Jain Theism

Author(s): Hemant Shah
Publisher: Hemant Shah

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Jain
Theism
Let us now understand what the philosophy or the theory of non-absolutism is the Jain theory of reality from its metaphysical point of view. The Jain approach to ultimate reality can be expressed in two words: realistic and relativistic. The universe is full of innumerable material atoms and innumerable individual souls. They are separately and independently real. Again each thing (Vastu) and each soul possesses innumerable aspects of its own. “A thing has got an infinite number of characteristics of its own."'! Thus according to the metaphysical presupposition of Jainism, a thing with infinie characters exists independently.
. The Jain term for 'existent' is 'Sat? It designates an entity comprised of substance (Dravya), attributes (Guna) and mode (Paryāya). The qualities are free from qualities of their own and they invariably and continuously undergo modifications or changes. The substance and attributes are inseparable and the attributes being the permanent essence of the substance cannot remain without it. Modes, on the other side, are changing. There are modifications in the form of acquiring (Utpāda) new modes (Paryāya or Bhāva) and losing (Vyaya) old modes at each moment."'12 Thus a thing or "the conception of being as the union of pemanent and change brings us naturally to the doctrine of Anekantavāda or what we niay call relative pluralism as against the extrme absolution of the Upanisads and the pluralism of the Buddhists.''
In view of the fact, “Jainism points out that both : the permanent (the one, the real of Bramanism) and the changing' (the many, the unreal of Buddhism), are the two sides of the same thing," ** Considering on one side the human limitations to acquire the knowledge of a thing with its all the infinite attributes and on the other side three characteristics of knowledge" possessing the three charcteristics of production, Destruction and permanence."45 nothing could be affirmed absolutely, as all affirmations could be relatively true under certain aspects or point of view only. “The affirmations are true of a thing only in a certain limited sense, and not absolutely."46
41. BriHEATEC at Saddarasana Samuccaya - 55 42. Frungarstaro pa iureface can! 43. Prof. S. N. Dasgupta, A History of Indian philosophy Vol. I (1975) p. 175. 44. Dr. Chandradhar Shama, A Critical survey of Indian philosophy (1976) p. 51. 45. STAIGO tar a I Tattvarthasutra V-29 46. Tattvarthasutra & Saddarasana Samuccaya