Concept of Paryaya in Jain Philosophy

Author(s): S R Bhatt, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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80 Concept of Paryaya in Jain Philosophy to its wavering character (origination and cessation). This is manifest from the following dialogue: Gautama: "Is the soul permanent or impermanent ?" Mahavira: "The soul is permanent in some respect and impermanent in another respect. It is permanent in respect of its substance (which is eternal) and it is impermanent in respect of modes which originate and vanish". This is true not only of the soul but of all other substances which are neither absolutely permanent nor absolutely impermanent, but both permanent and impermanent. 4.6. Sanmatiprakarna discusses the concomitance of identity (ekatva) and difference (anyatva) in 3.52. The earth is a substance and a pot is its mode. A pot is made of earth and as it cannot be produced without it, it is identical with the earth. The earth cannot exercise the function of holding water, before it is transformed into a pot which, therefore, is functionally different from earth. A pot is a product and earth is its material cause, in other words earth is the substance of which the pot is a mode. The relation between the substance and its mode is identitycum-difference. It, therefore, follows that an effect and a cause are related through identity-cum-difference. 4.7. In fact, the whole concept of anekantavada is the result of the multiform and infinitely diversified aspects of reality. The Jaina view is realist and pluralist; it has given the important concepts of dravya, guna and paryaya and it concludes with the eternal trinity of utpada, vyaya and dharuvya. 4.8. Let us end this chapter with the canonical pronouncement in Bhagavati Sutra defining substance: Bhagavati defines substance as "uppannei va, vigamei va, dhuvei va". A substance (dravya) is that which is capable of eternal continues existence through infinite succession of origination and cessation. It is real (sat). It is a dynamic reality through this trinity of utpada, (origination), vyaya (cessation) and dharuvya (permanence). 5. The Concept of Paryaya and the Universe 5.1. Prof. Stephen Hawkins, in his famous book, "A Brief History of Time,"8 starts with and concludes with the eternal question - "what do we