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

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JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY "GOD IN JAINISM”
As the donkey carrying sandalwood enjoys only the weight and not the sandalwood itself, exactly so does one possessed of knowledge (jñāna) without will, enjoys only the knowledge and not its consummation viz. emancipation. Futile indeed is knowledge without will (kriyā). Even so is will without knowledge.
Knowledge enlightens, penance purifies and restraint protects. Even omniscience is not immediately followed by emancipation. Right knowledge and spiritual discipline (kriyā) are equally necessary for emancipation.
Soul possess a number of capacities such as consciousness, vision, knowledge, intuition, energy, bliss and the like, which are obstructed by different karmas, and result is worldly existence. These capacities find expressions in their mutilated and imperfect form while the soul is in bondage. On attainment of emancipation, the soul reveals these capacities in their natural form.
When the capacity of right vision (samyak-darśana) is obstructed, there emerges mithya-darśana. When the capacity of right knowledge (samyak-jñāna) is mutilated, it is called mithyājñāna. When the energy of the soul is obstructed, there emerges mithyā-cāritra. Bondage, in the ultimate analysis, consists in the obstructed and mutilated condition of the various capacities of soul. The soul has these capacities as a matter of common experience. On many occasions, we feel that there is something wrong in our attitude, that there is some flaw in our knowledge, that there is some check in our energy. On many occasions, again, we become conscious of our capacity for right vision, infinite knowledge and our strength against the corruptions of the world. On the basis of these experiences, we can postulate different capacities of the soul, and this is what Jaina thinkers did.
Capacities of soul are obstructed in various ways due to various causes. These capacities can be classified into three groups,