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NEW THOUGHTS / 49
MAHAPRAGYA'S THEORETICAL
PROPOSITIONS
Mahapragya is a great philosopher saint of this age. Along with carrying out the research and editing, he has carried forward the tradition of writing commentaries on Jain scriptures. By writing commentaries on Acharang and Bhagwati, he has provided momentum to the commentary writing which had come to a standstill. In Jain literature, from the point of view of metaphysical knowledge, Bhagwati is accorded the greatest importance. In his commentary on Bhagwati, the Mahapragya has provided serious discussions on several subjects, like philosophy, ethics, biology, cosmology, parapsychology, etc. In his explanations on Bhagwati and other works of Jain literature, while resolving many widely debated issues, he has given us several original propositions. He has incorporated scientific thinking in philosophical research and has commented on discoveries in the field of science. Some of the original propositions given to us by Mahapragya are presented here. 1. Independent identity of Jain philosophy
Western thinkers have stated that Jain philosophy is merely a collection of many other philosophies, that it has no independent identity of its own. Giving this observation a serious consideration, Mahapragya has said that we could not consider this view of the Western scholars entirely baseless; there was indeed some basis to it. The treatises on nyaya or logic composed by scholars in the medieval age were, in fact, a collection of Buddhist, nyayanic and other philosophies. After reading these treatises, it would be quite natural for anyone to come to the above stated opinion about Jain philosophy. In the eyes of Mahapragya, those treatises are not a representative account of Jain philosophy. Expounding on this point, Mahapragya has stated that(i) The first misconception was that the said treatises on logic were
representing the Jain religion, (ii) The second false impression was nourished by the above
assumption, that the Jain philosophy was merely a collection of
the ideas of other philosophies. The second illusion can be wiped off if the first one is proved false. The fundamental and original treatises of Jain philosophy are Agams. These scriptures truly represent Jain philosophy. A serious scholar of these scriptures will ascertain that Jain philosophy is not merely a collection of others' ideas.
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