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IDEALISM AND REALISM
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In the eyes of the masses as well as non-Jaina faiths like Buddhism and Brāhmanism the Jainas were one, whether Svetāmbara or Digambara they represented one school of thought, viz., the Nirgrantha. 14 It is the dominating characteristics of this that we have to examine in the course of this chapter, particularly in the light of their contrast with conditions in Karnataka.
In the first place, what were the features of Jainism before it came to be affected by its competitions with Buddhism Brāhmanism, and Animism? They were, fundamentally, in respect of their attitude towards God, Creation, Life, Destiny ; and more than anything else, their mode of living. Briefly, the Jainas were atheistical but believed in the eternity of existence, universality of Life, immutability of the Law of Karma, and Supreme Intelligence as the means to Self-Liberation. In social life they were well organised and followed a rigorous discipline. We shall examine these in the light of the conditions that obtained in Karnāțaka at the time of their first impact.
The Jainas denied that God, in the sense of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, existed. "If God created the universe," asks Jinasenācārya, “Where was he before creating it? If he was not in space, where did he localise the universe ? How could a formless or immaterial substance like God create the world of matter? If the material is to be taken as always existing, why not take the world itself as unbegun? If the creature was uncreated, why not suppose the world to be itself self-existing?" Then he continues, "Is God self-sufficient ? If he is, he need not have created the world. If he is not, like an ordinary potter, he would be incapable of the task, since, by hypothesis, only a perfect being could produce it. If God created the world as a mere play of his will, it would be making God childish. If God is benevolent and if he has created the world out of his grace, he would not have brought into existence
14 Cf, Bühler, op. cit., p. 3,
