Book Title: Jain Philosophy
Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi
Publisher: Agamoday Samiti

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Page 379
________________ 350 view that water or moisture is the origin of the world, and the Jain view that moist clay, etc., have life. He therefore remarks that the Jains are trespassing very much on the field of Thales, whose idea was that it was moisture which constituted the life; and that the Jain idea appears to be of a universality of life, existing under these particular conditions, in which you contrive to expel more or less moisture. On reference fo my paper, you will see that, in the Jain view, even fire, which is a negation of moisture, bas life. Besides, according to Thales, the whole cosmos is a living thing; according to Jains, there are living as well as lifeless things in the world. The statement that the Jains are advocates of the developnient theory was made to contrast the Jain view with that of the Vedanta, and not in reference to the origin of the world, nor was it in reference to the development of “all phenomenal existence from central real existence which lies behind." I think I must wit the Jain view about phenomenal and noumenal existence in a clearer form. In the Kantian philosophy, noumenon is that which can be the object only of a purely 'intellectual intuition. To such an existence the Jains have no objection; nay, they postulate the existence of realities which are supersensuous. Such realties are a part of the cosmos, but not a cause or origin of it. There are other Western philosophers who advocate the Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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