Essence of Jainism

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

Page 91

Jaioa Philosophy
67
states like childhood etc. of the human race will be far longer. When the human race came on the lap of nature and opened its eyes for the first time to view the universe, wonderful and magical things and events stood before it. His attention was drawn to the sun, moon aod the world of stars on one side and on the other the ocean, mountains, wide rivers, the roaring of clouds, and the sparks of lightning. Human mind proceeded to think on the subtle at the foot of the gross objects. This led to the rise of numerous questions in its mind. Just as several questions arose in the human mind with regard to the deep and extremely subtle form of the external world and the general rules that govern it, several questions arose in the human mind also with regard to the deep and extremely subtle form of the joner world. The rise of these questions is precisely the first step to the birth of philosophy. Numerous and varied though these questions are, and even though many more questions arose from these in future, these can, on the whole be expressed as follows in brief.
Philosophical Questions
When was this external universe, evidently changing every moment, born ? From what was it born? Was it born on its own or some other force gave birth to it? If it is not born, was this upiverse just the same in tbe past and is so in the present ? If it is born through some causes, should these causes be eternal and uachanging or subject to change ? Again, are these causes varied or the external universe was born of just one cause? The structure and movement of the universe seems to be systematic and bound by rules. Is it preceded by some intelligence or it is just mechanical and proved to be without a beginning ? If the order of the universe has some intellect behind it, whose intellect is it? Does that intelligent element rule over the order of the universe while being neutral itself, or it results itself or is seen as the universe !
With regard to the internal universe also similar questions arose. Which is that element wbich enjoys this external universe or ponders over it? Is that element, showing itself as * Aham', of the same nature as the external universe or of a different nature ?