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"(b) The chain of causality is without end, inasmuch as no change can take place at any time without proceeding as an effect from its sufficient cause."
Jaina philosophy, therefore, is not the doctrine of illusion, nor of emanation, nor of creation. It is rather the doctrine that teaches the inexpugnability of various properties inextricably combined in a thing. Hence, the affirmation of only one property would be true so far as one side of the question is concerned; but it becomes false when it rejects other sides implying thereby that the very existence of that particular side depends on the existence of other sides. Jainism emphasizes at the same time the fact that at any particular moment it is impossible to express in words this complexity of truth (though possible to realize it in consciousness), for words always take for expression more moments than one.
This teaching is also known as the doctrine of manysidedness (). For instance, the universe is eternal as well as non-eternal. If the manifestations, modifications, developments, and activities are left out of consideration, what remains of the universe is eternal. If merely those modifications, etc., are taken into consideration, that side of the universe (which is not a different thing from the universe, but only a different aspect) is noneternal. That is the only way of coming to a correct understanding and definite knowledge.
Sankarācārya, commentator of the Vedantasūtras, has fallen into a great error when he states
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