Jainism a Theistic Philosophy

SR No.: 006918
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Krishna A Gosavi
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 2012
Total Pages: 358
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 6 MB

Page 169

JAINA CONCEPT OF GOD IN JAINA THEISM
153
6)
“What was the reason for creation of universe? If it is because of wishes of God, then how God, who is without body, can have wishes?” Unknown Poets said in their ślokas that “Veda cannot be trusted because they are work of God who may have mentioned creator to glorify Him.” The stanzas, which have mentioned creation, are mere poetry by poets in praise of their own gods.
Kathopanişad mentions that the universe is eternal. 8) Gītā states, “God is not creator of universe nor does he
designs actions of substances. These happen because of their
inherent properties.” (d) Refutation of God as World's Creator by Mimāṁsakas
The basic weakness of Nyāya-Vaišeșika conception of God has rightly been challenged by Mīmāmsakas, that God does not create the world out of nothing, but out of eternal atoms. In spite of his alleged Omnipotence, God is in fact helplessly obliged to work with the material already existing.
Kumārila has raised the important question, how God could come into existence if such was the condition that there was no world before the creation of the world. Creation cannot be possible without any material and it is impossible to conceive that there were materials of creation prior to creation, who was the creator of these materials of creation or when did these materials come into existence? For this we are to postulate another creator, and another, and so on ad-infinitum, but problem will remain all the same. The same argument may be put forward also in the case of the formulation that God created the material out of his own body. If God is viewed as being without a body, He cannot have the desire to create, and if He was viewed as having a body, assuredly He would not have created this body.
Kathopanisad, 2-3-1 * Gītā, 1.5.1 & V.14