Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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Preface xix
nature of the Jain standpoint. The development of each system being largely conditioned by its inter-connections and contradictions with others, it can be properly understood only by constantly referring to the others. This was understood even by the ancient philosophers who took care to learn the views of all the others and did not come to any conclusion before considering thoroughly what others had to say and how their points could be met. This spirit led to the formation of a method of philosophical discussion which should be strated with the statement of opponent's case as the prior view and followed by its refutation, establishment of the philosopher's own position and conclusion. Moreover, in their sophisticated stages, all the systems, excepting the Cārvākas, fostered some common a priori ideas like the belief in an eternal moral order in the universe, the law of karma, ignorance as the cause of bondage and knowledge of liberation, need of continued meditation on truth, self-control to remove passions, and so on.
This unusually big preface is not the summary of the contents of this book. It is rather a reflection of my own impression resulting from the study of Jainism and allied systems, what I have really felt after completing this work. Here the philosophical contents of Jainism have been faithfully enumerated and analysed with a sense of historical enquiry. This book demands of the readers no previous acquaintance with the subject. Pedantic terminologies have been deliberately avoided. Now it is for my readers to judge how far I have been successful in this attempt. I crave in the indulgence of my sympathetic readers for the mistakes and blemishes that must have crept into this book. In writing this book I have been immensely helped by the earlier works on this subject which have been mentioned in the introductory portion and also in the bibliography. I am grateful to my esteemed friend Prof. Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya who has drawn my attention to the works of Pandit Sukhlalji Sanghvi. My friend Sri Satinath Mukherjee has helped me in many ways which I should acknowledge. To my wife Manjula I am indebted for patient cooperation and very much else besides. My thanks are also due to Sri Devendra Jain for the sincere interest he has taken in publishing this work.
Narendra Nath Bhattacharyya
Calcutta University 15 December, 1975.