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Non-absolutism and Jaina View of Darśana
as the Gita says, confirms the faith of each and grants the reward cach seeks. Every surface derives its soil from the depths even as every shadow reflects the nature of the substance. No matter what we rever so long as our reverence is serious, it helps its progress, which is required is serious and sincere faith.
The second special sense of darśana in Jainism is understood in the sense of the knowledge of the generality (Samanya-bodha) or Indeterminate knowledge (Alocana ). This is also called formless consciousness or indeterminate knowledge (Anakara Upayoga ). That knowledge which is gained without probandum (Linga) is darśana, which takes the help of probandum is Jiana. The former is restricted to the immediate present, where as which is spread over the past, present and future in the indeterminate intuition is the cognition of an object which leaves the specific determinations out of account and it takes place immediately on that very sense-object contact. The indeterminate intuition transforms into determinate perception. A cognition which fails to take note of specific characteristics is called indecision1, because it falls short of certitude delivering itself in the form 'what may it be'. Where there is lack of decision or certitude, there can not be valid knowledge. Although, there is some similarity between Jaina 'darśana' and Buddhistic 'Nirvikalpa Jñana', but the latter cannot be called 'Pramana' as there is indecision. But 'darśana' as Hemacandra holds is not sensation (Avagraha). That perception of the generalism (Samanya) of things without particulars (Višeṣa) in which there is no grasping of details is called 'darśana'.2
Darśana whether is visual (Cakşuḥ) or non-visual or clairvoyant (Avadhi ), it is merely 'darśana'. It is neither right belief nor wrong belief. The logical tradition of the Jainas include darśana from the category of Pramāņa and scholars
1. Pramapa-mimamsä, I. 1. 6.
2. Dravya-sangraha, 43.
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