Book Title: Jaina Philosophy
Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi, Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: World Jain Confederation

Previous | Next

Page 183
________________ The Jaina Philosophy accomplished in accordance with definite relations, and in a succession that remains always the same. This rhythm of events he calls by various names. Destiny, Order, Reason (Logos) is his First Principle. These predicates, in which physical, ethical and logical order in the world appear as still identified, -prove only the undeveloped state of thought which does not yet know how to separate the different motives. The Stoic's had a little different view of the Logos. According to them the entire universe formed a single, unitary, living, connected whole, and that all particular things worthy determinate forms assumed by a divine primitive power which was in a state of eternal activity. In their view, the deity, as the actively productive and formative power, is a kind of Logos; also the rational part of souls is a consubstantial emanation from the divine Logos. The Christian idea of Logos is largely influenced by the Stoic doctrine; only - there are added to it the appeal to and supremacy of authority. Eight knowledge was therefore, not possible except – through divine revelation. All knowledge is, as Numinous said, the kindling of the small light from the great light which illumines the world. Later Logos gets entirely personified. Origin teaches that God begets the eternal Son, the Logos, as the sum-total of his world-thoughts, and through him the realm of free spirits, which, limited within itself, surrounds the deity as an ever-living garment. T have given the above illustration simply for confirming the idea that a word, with advancing civilization develops in meaning. I need not go into the discussion of the various meanings that were attached to Karma at different periods of its history. My present purpose is only to present to the readers a complete view of the subject of Karma as the Jainas have understood it. What is Karma? Before answering this question, it will be necessary to know what the philosophical view of the Jainas is in 174 Jain Education International For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298