Gems of Jainism

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

Page 16

Jainism In Indian Philosophy
when the obstacles are removed through their aids. That the knowledge which a jiva actually has is fragmentary is due to the'obscuration caused by karma which interferes with its power of perception. As some schools assume a principle of avidya to explain-empirical thought, the Jains invoke the help of karma to do so❞1
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(2) According to S. Gopalan it is the Jain doctrine of Kevalajnana which is unique to Jainism. “It is unique because'in all other schools of Indian philosophy the sense organs and the mind are not considered as obstruction in the sense in which Jainism holds them to be obstacles for perfect perfection" so that "The Kevalajnana concept, from the point of view of Indian epistemology stands unique in that it is referred to as the consummation of all knowledge through the 'progressive removal of the obstructions caused by the sense organs and the rnind."2
(3) "The Jaina philosophy, it has already been said, is realistic and pluralistic. There is a plurality of objects and Jivas (atmans) and all of them are real and the objects of our Knowledge also are real, but are not mere ideas. But the Jaina metaphysics is a metaphysics, of substance. Everything, including action, is a substance. One may find the idea of action being a substance to be veiy strange, but it is found in the modern theory that the stuff of the universe is only process. The Jainas conceive any existence as a substance. Action exists and is, therefore, a substance."3 (4) Satischandra Chatterjee and Dhirendramohan Datta draw attention to an aspect of the view of causation which seems to belong distinctly to the Jains.
"Regarding all the four substances
space, time,
dharma and adharma it should be noted that as causal conditions they all have a peculiar status. The causal conditions (Kāranas). may be distinguished into three chief kinds, agent (as potter is of the pot), instrument