Divinity In Jainism

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Devendra Printing and Publishing Co Ltd

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a being is due to his own act. A man does some act in this life; in the next life, he gets a suitable body (determined by Adrishta or the effect of his act) and experiences pleasure or pain as the consequence of his act Owing to Adrishta, man feels pain,--the kindness of God notwithstanding. The substance of the Nāıyāyika argument on this point is as follops ~Body is made up of primal Elements, it is Adrishta which determines the nature of the Body; both the primal Elements and Adrishta are unconscious, hence, to create a body for a being in order that he may experience the fruits of his action, a conscious Architect is necessary who utilises the Adrishta and the Elements for the purpose. This Architect is God, according to the Nyaya thinkers
With regard to the above argument of the Nyāya School, the Jaina philosophers point out that if it is impossible for God to check the sufferings of creatures in spite of his infinite kindness for them, if the body etc, which feel pain or pleasure are really determined by Adrishta, there is no use in admitting the existence of a God. It is enough to say that owing to its own acts, the Soul since the beginningless time is migrating in the Sainsāra