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The Ultimate Reality
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naive refusal to believe what cannot be visualized. Heinrich Zimmer rightly observes that Jainism is not atheistic but is trans-theistic.
Indian tradition uses the word 'Nastika', i. e., non-believer or atheistic in three senses, viz. ( 1 ) Disbelief in the theory of karma and the life beyond, ( 2 ) Disbelief in God and ( 3 ) Disbelief in the ultimate authority of Vedas. It is the second and third sense in which some Hindu thinkers have labelled Jainism as atheistic. Strictly speaking, it would be only in the third sense that Jainas may be called atheistic because Jainas do not believe in the finality of Vedas. Mahávira's dialogue with his first disciples called 'Ganadharas' shows that the teacher has not totally disclaimed the Vedas, but has tried to explain some of their aspects by putting his own interpretation. So far as the second sense is concerned, it is the Cárvaka school which would fall within its category tecause the Carvakas do not believe either in the theory of karma or rebirth. Their is the total denial of all that cannot be apprehended by senses.
It is pertinent to note that in the Indian system of philosophical thoughts, Jaina thinkers were not the only ones who denied the existence of a supreme God. Nyaya and Vaiseșika systems were originally atheistic and became theistic only after their fusion. Sārkhya also denied the existence of God and hence it is referred to as 'Nirīśvara’, i. e., Godless. Thus the rejection of the idea of a supreme authority outside ones own-self as shaping the destiny of the whole universe is rejected by some of the most important schools of philosophers in the process of evolution of Indian metaphysics.
Then the question which naturally arises is how do the Jainas explain the origin and governance of Universe ? What is the 'Raison detre' of this existence ? Jaina system maintains that the universe is without beginning or an end. 1 It broadly
1. Vyakhya-prajña pti-sūtra, 9/32.
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