Jainism in North India

SR No.: 011067
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London
Publication Year: 1932
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 3 MB

Page 90

MAHAVIRA AND HIS TIMES against the laws of sanitation ... etc." 1 This is the natural outcome of a teaching that encourages civic and philanthropic virtues born out of the principle of Ahimsa, which in its active form means helping humanity in its struggle for emancipation. Moreover the social organisation of the Jainas is so designed as to carry out in practice the ideals briefly indicated above. We shall not pass on to a characteristic feature of Jaina philosophy which has been considered as the distinct contribution of the Jainas to Indian logic. It is common with all religions to insist upon and provide for perfect knowledge. Every religion tries to teach man to go beyond the phenomenon. Jainism does the same, but with this difference, that it does not recognise the real from a restricted point of view. For this attainment of perfect knowledge Jainism has a philosophy of its own, and this is known as the doctrine of Syaduada or Anekantavada of the Jainas. "The doctrine of Nayas or standpoints is a peculiar feature of the Jaina logic." 2 We have already seen that the Jaina metaphysics starts with a dualistic division of the universe into Jiva and Ajiva, and that in them lies the Tripadis of Utpada, Vyaya and Dhruva, respectively meaning Origination, Destruction and Permanence. Here Origination means no new creation, because to the Jaina mind the whole universe of being has existed from all eternity. This Guna of Origination (Utpada) is just to show that in a permanent universe-permanent meaning having no origin--there is always origination of its modes of manifestations. Thus everything that is Sat, or the conception of being to the Jaina mind, is neither the absolutely unchangeable, nor the momentary changing qualities or existences, but involves them both. "Being then, as is testified by experience, is that which involves a permanent unit, which is incessantly every moment losing some qualities and gaining new ones." This is, in short, the theory of Indefiniteness (Anekantavada), or "what we may Stevenson (@Ers), op at, p 101. Radhakrishnan, op.cit, 1, p. 298 sawa sirurgaret h ..-Hemacandra, Syadvadamanjari, p 168. Cf ind, vy. 21-22. येनोत्पादव्ययग्रौव्ययुक्तं यासतदिप्यते / अनन्तधर्मक वस्तु तेनोक्तं मानगोचरः // - Haribhadra, op.at, v. 57. cf. Warren, op.af, pp. 22-23 * Dasgupta, op. cit, 1, p 175 ... startu , WTEVAMI -Hemacandra, op cit., p 170. 53