Jinamanjari 2002 04 No 25

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 56

ornament as such present in gold. Therefore the effect is the result of causal manifestation. Jaina metaphysics thus points out that effect is identical with the cause and yet it is slightly different from the cause. Hence, from the point of view of the underlying substance the effect and cause are identical, and from the point of view of manifested form and change, the effect is different from the cause. Thus cause and effect may be said to be identical in one sense and different from another point of view.
Following Jain metaphysics, Kundakunda has postulated that dravya (substance) and guna (attributes) are identical in nature, though they are different in another respect. Sankarācārya equally has applied the doctrine of identity and difference to the relation between substance and its qualities. The substance and its qualities are inherently identical though they are different in another aspect. Thus, the attitude of Sankarācārya is identical with the Jaina attitude as to the relation between dravya and guņa. Henceforth, the Vaisheshika doctrine of substance and qualities which defines them as two different distinct categories brought together by a third category, samavaya is forthrightly rejected by Kundakunda, and Sankarācārya following Kundakunda has equally opposed this Vaisheshika view on the relation between substance and qualities.
The doctrine of astināstivāda (predication) of the Jainas states that two assertions can be made about a thing positive and negative in relation to the thing to other things. Accordingly, an individual person or a thing is said to take different forms in a given relation. A person becomes father when he is taken in relation to his son, as the son when he is taken in relation to his father. Similar assertion can be identified in statement of Sankarācārya: that devadatta "is thought and spoken of as man, Brahmin, learned in the Vedas, generous, boy, young man, old man, father, son, grandson, brother, son-in-law, etc. etc." Therefore the question how can the same man be father and son would be entirely meaningless and it will only exhibit the ignorance of the logical theory of predication. The same principle is extended by the Jaina metaphysics to other relations, such as space, time, substance and modes.
Given these similarities on a number of points, especially on the nature of Brahman or the Self (athato Brahma-Jijnasa), it is no wonder Sankarācārya does not mention Jainism as having erroneous views. The use of Jain terminological words of jivatma and paramatma by Sankarācārya forms the foundation of Advaita, and the central doctrine of his commentary. It could also be noted that his application of the concept of adhyasa, the technical term Sankarācārya
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