Fundamental Principles of Jainism

Author(s): B C Law
Publisher: Z_Vijay_Vallabh_suri_Smarak_Granth_012060.pdf

Page 17

JAINISM
103
sabbaññuta or omniscience consisting in three faculties: of reviewing and recalling to mind all past existences with details, of seeing the destiny of other beings according to their deeds and of being conscious of the final destruction of sins.
Kevala means that which is limited by the object, that which is sufficient to survey the field of observation. Manaḥparyāyajñana is defined in the Acāranga Sūtra (II, 15.23) as a knowledge of the thoughts of all the sentient beings. Kevalajñāna is defined in it as omniscience enabling a person to comprehend all objects and to know all conditions of the worlds of gods, men and demons.3 As defined in the Anuyogadvåra the abhinibodhika knowledge is one which is directed to the objects (atthabhimuho) and determined (niyao). It is perceptual in its character in so far as the objects are known through the sense-perception. The śrutajñana is also a kind of abhinibodhika knowledge which is indirect. The avadhijñāna implies the internal perception of the objects from different angles, each implying a particular modus operandi. (For further details vide, Law, Some Jaina Canonical Sūtras, pp. 105-107).
The different kinds of obstruction to right faith are sleep, activity, very deep sleep, a high degree of activity and a state of deep-rooted greed.
Syādvāda consists of certain nayas or viewpoints from which assertions are made as to truth. The number of nayas was finally fixed as seven, but the canonical texts are reticent about their exact number. According to the doctrine of Syadvāda there are seven forms of metaphysical propositions and all contain the word Syāt, e.g., Syad asti sarvam, Syad nästi sarvam. In deciding all questions the admirable way was one of Syadváda. If the question was mooted like this: Is the world eternal or not? The Master's advice to his disciples was neither to side with those who maintained that the world is eternal nor with those who maintained that it is not eternal. The reason seems to be this that from neither of these alternatives they could arrive at truth. By proceeding exclusively from either side they would only be led to error. The syād mode was the real way of escape from the position of the dogmatist and that of the sceptic, from both of which Maḥāvīra recoiled. Syāt means 'may be' and it is explained as kathancit (somehow).
Lesya is a term signifying colour according to the Sūtrakṣtānga
2
Cf. Tattvarthadhigama sutra, L 9. Cf. Kalpasutra, 15. Acarangasūtra, II, 15.25