Jaina Concept of Omniscience

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

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THE MEANING OF OMNISCIENCE
referred to is any dharma prevailing at any particular place and at any time, or it is one particular dharma at a particular place and particular time. In the former case, there may be a conflicting dharmas since what is dharma according to one may not be according to the other. In the latter case there will arise another question. Whether the particular dharma in question is private or public? If it is the former, it may lead to narrowness and fanaticism and if the latter, we shall have to seek some eternal universal dharma, which is not yet in existence. It means that inspite of the great efforts by many religious thinkers, a universal religion is still an utopia and we are all following particular dharmas resulting in religious rivalries etc. Even what are called the Cardinal principles of morality, do vary from one religion to another.
There can be a third sense of omniscience different from these two senses. Contrary to the common presupposition of the duality of the knower and the object of knowledge, the Vedantins and the Upanisadic thinkers adopt a different attitude. According to them, ultimately there is no distinction between the subject and the object. In this sense, omniscience is interpreted in terms of knowledge of the self or Brahman. The knowledge of all' here means the knowledge of the one ultimate Brahman, since one is all and all is one. However this meaning of omniscience is highly technical and metaphysical. It can be accepted only when we subscribe to its underlying metaphysics.
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(e) Concluding Remarks
After this brief exposition of the different senses of omniscience, we can state the following as the prerequisite to make the concept of omniscience workable. First, it should be regarded as a true and valid knowledge, for if it is false, it would be only illusory. Secondly, it should not be regarded merely as a potential but as actualised knowledge. Thirdly, it cannot be indirect knowledge like inference or even direct knowledge like sense-perception. If it is indirect, it cannot JCO-3