Comparative Study Of Jaina Theories Of Reality And Knowledge

SR No.: 022768
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Y J Padmarajaiah
Publisher: Jain Sahitya Vikas Mandal
Publication Year: 1963
Total Pages: 446
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 35 MB

Page 303

CHAPTER IX
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Lastly the soul or atman, an individual centre of experience among an infinity of similar centres in the realm of consciousness, is the subjectivistic instance of manifoldness in Jainism. It is needless to enlarge upon the manifold nature of an atman since it is evident in every one of the infinite states (anantabhāvas or pariņāmas) as well as in the multiple powers which are attributed to ātman." There are at least two considerations which indicate the manifoldness of atman: First, an atman, like the Liebnizian entelechy, mirrors the the entire universe within itself as a unique centre of experience. The universe it mirrors, or comprehends, is an infinitely complex one. Hence its experiential powers must be manifold, or commensurate with the complexity of the experienced universe. This is an implication of Vadideva's idea that difference in the cognised (viṣaya) signifies a (corresponding) difference in the cognition (vikalpa) concerned' as well as of the characteristically Jaina idea of relativity of knowledge, which signifies that "the full knowledge of everything is inextricably bound up with the full knowledge of everything and (vice versa)".
the medium of motion and that of rest respectively, see TRAG, p. 210 ff., su. 12, kā. 27 and its comm. It is, however, necessary to observe that the nature of manifoldness in the case of dharma and adharma has not been very clearly developed, although their conformity to the supreme law of the entire reality as expressed in the celebrated formula of Umāsvāti, viz., utpādavyayadhrauvyayuktam sat, has been clearly stressed. Vide TB on ST, p. 641 f., ga. 33.
1. Cf. the Vivṛti and Prabhācandra's comm. thereon-NKC, Vol. II, p. 686 and p. 689 respectively.
2. visayabhede hi siddhe vikalpabhedaḥ sidhyati / SRK, p. 755.