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everything as fleeting, Mahāvīra found no contradiction between permanence and change, and was free from all absolutism.” 2
Problem of reality implies the problem of substance. In consonance with the Anekāntic view of reality. already discussed substance is characterised by simultaneous origination destruction and persistence or is the substratum of attributes and modes. Permanence signifies persistence of substance along with attributes, and change refers to fluctuating modes along with the emergence of the new modes and the disappearance of the old ones at one and the same time. To illustrate, gold as a substance exists with its modifications and qualities. Now after making an ornament, gold as a substance is existent along with its attributes and what changes is the mode.
Substance and Quality
Substance as different from the general and specific qualities and modifications are nothing but abstractions. Qualities are incapable of being existent by themselves even for a moment. They necessitate the simultaneous existence of substance, and are denied any isolated character; and they are themselves bereft of qualities. As regards the relation between them, we may say that they are non-separate and nonidentical. Non-separateness results owing to their subsistence in the same spatial extent, and non-identity issues because of the fact that one is not the other. The assertion that substance is not quality and that quality is not substance serves only to emphasise the non-identical character of both substance and quality. It does not mean the absolute negation of substance in quality and vice-versa. Thus the relation between Dravya and Guņa substance and quality is one of identity-in-difference. The difference between them is only the difference in point of nomenclature, number, characterisation, and purpose and not difference with reference to spatial extent.?
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