________________
Jainism As Metaphilosophy
Furthermore, the varying degrees of knowledge gained would suggest a summit, - a peak - which represents the culmination of the entire process of knowing This may be referred to as the state of full knowledge, all-knowingness or omniscience. Every step ascended would indicate not merely a greater degree of knowledge, both quantitatively and qualitatively, but also progressive success registered in the matter of overcoming the obstructions in order to gain omniscience.18
This then is the goal of philosophy according to the Jaina philosophers. Kevala-jñāna is the term used and it is referred to variously as direct knowledge, immediate perception, etc." It is defined as perfect (paripurna), complete (samagra), unique (asādhārana), absolute (nirapekşa), pure (visuddha), all-comprchensive (sarva-bhāva-jñāpaka), that which has for its object both the world and the non-world (lokalokavişaya) and infinite (anantaparyāya).20
The definition implies that thc omniscicnt stage in the human pursuit.. of knowledge is the stage where Reality is intuited fully without any obstruction whatsoever. The further implication of the definition is that the omniscient stage represents also the transcendence of the spatial and temporal categories. Omniscience is hence regarded as one wholesome experience which does not incorporate within itself limitations characteristic of experience in space and time.
The superiority of kevala-jñāna is asserted on the ground that the objects of mati and śruta are all the substances, but not in all their aspects (asarva-dravyeşu asarva-paryāyeşu), of avadhi, only material substances, but not in all their aspects (rūpişveva dravyeşu asarva paryāyeşu); manahparyāya is a purer and infinitely subue knowledge of the material substances known by avadhi; and kevala has for its object all the substances, and in all their aspects (sarvadravyeşu sarva- paryāyesu ca).“
The consummation of all knowledge in kevala-jñāna is also pointed to by referring to a Jaina tradition which holds that when kevala-jñāna is attained, the other four types of knowledge, viz. mati, śruta, avadhi and manahparyāya disappear much in the same way as the other luminous objects in the sky lose their luminosity when the sun appears on the firmament. The argument offered in this regard is that kevala-jñāna is
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
