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ATOM IN JAIN PHILOSOPHY 45 cannot be solved"!
Jain philosophy is one of the most ancient Indian philosophies According to the Jain canonical literature the same tenets are propounded again and again by various Tirthankaras by whom the truth is realised and whose mission is to propagate night knowledge
Rsabha pas the first of the 24 Tirthankaras References to him are found in Vedas, in l'ışlı Purana and Bhagarata Purana 23 Tirthankaras followed Ķsabha Aristnemi the 22nd Tirthankara was contemporary with Lord Krisna Pārsva the 23rd Tirthanhara is accepted by the inodern historians to have lived in the 8th century BC After 250 years Pāršva was followed by Vardhmāna Malāvira the 24th and last Tirthanharu Mahāvıra lived for 72 years and attained Nirvana at Pāvāpuri in Bihar 2500 years ago The discussion of physical existence in general and of atom in particular has been very exhaustive in the Jain canonical literature Other Indian (and non-Indian) schools of philosophy have not treated this subject with such thoroughness
In the following pages, we shall briefly put forth the problem of atom as discussed in Jain canonical literature
- " I METAPHYSICAL VIEW SUBSTANCE (DRAVYA) QUALITY (GUNA), CHANGE (PARYAYA) NON-ABSOLUTIST REALISM
To grasp properly the Jain views regarding the problem of atoni, it is necessary to understand the
| Si B Russell 1}istori of Il'estern Philosophy pp 13 14