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JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY "GOD IN JAINISM"
thought. Pythagoras was aware of principle of the rebirth. Plato said that soul always weaves new garments. The soul has a natural strength, which will hold out and is born many times. Schopenhauer explicitly mentions the doctrine of rebirth and says that the doctrine has relevance for explaining the concept of distribution that it is at once obvious to everyone who hears the rebirth for the first time."
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The Jainas have given an elaborate study of the doctrine of rebirth as based on the karma theory. There are four states of existence: the human, the lower animal, the heavenly being and the infernal world. They move one to the other according to fruition of their karmas. The present life is, in its duration and conditions, the result of the past actions, and actions performed during the present existence are the causes of the future existence. Everybody's existence and life is determined as per the previous karma. Hence the doctrine of karma has been intimately connected with the doctrine of the reincarnation of soul.
Karma and rebirth are the two concepts, which cannot be considered in isolation. The two are casually connected from the beginning. The common basis of all religious systems of India is the dogma of retribution, causality of deed (karma) and conditioned by this beginning less chain of existence following one another."
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It is surprising to note that the postulate, aims and conditions for such a realization (liberation) were found to be identified in all the conflicting systems."
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If the karma is fully exhausted, the series of rebirth will come to end, but it is not possible to exhaust all karmas that have
Jain Education International
"Muni Shri Nyayavijayaji, "Jaina Philosophy and Religion",P- 18 18(i)T.G. Kalghatgi, "Karma and Rebirth", 1972, P-4
(ii)Dr. Hemant Shah, "Jain Theism", 1997, P-86-87
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H. V. Glasenapp, "Immortality and Salvation in Indian Religion", P-25
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Prof. S. N. Dasgupta, “A History of Indian Philosophy', 1975, Vol.1, P-71
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Acaränga 1,2,6, See also Devendra Muni Shastri, "A source book in Jaina Philosophy", 1983, P-493
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