Outlines of Jainism

Author(s): J L Jaini, F W Thomas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

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OUTLINES OF JAINISM
Logic; Mathematics; Science, including Cosmogony, Cosmology Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, etc., Chemistry, etc., Medicine, Occult Sciences, Arts and Practical Sciences; Law : Language ; and Grammar. But the Outlines deal systematically only with Part I; the second part is just touched in the Appendices.
PART I. RELIGION
The word “religion” is here used in the sense of its popular synonym "creed ”, one's set of beliefs. As soon as man begins to think, he consciously or unconsciously asks himself certain questions about himself, about the universe, about his destination, and about his duties. Equally consciously or uconsciously he answers his questions, in a lucid or indistinct, in a partial or thorough, in a cogent or unconvincing manner. These sets of answers are his religion. Even if a man denies God, this means only that he expresses his disagreement with the answer of a believer in God, and thus implicitly gives a different answer to the question "How has the universe come to be what it is?” Accordingly a man's “religion” means his accepted answers to questions about himself, the universe, and his destiny and duty in life.
The question " What am I ?” may be split up into its two aspects: theological and metaphysical Theology teaches not only what our “I” or “ego” is, but also the relationship of this ego to God. Metaphysics teaches us the relationship between the “I” and the “ 110n-I”, i.e. between man and the universe.