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 177

JAINA CONCEPT OF GOD IN JAINA THEISM
161
the form of the Jain's God Paramātmā with body, and not god or celestial beings. When the body is discarded, the Tīrthankara or Arihanta attains the position of Siddha who dwells in his own eternal and infinite bliss.
The God Paramātmā of the Jaina has nothing to do with the creation of the world or task of taking incarnation or punishing or rewarding people according to their merit or demerits or sending them to heaven or hell or showing pride in his being ruler of the world.
So this is, in brief, the description of God believed in by the Jainas and as said in Jaina Šāstras.
Jaina Concept of God, Paramātmā (Philosophy):
Lord Mahāvīra preached Jainism against the sanctity of Vedic lore. At that time Vedic priests and Brāhmaṇas who were custodian of divine words of Vedas, succeeded to create impression in the popular minds that a suitable combination of rituals and sacrifices has the magical powers; to please the gods (or God) and to get boons desired. The presence of god gave strength for man in his struggles in this life. The ways of god to man and man to god have been rich and varied. It may be as Prof. Leuba pointed out, that fear was first of the emotions to become organized in human life, and out of this fear God was born.“
In the Vedic tradition God conceived as prime cause of the phenomenal universe, the non-dual, self-determining self-existent, free creator, sustainer and regulator of the countless living and nonliving beings - (infinite), absolute, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. Jainism challenged this concept of God. In Jainism, in sense of extra cosmic personal creator, God has no place at all. It flatly and distinctly denies such a creator as illogical and irrelevant in the scheme of Universe.
6'Dr. T.G. Kalghatgi, “Jaina view of Life”, (1984), P-206