________________
244
JAIN JOURNAL
being founded on the Bible--while does not occupy itself with many intellectual problems being rather intended to work on human sentiments—accepted later on the Aristotelic philosophy, to which it adheres upto now-specially in the Roman-Catholic form although this philosophy cannot be kept along with the modern progress of science and other intellectual disciplines. Of course from the sentimental aspect I dare say the Christian religion made a further progress than any other religion at all, but I think this sentimental aspect is the least desirable in a modern religion, which must go parallel along with the fast development of sciences.
To make a final conclusion I venture to say, that the Jaina religion is for the comparative science of religions one of the most important developed religions because of its advanced view of religious matters as well as of the methods--I mention only the method of a very modern type, how to consider matters, viz., Syādvāda.14 Further the Jaina religion is undoubtedly the upper limit of the religious view in general and as such must be considered with special care, not only for the purpose of classifying the religions, but specially for the purpose of fixing the religious categories, and in this way for the theory of religion in general.
abstract of his longer essay on the same subject published in Cucch language.
14
Syadvada is often translated into English by 'probabilism' which I think to be wrong as far as probabilism is considered to be able to prove everything that is wanted. Syadvada, moreover, is the consideration of any subject from different points of view in order to get the right knowledge of the matter, and not to prove any wrong supposition.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
