Gems of Jainism

Author(s): Hemant Shah
Publisher: Academy of Philosophy

Page 12

Jainism In Indian Philosophy
some scholars to conclude Indian Philosophy as pessimistic. But this is not correct. Even if there is pessimism, it is at the initial stage and not final. All schools, in fact, are the ways to Liberation from the pain and suffering. Thus Indian Philosophy, though initially may be pessimism, is ultimately optimism.
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The concept of Moksa or Salvation or Liberation is common in all the schools of Indian Philosophy. Different systems lay down different means to attain the liberation. But they all believe Liberation as freedom from birth and death, freedom from pain and suffering -freedom from Samsara,
It should be cleared that there are many other common ideas which we find common in all the systems or common in majority of the systems. Since we want to concentrate on Jainism let us now talk about Jainism as an independent system of Indian Philosophy.
Understanding Jainism:
With a brief introductory note on Indian Philosophy, its different schools and their common ideas, let us understand Jainism in Indian Philosophy. Jainism, or the philosophy of Jains is not just one of the schools or one of the systems of Indian Philosophy but is one of the oldest living religions and thought. has proved to be as significant as, even more in some aspects than, Buddhism and Vedanta. What is it that makes Jainism and Jain religion so special and so significant? The answer, we get when we see some of its doctrines and codes its canons and literature, its practice and social structure. I will try to highlight some of these with reference to philosophical point of view, in the following pages.
Jainism, is a complete system of philosophy and religion. It is complete in the sense that it has its own Metaphysics, its own theory of knowledge i.e. Epistemology (read Types of knowledge' in this book.) and, based on these two, its own rules of conduct