Central Philosophy of Jainism Anekanta Vada

Author(s): Bimal Krishna Matilal, Nagin J Shah, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 44

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EXISTENCE AND SUBSTANCE It will be interesting to introduce at this point the Jaina discussion of the problem of existence and substance. The Jaina conception of 'existence' (sat) was intimately related to their notion of 'substance'. In fact, the Jainas redefined the notion of substance, in accordance with their anekānta principle, as a combination of the notion of being and becoming'. 61
The Tattvārthasūtra 5.29 asserts :62 “What there is, has the nature of substance.” And in the next Sūtra it is added : “What there is (the existent), is endowed with the triple character, origin, decay and stability (persistence)." The Tattvärtha-bhāsya explains that whatever originates, perishes and continues to be is called the existent; anything different is called the non-existent. 63
In sūtra 5.37, the substance is again characterized as follows : "The substance is possessed of qualities (guna) and modes (paryāya)." Here, the broad category "attribute' is apparently broken into two subcategories, qualities and modes. But the sūtras do not give the definition of modes (paryāya); sutra 5.40 defines quality (guna) as : "What reside in a substance, and are themselves devoid of any quality, are called qualities." The Tattvārtha-bhāsya adds :64
“Though modes too reside in a substance and themselves devoid of any quality, they are subject to origin and destruction. Thus, they do not always reside in a substance. The qualities, on the other hand, are permanent, and hence they always reside in a substance. This is how qualities are to be distinguished from
modes." Pujyapāda, in his commentary Sarvārthasiddhi, is more specific about the distinction of qualities and modes : 65
“A quality is (actually) the distinguishing character of one substance from another. For example, the person (soul) is different from matter (non-soul) through its possession of) cognition etc.; the matter is distinguished from soul through qualities like colour. The generic attributes common to souls are cognition etc., and that of non-soul are colour etc. The modifications of these qualities, viewed in their particular nature, are called modes (paryāya),