Book Title: Jainism in Buddhist Literature
Author(s): Bhagchandra Jain Bhaskar
Publisher: Alok Prakashan

Previous | Next

Page 300
________________ ( 282 ) Santarakṣita emphasises sarvajñatva more than Dharmajñatva. He says that an omniscient being can know everything that he intends to know, since he has already destroyed all the obstructions of knowledge 38. He then refutes the view of Kumārila, and establishes complete omniscience in the Buddha. The later Buddhist Philosophers followed śāntarakṣita's view. In the sixth century B. C. omniscience was considered one of the essential characteristics of a Teacher or Prophets. The Buddha criticised this view and said that no one can know and perceive everything at once. But his disciples were anxious to give their teacher a position of greater recognition, and gradually went on to establish the theory of the perfect omniscience of the Buddha on the basis of the superhuman powers. There is no doubt that this was done with a view to stand the Buddha in the line of other Prophets,

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326