Gems of Jainism

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

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Jain Theism
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All-in-All. In other words philosophic theism has always shown a tendancy to become pantheistic and monistic, and to consider the world as one unit of absolute fact."37 Needless to say that the same is found in Jainism.
In Jain theism God is there. But then God in Jainism, inspite of all powerful and all blissful like the God of other religions, is a Soul that was once embodied, in a bondage, and has become God by self-effort. We do not find such a situation in the conventional Theism. Moreover, Jain God is not the Creator of the world or the fruit-giver. The world, according to Jainism is since the beginnigless of time (anādi). In conventional theism we find God as the worldcreator. Thus, though Jainism is Theistic in its colour, it very much differentiates from the conventional Theism. This brings the Jaina theism to a peculiar position where Jainism appears to be having its own type of theism : not Theism in Jainism but Jain Theism in Jainism.
Coming to our last conclusions, let me say that Jainism is more "a way of life" than a form of thought. One is bound to be unjustified to Jainism if one is not clear in the terms: “Theism” and "Absolutism”. Jainism as a religion, though finding room for devotion to God, decidedly regards the quest of absorbtion in the Absolute as a higher form of purity and piety. I would even say that any person who practices Theism purely metaphysically is bound to be a true Jaina. In other word Jainism is metaphysical theism.
Jainism in our final conclusion is Theism. There are thinkers and philosophers who have expressed this or such theism as “modified theism” (Prof. W.K.Wright) or “towards theism” (Dr. Radhakrishnan) or a "variety of theism” (Dr. J.A.Yajnik). In my final summing up I would like to say that with a distinct concept and nature of God in Jainism, Jainism is Theism. I have tried, through this, paper, to bring out this Theism which is latent or hidden, before the reader.