Kundakunda Acharya and Jain Philosophy

Author(s): Jayantilal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology Chennai

Page 49

has attained self-realisation is calied Jnanee and who has not attained self-realisation is called Ajnanee. A Jnanee is one who has attained self-realisation even though one may be illiterate or an animal and not knowing anything else. Likewise, one is Ajnanee, if one has not attained self-realisation even though one may be knowing all the scriptures and other things.
3. SARVAJNATA (OMNISCIENT) Sarvajnata is the basic principle of Jain Dharma. Acharya Kundakunda has thrown sufficient light on sarvajnata in his scriptures. Pravachanasar deals mainly with Sarvajnata. In this scripture, the Acharya has discussed the Divine Knowledge. According to the Acharya, complete knowledge means having knowledge of every knowable thing of this world and beyond this world without being affected by them.
4. JNANA JNEYA SAMBANDH
(Relation between knowledge and knowable) Knowledge is to know the matters and the matters are knowable, but the two do not disturb one another. For example, the fire does not enter the mirror and the mirror also is not affected by the fire, even then fire is visible in the mirror. Likewise, knowledge does not enter the knowables and the knowables do not enter the knowledge, they are not affected by each other, but it is the nature of the knowledge that it knows the past, present and future of the knowables and their forms simultaneously in the smallest (indivisible) unit of time.
5. KRAMABADDHA PARYAYA (SYSTEMATIC PARYAYA) Although we do not find direct discussions about it in the literature of Acharya Kundakunda, yet this point has also been touched indirectly. Acharya Amritchandra has explained the same in Samayasara as 'a living thing is a living thing, not a nonliving thing, assuming births and forms systematically and in a predetermined sequential manner, and a non-living thing is a non-living thing, not a living thing, assuming births and forms in a predetermined sequential manner". Everything that happens in the Universe happens in a predetermined sequential manner and nobody can change it. It applies to all matters.