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( 191 ) or Sada-vişāna ( horns to the hares ), which have no existence at all.79
On the basis of above exposition, the Jainas endeavour to answer the objections raised by opponents through the different aspects of the nature of reality. They are dealt with below : The Identity-in-difference ( bhedabhedātmaka )
The identity-in-difference is the main figure which guards the Jaina standpoint against the attacks of opponents. The exposition of this central idea has been a necessary talk to the Jaina Acāryas. They postulate a theory that a substance is neither absolutely different than other things, nor absolutely alike. Otherwise how could the quality ( gana ) and qualified ( guni ) be distinguished ?
An entity is characterised by birth (utpāda), death (vyaya) and permanence (dhrauvya ). All entities are included in this definition Sat or substance is abheda and guņas are bheda. Apart from guņas or paryāyas, there is no existence. There. fore, reality is called the identity-in-difference. Eternal-cum-non-eternal aspects (nityānitātmaka )
In the same way the substance can be nither absolutely eternal nor absolutely non-eternal, but it is eternal-cum-noneternal. If we do not accept this, causal efficiency (arthakriya ) would not be possible with an entity and all the transaction would fail due to the static or perpetual fluxive character of thing. Pre-existence would be 'dis-connected with the post-existence. How then could the doer and enjoyer be recognized ?
Likewise, reality is universalized-cum-particularised, onecum-innumerable, etc. from real and practical standpoints. There is no self-contradiction in this recognition, since the nature of reality is conceived relatively. Saptabhangi or a theory of Sevenfold predication
Saptabhangi or the theory of sevenfold predication is a method of cognition to apprehend the correct nature of reality
