Jaina Concept of Omniscience

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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THE MEANING OF OMNICIENCE
metaphysics and instead hold the general view that omniscience means "knowlodge of essential things", we are faced with a difficult task of explaining the status of the contingent and its relationships to the essential. One may say that the knowledge of essential things implies the knowledge of the contingent thing, as is done by the Sārkhyas. The knowledge of Praksti implies the knowledge of the conitngent world. But if we admit that the knowledge of the essence does not contain the knowledge of the accident, we shall have to turn towards the pluralistic ard realistic systems like the Nyāya-Vaišeşika which hold that the categories' imply the structure of the world.
If we accept that omniscience is knowledge of the empirical reality, there is no need of philosophy; as sciences are already doing the same work. But no scientist ever makes any claim to omniscience.
Now, supposing, we do have knowledge of the reality anyhow and in any sense, there will still remain the problem whether it is knowledge of temporal or ron-temporal, If it means the former, we shall have to argue with science that omniscience is not possible. But if it is said that the ultimate reality is free from spatio-temporal limitations, we shall be committed to an idealistic view of the universe. So either we accept the scientific view, in which case omniscience is not possible, or we accept the idealistic view, in which case there is no unanimity as to what the ultimate reality is.
mniscience as knowledge of the Duty
In the second sense, omniscience is knowledge of the duty (or dharma) or of the principles of good conduct. According to this view, since our moral life is of supreme value to us knowledge of the morality is the real knowledge. Hence, omniscience (Sarvajñalā) will have to be the knowledge of dharma (dharmajñatā). This is an ethical approch. It also has certain logical difficulties. For example, it must be stated whether dharma