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Ontology
THE HE Jaina system adopts neither of the extreme positions in regard to the theory of being-either emphasizing Identity or describing Difference as pointing to the essential nature of Reality. Nor does it take the position of considering either identity or difference as more important in understanding Reality. In Jainism we find an acceptance of both identity and difference as equally significant in comprehending Reality. There is a stubborn refusal to take up any one of the extreme positions or even the position belittling the importance of either identity or difference. The Jaina view of Reality can best be understood against the backdrop that a brief survey of the ontological positions taken by some of the schools of Indian thought provides. At the one extreme end is the Advaita school of Sankara which maintains Identity as Reality and at the other extreme is the Buddhist view which considers Difference as constituting the essence of Reality. Between these two are the views of Sankhya and the Visiṣṭādvaita systems in which difference is subordinated to identity and the position of the Vaiseṣika and Dvaita systems which subordinates identity to difference. We shall review the schools in order.
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The Advaita view is that Brahman is the one ultimate Reality and the empirical world is only a phenomenon. The plurality or difference experienced by us does not give us an idea of Reality, it only points to Brahman which is at its base. The phenomenal world does not represent a real transformation (pariņāma) of its material cause; it is only an appearance. The non-dual Brahman which is
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