Jainism a Theistic Philosophy

Author(s): Krishna A Gosavi
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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INTRODUCTION
benevolent and merciful. Such a God does not exist in Jainism. For that matter, no system of Indian thought, including even the socalled theistic system, has such a conception of God.
Jaina tradition, like Samkhya, Yoga, Mīmāṁsakas, looks upon Loka (universe) as beginning less and endless in its form. It does not accept its creation and destruction as the Paurāṇikas and Vaiseṣikas do. Therefore, there is no place whatsoever for God (Iśvara) as a creator and destroyer in Jaina tradition. According to Jainism, every jīva is the creator of its own world and every soul (jīva) has potential of becoming God (Iśvara) and this fact reveals itself at the time of liberation.
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"Jainism is happy to be called as an atheistic one, if the term theism consists of only God as creator," Actually "Theism is a type of religion or religious philosophy which incorporates a conception of God as a unitary being." The Unitarian followers of Unitarianism hold only the highest regard for Jesus but refute to bind that regard to a Trinitarian who believes in or adhere to the doctrine of Trinity, the union of three persons (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) in one God head or as (creator, sustainer and destroyer) in Vedic metaphysics." The same is with Jainism, they regard Mahāvīra as 'Siddha' or God, a 'perfect being'; hence the Jainism is a theistic religion. Thus it is superfluous to consider Jainism as only atheistic one.
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Jainism is theistic as well as atheistic religion both. It depends on the connotation of the word theism. Jainas believe in Anekāntavāda or theory of non-absolutism. Nothing is absolute for Jains. Jainas say that if we mean by the word God as a pure and perfect soul, then Jainism is a theistic religion. But if we mean by the term God as a Supreme Being and creator, sustainer and destroyer of the world, then Jainism would like to be called atheist.
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Ed. Dr. Sagarmal Jain & Dr. S. P. Pandey, "Jainism in Global Perspective", PVRI, Series No. 113, 1998, Varanasi, P-224 Dictionary of Philosophy, Jaico Books - Delhi P-316, 326
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