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JAINA CONCEPT OF GOD IN JAINA THEISM
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But then ‘Atheism' in its most scientific and serious usage is applied to the state of mind which does not find deity (either one or many gods) in or above the physical universe.
Atheism according to western mind, which lays great stress on science, logic and humanism, is different from eastern thought. Philosophy in India, which is essentially spiritual, dominates life in India. Hence western and Indian approaches with regards to both theism and Atheism are very much different.
VI. (ix). Jainism not an Atheism but a Theism
Atheism, both by etymology and usage, is essentially a negative concept and exists only as an expression of dissent from the positive theistic belief.
The definition of theism, as stated in Encyclopedia is, theism is the belief that all entities in cosmos, which are known to us through our senses or inferred by our imagination and reason, and so on. In the earlier stages, theism conceives of God simply as the cause of ground for all finite and dependent existences; but as it develops, it realizes the idea of God as an imminent and selfmanifesting as well as creative and transcendent.
Dr. Kothari, in his thesis, “Concept of Divinity in Jainism” while comparing Jainism with Buddhism and Hinduism has argued that Jainism cannot really be called atheistic. Then again, when discussing Atheism and Jainism, he observes, “Jainism rejects existence of a first cause or creator of universe. Still it is very far from being purely atheistic, for it posits definitely the divinity of the soul and possibility of our realizing its destiny."108
Though Buddhism and Jainism do not believe in Hindu speculative concept of God, they are not opposed to super-mundane beings. Jaina believes in divinity and Godhood, and lay emphasis that each soul is potential God (Paramātmā).
108Dr. P. Ajay Kothari, “The Concept of Divinity, 2000, P-134
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