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 208

Conclusion
and the Jain concept of omniscience with possibility of graded knowledge create confusions and contradictions. What I simply hint is more serious efforts to make such philosophical and theological issues clear, at least, to those who are very eager to know Jainism in its real spirit.
Dr. Radhakrishanan tells us that, "the worshippers of the absolute are the highest in rank; second to them are the worshippers of the personal God; then come the worshippers of incarnations like Rāma, Krisna, Buddha: Below them are those who worship ancestors, deities and sages; and lowest of all are the worshipers of the petty forces and spirits"4
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Let me clear that Jainism, unlike some other religions, Christianity among them is not a form of thought, a doctrine or a creed, but like Hinduism, 'a way of life'. One is bound to be unjustified to Jainism if not clear in the terms 'theism' and 'Absolutism'. One may recognize a fundamental contrast between the religion as representative of 'theism' and that which, although not excluding 'theism' attribute an intrinsic superiority to 'absolutism'. Theism and absolutism should be more clear and consistent. Jainism as a religion which, though finding room for devotion to a God conceived under the form of a personal object of worship, decidedly regards the quest for absorption in the absolute (the Siddhas) as a higher form of purity and piety and as, on this account, better suited to be a religion then a school of philosophy (Darśana), I fully agree to often discussed and often quoted view of Dr. J.A.Yajinik that if a person in his life practises theism purely metaphysically. He is found to be true Jain. In other words Jainism is a metaphysical theism.
After having gone through all the discussions and arguments, when a researcher starts thinking whether Jainism directly comes before us as theism in its pure sense; or some philosophers might react and say Jainism tends more towards spiritualism or polytheism than theism. But to such critics we can say that it is shown that Jainism seems to be so theistic that it is impossible to describe it as atheism. If, in this way, we are in a position to say that Jainism is anything but atheism, then are we not entitled to say that if Jainism is seen to be not atheistic it would be very reasonable to regard it as theistic, or not very much different from it not only with regard to Jain practices and Sadhana but also in the light of authentic scriptural evidences.
4. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, A Hindu View of Life, P. 32.