________________
208
JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY “GOD IN JAINISM"
mind is not occupied with (the reflection) on our self. When self is known, the vision of world reflected in the self is like that of stars reflected in clear water.
VII.1. (ii) Jaina View of Soul in Comparison with Vedānta
The Vedānta philosophy is based on the Upanişad portion of the Vedas. The Chāndogya Upanişad contains several allegories, which have become the starting point of philosophy.
The ritual of the Vedas was considered the karmakāņda, the portion related to activities (kriyā), the Upanișads constituted jñānakāņda or the portion related to knowledge, which propounds a certain theory of the world. Just as ritualistic portion of the Vedas became object of comments by Jaimini, the author of the Mīmāṁsā Sūtras so did Brhadāranyaka Upanişad commented on or rather composed aphorisms based on Upanişads.
According to Šamkara" all distinctions between objects and objects, the subjects and the subjects, the self and God are illusory creation of māyā. He holds fast to the conception of identity without any real difference and tries to follow it out logically in every respect. He accepts, therefore, without any reservation, the identity of the soul and God that is repeatedly taught in Upanișads.
Man is apparently composed of body and soul. But the body, which we perceive, is like every other material object, merely an illusory appearance. When this is realized, the reality that remains is the soul, which is nothing but God.
The identity that is taught between man and God is a real identity between terms, which appear as different. Being identical
Paramātma-prakāśa of Sri Yogindudeva, Introduction, by Dr. A. N. Upadhye, 6770.P-13 10V.R. Ghandhi (VRG), “The systems of Indian philosophy”, 1993, P-73 "Dr. Chatterjee and Dr. Dutta, “An Introduction To Indian Philosophy", 1984,
P-397
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
