Gems of Jainism

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

Page 71

Gems of Jainism
as a state and as an activity, has its own place in the wider structure of Aradhanā or Sadhanā, in Jainism.
Faith, with reference to religion, is divided into human faith and divine faith. Since Jainism insists on earning or developing higher state of soul through austerities and thus purifiying the soul from karma, there is no scope of Grace or faith in Grace of God. In this sense the faith, in Jainism, is an inevitable requirement to attain higher state of soul (higher Gunsthāna). In Jainism, perhaps the only religion, we find this activity of accepting authoritative testimony and canonical works as the activity or exercise of human faith'. If "Divine faith' is an activity which means the accepting of certain propositions upon the authority of God or as commitment to the truth of some proposition because it has been revealed by God (or Tirthānkara ) then we can say we do have ‘divine-faith in Jainism.
Reason is a source of knowledge. “It is, on one hand, a denial of philosophical skepticism, and on the other, an adherence to the doctrine of moderate empiricism."13 More than knowing what is reason, it is important to know what is meant by” knowing by reason”. Knowing by reason is a very broad concept closely akin to finding out for oneself14. Almost all religions agree and accept that reason is a way of coming to knowledge of God. Jainism gives equal importance to Vision (through faith), Reason and Conduct to attain the highest state of spirituality. The real and deep understanding of Jain Philosophy of non-absolutism, the theory of manifoldness and Nayavāda, and the entire science of karma (Karmavāda) bring us right into the inner core of Reason based Jainism which is also ethical, religious and theistic in colour.
Jainism, as philosophy and thought, is a realistic system. It accepts the outer world as a real and as since beginningless time (anādi). Even the deepest meanings; the noblest, and the most profound principles of Lord Mahavira are all based on reason. In fact, in Jainism one finds every ‘morality' talk, full,of ‘rationality'.