Jain Journal 1978 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 14

Contribution of Jaina Philosophy to
Indian Thought
MOHAN LAL MEHTA
Jainism is a non-Vedic or non-Brahmanic religion. But it should not be regarded as a năstika faith, because it firmly believes in the existence of spiritual realities like soul, karma, reincarnation, liberation etc. The Jaina philosophy, no doubt, has some similarities with the other Indian philosophical schools, it has its own peculiarities as well.
Iravya,
The Jaina philospher uses the terms sat, tattva, dravya, artha, padārtha, tattvartha etc. generally as synonyms for Reality. He does not make any strict distinction among them. The other Indian philosophers do not agree with him. The Vaisesika uses the term padārtha fo guna, karma, sāmānya, viseșa and samavāya, but the term artha is reserved only for the first threel which are called sat owing to the connection of sattā by the samavāya relation. The Sankhya regards praksti and puruşa as tattva. The Naiyayika calls the sixteen principles as sat.3
The Jaina defines Reality as possessing origination, decay and permanence or as having qualities and modes. Origination and decay are nothing but the changing modes or forms. Permanence is the same as the essential qualities or attributes. Thus, Reality is possessed of both change and permanence. Here arises a question : How can change and permanence, which are contradictory, live in one and the same thing? The Jaina philosopher says that permanence is not to be understood as absolute changelessness. Similarly, change is not to be taken as absolute difference. Permanence means indestructibility of the essential nature (quality) of a substance. Change means origination and destruction of different modes. Reality is transitory as well as permanent, different as well as identical. No object can be absolutely destroyed, nothing can be absolutely permanent. The modes (paryāyas) change, whereas the essential characteristics (gunas) remain the same.
1 Vaisesika-sutra, 1.1.4, 8.2.3. 2 Ibid., 1.1.8. 3 Nyaya-bhasya, 1.11 4 Tattvartha-sutra, 5.29-30; 5.38. 5 Ibid., 5.31.