Book Title: Jainism a Theistic Philosophy
Author(s): Krishna A Gosavi
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Page 303
________________ JAINA VIEW OF GOD COMPARED WITH ...... 287 not challenge the authority of Vedas, but tried to show that testimony of the Vedas was quite in harmony with their rationally established theories. It is only in the Yoga and Vedānta, besides the NyāyaVaišeșika the God is formally acknowledged as creator of the universe, etc. The ancient Sāṁkhya scripture does not believe in God. The trace of God can be inferred from the work of the post Sāṁkhyayist Vijñānbhikṣu. Buddhist believe in God, similar to Jaina, and consider Buddha to be their God; and also believe in his incarnation in the world. In the Vedas, God is said to be omnipresent by his body. “His eyes all over the universe, His faces everywhere, His arms are outstretched all over the world, He is the beginning of the whole world,” This quotation from the Vedas shows that God pervades the universe in his material body. Jainas believe that God, Arhat or Tīrthankara lived in material body are Omnipresent and Omniscient by reason of their knowledge. Philosophies having belief in creatorship of God and also who maintain and destroy the universe are constructed or named by philosophers and scholars as theism. Atheism means (a=not) not believing in God. In colloquial languages it means Nāstika, such as Cārvāka philosophy, which has nothing to do with God, soul or karma. Sāṁkhya, Buddhism and Jainism believe in God and not necessarily affix creatorship attributes to Him, are not atheistic philosophies. And, hence scholars and philosophers connoting atheism against the names of the Jainism and Buddhism and Sāmkhya, are strongly refuted. On the basis of the above discussions elaborated here, it can be concluded that Jainism is not atheism, but theism. *** Jain Education International For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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