Book Title: Jainthology
Author(s): Ganesh Lalwani
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Previous | Next

Page 180
________________ Even direct perception of plurality of thing of the world such as 'table', 'chair', 'Sarala tree' etc. disapproves the doctrine of indescribability of the world.55 This doctrine of unreality of the world of Advaitins can be refuted by providing counter arguments such as "world is not false, because it is different from non-existing things, that which is different from nonexisting thing is not false, as for instance, the Soul, this world is so, hence, it is not false,"56 This counter argument makes it very clear that, it is irrational to accept the Vedantins view that the soul which appears as a reality in our apprehension is only real and things are unreal which also appear as real in our apprehension. If it is said that inference proves the unreality of the world then, it can be argued thatIs syllogism, which is supposed to prove the unreality of the world, a part of the world or is it separate from it ? if it is separate, then is it true or untrue ? It cannot be true, otherwise the whole world will become true. It cannot be untrue, because, it proves nothing. If it is a part of the world then, it is unreal like the rest of the world and cannot accomplish its task of proving unreality of the world.57 If it is said that an argument has a practical validity and serves well as a working theory, then we have to accept that an argument is real, and it will destroy the fundamental position of the Advaitins, that nothing besides Brahman is real.58 Even scriptural texts such as 'sarvam khalu idam brahma' etc. instead of proving unreality of the world prove reality of the world and Brahman i.e., all existing things of the world are Brahman.59 Even Advaitic one-soul theory is not tenable because this view is again contradicted by perceptual experience of plurality of individual selves. Like Sankhyas, 60 Jainas argue that, if ātman is only one then birth and death, bondage and liberation, pain and pleasure etc, should 55 (a) R.K., pp. 34-35. (6) S.M., pp. 78-79. 56 (a) R.K., pp. 34-35. (b) S.M., pp. 80. 57 S.M., p. 80. 58 S.M., p. 80. 59 (a) A.S., p. 161. (b) S,M., p. 83. 60 Sankhyakarika, verse 18, pub. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series, 1963. JAINTHOLOGY/ 143

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294