Essence of Jainism

Author(s): Sukhlal Sanghavi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 90

Chapter 5 JAINA PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is thinking from philosophical point of view, regard. ing the external and internal form of the Universe and with regard to its general and particular rules. It would not be true to state that such thinking arises in any one particular country or race and people in due order. But since this sort of tbinking is a peculiar form of human nature, it arises more or less in all races that inhabit a country. Such sort of thinking arises and evolves due to the contact of different races; sometimes even independently it assumes greater development, and after passing through a general background, it divulges into various forms.
The human races that resorted to philosophical thinking right from the oldest days, are not all living to-day. Even their history of development in due order is not available to us. But on the basis of the material available to us to-day, and the little or more that we know about it to-day, we can state, without any contro. versy one thing. Whatever be the different streams of philosophical thinking, sometimes visibly opposed to each other, these have one common form. It is to find out the secret of the general and per
vasive rules that govern the external and internal form of the universe.
Origin of the birth of Philosopby
No human individual is perfect right from the beginning. Right from his childhood, man passes through different states, enriches his experiences and following that advances in the direction of perfection. This applies to human races also. Different states beginning with childhood are found with human race also. The life of the race is very much longer than that of the human individual. It is therefore natural that the period of the different