Essence of Jainism

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

Page 98

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Essence of Jaitista
The brief narration given here tolls us that according to the Jain philosophy, false vision and desire are the two that form the Samsara - mundane world or are the causes of Saṁsūra. Opposed to this, only discrimination and detachment mean liberation or the path thereof. This same brief analysis of life-research in Jainism is give a in so many Jain works in various ways, in brief or in details and in varying terminology. The same life-research can be found almost verbatim in Vedic and Buddhist philosophies.
Some detailed Comparison
We bave given bere, in barest outline, the basic Jain thoughtprocess in philosophy and also the thought-process of spiritual de velopment in Jainism. It would now be in fitnogs of things to compare it with the thinking of other philosophies, for further clarification.
(A) Lika tbe mayāvadins, the Jain philosophy does not look up on the world as only illusory or imaginative. To it the world is Sat-existence. In the same manner, the Sat element acceptable to Jain philosophy is not merely life-force-Cetana as with the Vedānta and just as it is not morely-Jada or bereft of natural Caitanya as with the Carvākans. But, just as the philosophies Samkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaišeşika, Pūrvamīmāṁsā and the Buddhist philosophy divide the Sat element into two mutually independent parts as Jada and Cetana, in a similar way the Jain philosophy accepts the eternal two natures of this element as Jado and Cetana; these two are totally independent of each other in the flow of place and time. The Nyāya, Vaiseșika and Yoga philosophies etc., accept that the active form typical of this world is both Jada and Cetana. There is still one eternal, powerful lifeforce at its back, and the wonderful work in this world is not possible without the hand of this godly power at work. The Jain pbilosophy refuses to accept this view. Like the ancient samkhya, Purvamimarisa and the Buddhist philosophy, the Jain philosophy believes that the flow of the powers of Jada and Cerana that are of the nature of existence, continues to exist and proceed autoniatically without the hand of any third power at work. They there