Jain Journal 1982 10

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

Page 11

OCTOBER, 1982
(1) The Philosophy of Being or Identity. It means that all things are permanent, homogenous and universal. Sankara represents this school of thought.
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(2) The Philosophy of Becoming (change) or Difference. It means that everything is impermanent, soulless and cause of pain. The Buddhist represents this view.
(3) The Philosophy Subordinating Difference to Identity. It means that the nature of Reality is plurality of the statistically permanent and the dynamically constant. The Samkhya, Bhedabhedavadins and Visistadvaitabadins hold this view.
(4) The Philosophy Subordinating Identity to Difference. The Vaisesika and Davita (Madhva) systems comes under this type.
(5) The Philosophy Co-ordinating Both Identity And Difference. This important step was taken by the Jainas and the result was the theory of anekantaväda, which postulates a theory of manifold methods of analysis (nayavada) and synthesis (syādvāda). Jainism meets the extremes and presents a view of Reality which comprehends the various sides of Reality to give a synthetic picture of the whole.
Doctrine of anekāntavāda stands in a sharp contrast to the eternal and absolute views of the Advaita Vedantins, the Buddhists and even the Vaisesikas.
To the Vedantins Brahman is considered to transform itself into the universe and to reabsorb the universe into itself. It is called the Brahmadvaitavada or ekāntavāda. Later on, Sankara established a theory called Vivartavāda which means that an effect is a false or apparent transformation. According to this, the Brahman is the sole Reality and universe is intrinsically unreal (Māyā).
As against this view, the Buddhists go to the extent of denying the Reality of all existent entities. According to the Buddhists, there can be no substance devoid of qualities which the Upanisadic seers regard as Real. In short, there can be no permanent Reality underlying change, rather one change is continually determined by another.
Reality, according to Vaisesika is an aggregate of the universal and the particular i.e. identity and difference and not a real synthesis.