Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 72

REALITY
59
reality. They generally did not make any distinction among substance, reality, existence etc. The other Indian systems did not do so in the same sense. In the Vaiseşika-sūtra, all the six, viz., substance, quality, action, generality, particularity and inherent relationship are called padārthas, but the term artha is reserved only for three padārthas, viz., substance, quality and action.' The Naiyāyikas call the sixteen principles by the name of 'sat'.? The Sānkhya system regards Prakrtī and Puruşa as lattvas. In spite of being a school of Realism, Jainism did not make any difference among Reality, Existence, Substance, Object etc.
According to Umāsvāti, the definition of reality is 'sat', i.e., existence. He did not use the term 'tattva' but used the word 'dravya,'i.e., substance for reality. We have already seen that there is no difference between substance and reality. Reality is substance and substance is reality. In this way, the primary and essential criterion of reality is existence or sattā. That which exists is real. In other words, existence is reality or reality is existence. Considering from this point of view, it can be asserted that 'all is one because all exists.'4 This view is taken to be very much similar to that of the Upanişads. In the Jaina canons there are some references that indicate this view. As we find in the Sthānānga-sūtra : 'One Soul,' 'One Universe' etc. This concept of oneness is considered to be valid only from the view-point of the 'sangrahanaya'. This view-point of the Jainas reaches near the Absolute Idealism of Indian philosophy and the 'Experience' of Bradley. Our intellect cannot describe this reality in whole. It can be realised by intuition which is possessed by an omniscient self. Both the conscious and non-conscious substances are the attributes
1. Vaiseșika -sūtra, I. I. 4; VIII. 2.3. 2. Saccu Khalu șodaśuchū vpūdhamupadesyate - Nyāya-bhāşya, I. 11. 3. Sat dravyalaksanam, V. 29. (Digambara tradition) 4. Tatt vārtha-sūtra-bhāşya, I. 35. 5. Ege avá; ege loe - Sthánänga-sūtra, 1.11. 4.