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 26

Theism, Atheism and Jainism philosophy called into court to answer the selected questions." Moreover, we can also conclude that theism has its most habitual attinities with intuitionalism. Empiricism. intuitionalism and idealism are three tendencies dealing with "what is", "partly with what is and partly with what must be', and with what must be" - respectively. They tend to be towards design argument and analogy, to the cosmological argument, and to the ontological argument. The design argument suggests a personal but limited God, or number of Gods, the cosmological argument points to pantheistic theism; and finally the ontological argument sums up the truth in the two previous arguments and given 'its vision of the philosophicai absolute', pointing to God's attribute of infinity. However, one needs very rightly to remember” Kant's hostile assumption, that it is incompetent for us to take the thought of God piccerneal". 2.1.3 God in Indian Theism
Recalling the discussion about the comparative study of Indian theism and Western theism, theism or atheism for Indian thinkers is decided not by the acceptance or rejection of the authority of Vadās. Thus we find systems in Indian philosophy which are theistic and not believing in God in the traditional sense, as well as systems which are atheistic and yet believing in God as the perfect soul or being. However, let us see what is the concept of God in Indian theism.
“The essence of the Vedic religion may be summerised as worship of the Devās (i.e.shining deities) who were regarded as manifestations of the supreme being, conceived as supreme power." In Hindu religion" God is the reality of the world, not the monopoly of this or that sect.'* He is ‘Kavi' or the poet, the maker or the creator." God as person is deeply concerened in the affairs of this world. He is the friend, judge and redeemer of mankindian God is the absolute spirit, timeless and unchanging....." "Absolute assumes the form of God who is guiding the world.....""4 “God is not the figment of our minds. God is a real symbol of the absolute reality :. God himself is Sat, Cit and Ananda, reality, truth and bliss. Bhagavad-Gitā has accepted the metaphysical creed of Sāmkhya philosophy, of course, with certain fundamental modifications.
6. Encyclopaedia Britannica pp. 750 7. Chaudhari H.K.D., God in Indian Religion (1969) p. 34. 8. Dr. Nagaraja Rao (ed.), Radhakrishnan reader - An Anthology (1988) p. 188. 9. Ibid., p. 190