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B.5.8.1
Anekānta Metaphysical-Spiritual Perspectives
Dr. K. C. Sogani
It is incontrovertible that metaphysics deals with the problem of reality. Philosophers have endeavoured to expound the world of phenomena in a consistent manner. For Jaina thinkers, reality is constituted of apparent contradiction. So its one-dimensional exposition is not possible. It is an inalienable complex of permanence and change, existence and nonexistence, oneness and manyness, universality and particularity etc. Because of this complexity reality is styled 'Anaikāntic! It is thus multidimensional possessing antagonistic dimensions of permanence and change, one and many etc. these antagonistic dimensions are infinite in number, of which we know only a few of them. Thus the Jaina philosopher differs from all absolutists in their approach to the enfoldment of the inner nature of reality. The Jaina advocates change to be as much ontologically real as permanence. Being implies becoming and vice versa. This conception of reality reminds us of the Greek philosopher Parmenides who regarded 'Being' as the sole reality wholly excludent of all becoming, as also of Heraclites, for whom, permanence being an illusion, 'Becoming' or perpetual change constitutes the very life of the universe. It also makes us reminiscent, of the Buddhist philosophy of universal flux and of the unchanging, static, permanent absolute of Vedānta. But all these point to the one-sided approach to reality. It may be said, “if the Upanişadic thinkers found the immutable reality behind the world of phenomena and plurality, and the Buddha denounced everything as fleeting, Mahāvīra found no contradiction between permanence and change, and was free from all absolutism."
Problem of reality implies the problem of substance. In consonance with the Anekāntic view of reality already discussed substance is characterized by simultaneous origination destruction and persistence or is the substratum of attributes and modes.3 Permanence signifies persistence of substance along with the emergence of the new modes and the disappearance of the old once at one and the same time. To illustrate, gold as a substance exists with its modifications and qualities. Now after making an ornament, what changes is the mode.
1 Aptamimāmsā, 15, 34, 56; Muni-Anantakirti Granthamala, Bombay 2 Studies in Jaina Philosophy, P. 18.; By Nathamal Tatia; Parsvanatha Vidyashrama, Varanasi. 3 Pamcāstikāya, 10; Srimad Rajachandra Asram, Agas 4 Pamcastikāya, Comm. Amr tcandra; 10, Shri Paramshruta Prabhavaka Mandal, Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram, Agas
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