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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
The knowledge of these nine reals is a rnust for those who are desirous of liberation. This is the reason why they are called 'tattvas' ('reals') in the science of liberation. The Jaina philosophy indicates all the objects of the entire world through the mention of the two fundamental reals, the sentient and the insentient, declares liberation as the ultimate goal and shows as to what is conducive to liberation and what is detrimental to it. Bondage (bandha) and its cause the inflow (asrava) are opposed to liberation, whereas the stoppage (samvara) and the partial dissociation (nirjarā) are the factors leading to liberation.
The brief treatment of the nine reals has presented the Jaina view about the soul, merit-demerit (punya-pāpa), life after death, liberation and God. It easily awakens our faith in the path of liberation, the soul, the supreme soul, merit-demerit and rebirth. It will not do to accept sense perception alone. Search of reality is not possible on the basis of sense perception alone. Even the upholder of the view that sense perception is the only means of knowledge has to accept inference of the presence of the unseen fire from the perception of smoke. It is not logical to assert the non-existence of a thing on the basis of its non-perception. There are many things which are beyond the ken of our sense perception. But on that account their non-existence can never be established. A bird is flying in the sky. It soars so high that we are not able to see it. But that does not prove its non-existence. We cannot see our forefathers. But on that account none can boldly declare that they never existed. Water mixed with milk is not seen. But that does not prove its non-existence. Stars are not seen in the sky in the bright light of the sun. But on that account we have no right to declare their non-existence then in the sky. From all
has two forms, viz., one form is the inflow of the karmic matter and the other form is the opposite of the inflow. Accumulation of the auspicious karmic matter in the soul is its nature of the form of the inflow. And the dissociation of the accumulated and bound karmic matter is its nature of the form of the opposite of the inflow. And the special good qualities that manifest on that account is the effect of religion.
Study the following passages: 1. dharmuḥ śubhāśrave samvare (nirjarāyām ca antarbhavati/-Yogaśästra of Acārya
Hemacandra, Vrtti on II.2 2. sāmānyena tāvad dharmasya triny eva rūpāņi drastavyāni bhavanti/ tadyathā—karanam
svabhāvaḥ kāryam ca/ tatra sadanusthānam dharmasya karanam/ svabhāvaḥ punar dvividhah-sāśrāvo'nāśravaś ca/ tatra sāśravo jīve śubhaparamānūpacayarūpah, anāśravas tu pūrvopacitakarmaparamānuvilayamåtralaksanaḥ. . .. kāryam punar dharmasya yāvanto jivagatāḥ sundaravišeşāḥ/—Upamitibhavaprapañcā Kathā, Prathama Prastāva, p.72.
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