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EXTRACT FROM A LECTURE
by H. Jacobi. 13th April 1914
In a lecture delivered by Prof. Hermann Jacobi at Framji Cowasji Institute Bombay, on 13th April 1914. the learned professor says :
I have been asked by many of my Jain friends, whether I still thought Jainism an off-shoot of Hinduism; for it was helieved that I had given expression to that opinion in the introduotion to my translation of Jain Sutras in the Saored Books or the East.
Now I have never been of opinion that Jainism is derived from Hinduism or Brahmanism. I believe that Jainism is, in the main, an independent religious system; but as the Jains always lived amongst the Hindus, they most probably exchanged ideas with them and adopted some of their. I may be allowed to go into some details in order to illustrate the relations subsisting between Jainism and Brahmanism.
The Jain Theory of Soul or rather their conception of soul has some peculiarities which are in opposition to Brahmanical theory. The original conception of Soul, Jiva or life, by the Jains seems to be that it is the life-giving principle; at any rate they contend that the soul or Jiva is not of a definite size but contracts or dilates according to the body which it occupies for the time being.
The Brāhmins ascribe to the Soul, either infinitely great or small size.
And there is in connection with the tenet of Jivas, another Jain doctrine peculiar to them viz that the elements earth, water, fire, wind or rather particles of them are boxlies of soul incorper
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