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ESSENTIALS OF JAINA METAPHYSICS
AND EPISTEMOLOGY
HARI MOHAN BHATTACHARYA The contributions of the Jaina mind to Indian Culture are at once immense and outstanding. The Jain literature and Art, Religion and Ethics, Science and Metaphysics, Logic and Epistemology still pose indeed an alluring problem for explores of whom there have been a few in India and still fewer abroad. Among the continental scholars of Jainism, Professors Jacobi, Schubring and Winternitz deserve the high honour of pioneers in the field. Drs. S. C. Vidyabhusan, P.L. Vaidya and A.N. Upadhyaya are perhaps among the top-ranking Jains of India. Deplorable and disappointing laments are repeated to this day, and there is no knowing if these laments will be silenced as to the neglect and apathy towards Jaina Culture, in spite of the fact that there is no dearth of finance among the Jainas, nor any dearth of scholars still in India who might take up the task of exploration of the buried treasures of Jaina Culture. What is really wanting is the warmth and enthusiasm among its votaries.
I indulgence from my readers, however, for brevity of my treatment of this comprehensive subject due to the limits within which I must have to keep myself for a comparatively elaborate treatment bringing out the rich and manifold implications of the subject I would like to refer my readers to my book “Jaina Logic and Epistemology” published by the Calcutta University.
1. Metaphysical portion of the Jaina. Jaina metaphysic is dualistic or rather pluralistic Realism. The entire existence, accor to the Jaina, is divided into two hemispheres, of Alokākāśa and the Lokākāśa. The Alokākāśa is peopled by the siddhas or Arhans who have attained mokṣa and who are thus beyond the sphere of metaphysical and logical speculation. Lokākāśa is the abode of the Samsārins who have to philosophise about its contents and have to formulate their conceptions as to the Being and knowledge of these contents and thus we have metaphysic and Logic of the Jainas. The Alokākāśa or the Supramundane sphere being transcendental and a logical in character, all philosophy, metaphysic and Logic necessarily limited to the contents and their knowledge that obtain within the lokākāśa or the world of human experience.
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