I (1979), p. 330 189 Ibid., p. 331
190. Ibid., p. 331