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Rightful Exposition of Jainism in the West: (255)
vegetarianism, environmental preservation, and non-involvement in violence-involving professions. It has also influenced other systems too). Despite this, Prof. Noss opines that the Jaina ethics detaches us from evil actions and promotes the overall happiness. Not only this, the harsh austeritic life has also an indirect effect of moving towards welfare of all and the self. Despite the ethical code of the Jainas being individualistic, it accepts the self as the maker of own destiny, it is not, therefore, incarnationtist. Its torchbearers are not bestowers of fortunes. But their remembrance serves a source of direction and encouragement. That is why, the temples, worship and prayers have no value for the Jainas. Despite the fact that their fundamentals are easily comprehensible, their elaboration and philosophy is not simple to be easily understood.
(2) Ontology (Metaphysics)
The ontology of Jaina is dualist (living, non-living) and pluralist (six physical realities, nine spiritual categories, seven spiritual reals etc.). The scholars have opined it as a realist ontology. It has an object of acquiring salvation by breaking away the combination of the living and non-living (karmas). The relationship of these entities through karmas is very interesting. Their non-living world is atomistic. Generally, Jainism is not deterministic because of its realistic nature. However, it is naturalistic and a-theistic where there is no positivism. It seems that man was initially a-theist. That is why Cārvākism is said to be the oldest (Thrower). The Jainas do not admit actorship of God, but they admit capacity of Godhood in every living being and, hence, they are polytheists. It is due to this that they could not be popular like the Cārvākas.
The Jainas are not purely devotionalists like the Muslims or Christians. They admit the triad of right knowledge, faith and conduct. It is because of this multi-dimensionism that they have been surviving since hoary past. The western world is not ready even to accept any atheist system as a religion. (It is not even prepared to accept the antitheist logic).
The Jainas are Karmists and Aureologists. (this is the result of their psychological understanding). These principles are also infested with pessimism. But these are the specific principles of the Jainas,
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