Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 36

(10) : Jaina Philosophy of Language performed' (Akrta) but this non-performance does not absolutely negate the past accomplishment involved in the activity. As a matter of fact the "continuous present' is indicative of both, the past-performance (kstatā) and the non-performance (akstatā). Therefore, to term the present continuous absolutely as 'not-done'(akrta) is not correct. When Mahāvīra rejects Jamāli's contention that action is not accomplished in the present continuous (kajjamāne akade), he actually rejects the contention in its absolute sense. The moral of the whole discussion is that we must determine the meaning of a word in relation to the context and usage and not in absolute sense. Vibhajyavāda: the early concept of contemporary philosophy of language
There were many philosophical trends prevalent in India at the times of Mahāvīra and the Buddha. According to Jainas”, some 363 sects were present at that time in which 180 were kriyāvādins (activists), 84 Akriyāvādins (non-activists), 32 Vinayavādins (followers of prescribed code of conduct) and 67 ajñeyavādins (agnostics). Buddhist literature mentions 62 philosophical sects." The Buddha and Mahāvīra studied all these sects and their philosophical controversies and found that all of them had their stand on the one-sided solutions of philosophical problems, and therefore, were against each other. But the one-sided and absolute answers to the metaphysical questions always give rise to misconceptions. The self is eternal or non-eternal? The body and mind are one and the same or different? When the answers of such questions are given with a one-sided view, the true nature of reality is always obscured. All existent and all the events of the world, are complex and complex facts need analysis for the right understanding.
Therefore, Mahāvīra and Buddha developed a method by which they could solve the complicated philosophical and (also) practical problems by analysing them in their different aspects. This method of analysing the questions for their solutions is known as vibhajyavāda (Analytic method based on Divisions) in the Jaina and the Buddhist traditions. It is also the analysis of the questions that can give us the real insight into the fundamental problems. It was the reason why the Buddha in many contexts, put aside the metaphysical questions like the