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INTRODUCTION.
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objectivity is not outside the knower; while for Jaina omniscience, there is a complex external objectivity infinitely extended over both time and space which the omniscient has to visualise as easily as the eye does the object of sight. In Jainism, because of its notion of pluralism of spirits, the self retains its individuality even in the stage of omniscience and eternal bliss, while in Vedānta Brahman is all with no scope for individual spirits. In Vedānta
who is one without a second, is alone omniscient, while in Jainism many spirits might function as omniscients mutually interpenetrating without any conflict. In all this the realistic tone of Jainism is quite apparent.
OMNISCIENCE ACCORDING TO BUDDHISM.-Buddhism has claimed omniscience for Buddha, and S'āntaraksita holds that Buddha's omniscience is justified because of the correctness and validity of the doctrines propounded by him, because Buddha was free from the veil of suffering, and because he had destroyed the veil covering the transcendental truth. The unbounded compassion of Buddha even to a s'ūdra is a characteristic of his omniscience. Men ordinarily know only the general, while Buddha knows all the particular details. When Buddha sees them he is not stained by dirty contacts; he sees them keeping his mind untainted. His mind is endowed with super-normal excellence, so he sees everything clearly. So far as the personalistic note is concerned Jainism and Buddhism agree in the interpretation of omniscience, and their respective teachers are claimed to be omniscient. The Jaina claim of omniscience, however, for Mahāvīra that he was 'omniscient, all-seeing and possessed of complete knowledge and sight; that whether walking or standing, asleep or awake, knowledge and insight were continually present has been ridiculed by Buddhists. Buddha's claim of omniscience is of a slightly different character: he remembeis past lives as far back as he wishes; he can see the death and birth of beings according to their karmas; and as a result of the destruction of āsava he has attained, in this life, a free mind and knowledge.? All the Jaina implications of omniscience cannot be read in Mahāyāna Buddhism, especially S'ünyavāda and Vijñānavāda, because both of them are idealistic as opposed to Jainism which is realistic. The soul in Jainism being the sole knower can claim omniscience as its legitimate essence, while the momentary
am of consciousness in Buddhism can never be a substantial substitute for the Jaina soul. The omniscient Tirthakara has round about him the complex object of knowledge (including his self) with manifold modifications extending over-three times and infinite space: but according to Vijñānavāda there is
othing in this world besides the chain of consciousness. Thus the Vijñānavāda, if I would say like that, conies round to Upanisadıc monism; and omniscience simply amounts to self-knowledge, because nothing exists beyond vijñāna. And Buddha is claimed as omniscient, because that would give infallibility to his utterances,
KUMĀRILA'S ATTACK ON OMNISCIENCE.-Kumārila has adversely
1 See E. J. Thomas: The History of Buddhist Thought, p. 148. 2 Tattvasamgraha, G, O. S. xxx, pp. 815 936, Intro. pp. 45-50, 153-6 and 62-4,
