Jain Journal 1988 07

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

Page 36

JULY, 1988
of Jaina philosophy is beginningless, eternal and non-eternal from the points of view of substance and mode respectively, while paramāņu of the Buddhists is non-permanent, as the Buddhist philosophy holds the view that every entity is evanescent according to its doctrine of momentariness. Paramāņu of the Samkhya-Yoga also is non-permanent (anitya), as it is janya-padartha (evolved entity), whereas paramāņu of the Nyaya-Vaisesika is beginningless (anādi) and permanent (nitya) 43 like paramāņu of Jaina metaphysics; but it is to be noted that paramāņu of the latter is also non-permanent (anitya) from the modal point of view.
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According to Jaina philosophy, all sukṣma paramāņus are abhedya (impenetrable or impassable), acchedya (uncuttable), avibhājya (indivisible), adahya (incombustible) and agrahya (non-receivable) by soul,44 while paramāņu of the Buddhists appears to be bhedya or vibhājya (penetrable or passable, or divisible), for Buddhist philosophy advocates the theory of primary and secondary elements of matter.45 Paramanus of the secondary elements of matter mean varna (colour-atom), rasa (taste-atom), gandha (smell-atom), and sparta (touch-atom), i.e., the Buddhists conceived guna (quality) as paramāņu and made it distinct from citta (mind), because the entire Buddhist system of thought conceives rupa (matter) as having two divisions, viz., primary and secondary elements. That is to say, they represent dravya (substance) and guna (quality) of the Nyaya-Vaisesika. As pointed out, gunas of the Nyaya-Vaisesika are made to be paramāņus of the Buddhists, while gunas of the Jainas divide paramāņus. In the Nyaya-Vaisesika philosophy paramāņu is accepted as fine and indivisible, but it appears to be gross when compared with paramāņu of Jaina metaphysics. This school of thought conceives paramanus as finest and indivisible, i.e., sukṣma paramāņu is indivisible, but vyavahāra paramāņu16 (which can be equated with atom of the physical sciences), is divisible. This is the basic difference between these two atomic theories. The Jaina conception of the nature of paramānu is by all means different from that of the nature of paramāņu of Arambhavada (Doctrine of Intransitive Causation) of the Vaisesika
43 Vaisesika-darsana by Kanada, adhyaya IV, ahnika 1, sutra 1.
44 Bhagavati-vyakhya-prajnapti, sataka 20, uddesaka 5, sutra 670.
45 Abhidharma-kosa by Vasubandhu, kosa 1, sloka 10A.
Anuyogadvara-sutra, sutra 133, p. 160; Jambudvipa-prajnapti (purvabhaga), published by Sresthi Devachandra Lalbhai Jaina Pustakoddhara Fund, 1920 II, sutra 19, p. 92 (see their Tikas); Lokaprakasa by Vinayavijaya Gani, part I, sarga 1, sloka 21, 28, p. 5.