Historical Development Of Jaina Philosophy And Religion

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Z_Jaina_Literature_and_Philosophy_a_Critical_Approach_001936_HR.pdf

Page 39

60 Aspects of Jainology : Volume VI Conclusion To conclude, I would like to mention here some of the specialities of early Jainism. Though early Jainism was much rigorous in its code of conduct yet on the other hand it was very liberal in its approach. The earliest Jaina canonical works, Sutra- krtanga and Rsibhasita not only incorporate the preachings of the various sages of Upanisadic, Buddhists and some other Sramanic traditions, but call them Arhat, Rsis, as acceptable to their own tradition. Furthermore, Sutrakrtanga, propounding this liberalism, says "One who praises one's own views as true and condemns others view as false dis- torts the truth and remains confind to the cycle of birth and death." It was the non-violent, liberal and assimilating approach of early Jaina thinkers which gave birth to the non-absolutism (Anekantavada ), the fundamental principle of Jaina philosophy. On the basis of this principle early Jaina thinkers built their philosophical structure and developed their meta- physical and epistemological theories in which they tried to reconcile beautifully the rival views of Indian philosophy. Whether it was the question of metaphysical theories or the epistemological problems of Philosophy, they always tried for the reconciliation of the opposite conflicting views. Though, some of the basic concepts of Jaina Philosophy such as Pancastikayavada, eight types of karmagranthi and five-fold knowledge were prevalent even before the times of Lord Mahavira or of Lord Parsva, but the concepts such as three-fold nature of reality, six substances, two-fold and seven-fold divi- sion of Nayas, four-foldNiksepas, different Anuyoga dvaras and doctrine of Syadvada and Saptabhangi have developed gradually in due course of time. Barring the concept of Saptabhangi, fourteen Gunasthanas and six types of Pramanas, all other concepts of Jaina metaphysics and epistemology took their shape before c. 2nd-3rd A. D. It is the Tattvarthasutra of Umasvati and its auto-commentary (c. 3rd A.D. ) in which Jaina philosophy for the first time, was presented in a systematic form. But it was not the last stage of the development of the Jaina philosophy, since various new definitions and details about these concepts were formulated even after this period which I would like to discuss in the second volume of this project. In developing their own philosophical system, Jaina thinkers while on the one hand, have accomodated various philosophical concepts of other contemporary Indian schools, on the other hand they synthesised the various contradictory theories of Indian schools of thought in such a way that the contradictions are completely dissolved in the non-absolutistic broader perspective. It is the most important contribution of early Jaina thinkers to the Indian philosophy. But in the process of adopting the thoughts and practices of other Indian systems, particularly Hinduism, caste-system, untouchability, wearing of sacred thread and various other rituals also creeped their way in Jainism. As a result spiritualistic Jainism became ritualistic. Though it was a later development (c. 6th-7th A. D.) yet, it no doubt had given some scratches to the ideal spiritualistic image of Jainism. It was necessary, perhaps, for the survival of Jainism in the middle centuries of Indian history,