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Jinamanñari, Volume 19, No. 1, April 1999
ASTI AND SYĀD IN JAINA THOUGHT
Dr. Mahendra Kumar Jain, Newark, DE. USA
Prescription of Five Precepts, which are known as anuvratas or mahāvratas, emphasize primarily on the personal conduct and social and societal behavior that is valid irrespective of the time and place. Remarkably the emphasis and the motive for such a conduct is neither based on divine insights nor on not-verifiable knowledge. The Jaina precept of ahimsa is an example of par excellence to cite, as it derives its force from an appreciation of deeper patterns of human behavior and aspirations articulated by ahimsa paramo dharma - “live and let live." It is not just about survival but far beyond the survival instinct. Interpretations of what is an acceptable level of violence remains a matter of compromises or adjustments in the moral and humane living. Debate about the rationale for such compromises or adjustments sets the intellectual tone for the Jaina doctrine of karma.
To establish asti - what is, only verifiable knowledge is paramount in Jainism. A prerequisite to have verifiable knowledge therefore is through truthful conduct, impressively implicated in the question of gañadharas to Lord Mahāvīra:
Q. Can ātmaswarupa - inner form be known from gvān or from agyān?
A. Certainly it is not possible without gyān, however, to see the whole it is also necessary to know agvān.
This insight underlines and highlights not only a useful guidance for personal conduct, but also triggers an impetus for the anekānta doctrine which entertains alternatives essential to reduce the level of agyān, that is what is not known. Logic syllogisms developed for this purpose formalize the thought process for arriving at a valid inference and reduce the level of doubt. This is both critical and important to develop good attitude, to good decision-making, and for evaluating liabilities of the knowledge base. Liabilities in the use of gyān for inference come from not knowing what is not known. This is where
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