Reals on the Jaina Metaphysics

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Shatnidas Khetsy Charitable Trust Mumbai

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Reals in the Jaina Metaphysics
theory viz. that an effect is non-existent before its rise. It may be pointed out: (1) One would not strive to produce what is already existent; (2) If a thing is already existent, one would not go to collect it; (3) You can say that anything and every thing cannot come out of anything and every thing, only when you show that a particular thing alone comes out of a particular thing; (4) A thing can be said to be capable of producing another only when it is produced; (5) Similarly, you cannot speak of a phenomena as a cause unless an effect is produced by it. The fact is, the Jaina philosophers point out, that the car, if it means that the Effect is present before it is produced, is not a correct statement. They maintain it would be proper here, as in all cases, to refer to the Syadvāda or Anekānta standpoint. The effect is present before it is produced; well, this position is true only in the sense that it is present as a potentiality. As an actual fact, however, it is nonexistent'.
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Having thus prepared the grounds, so to say, the Jainas finally assail the arguments which the Samkhya philosophers use for proving the Pradhana as the sole non-psychical Real. They point out: 1. The fact that the non-psychical things are limited in some way shows that they are not self-existent. The argument, ami afzam does not prove that the cause of these non-psychical phenomena must be one; this argument is quite consistent with the position that their causes may be more than one. 2. The second argument is also weak. The attributes, Sattva etc., consist, among other states, in joy, sorrow etc. But these are psychical states and do not pertain to unconscious objects. So, the three attributes of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas do not prove the existence of Prakṛti. Even if these attributes be held to pertain to the unconscious pheno
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अथ कथंचिच्छक्तिरूपेण सत्कार्य ननु शक्तिर्द्रव्यमेव । तद्रूपतया सतः पर्यायरुपतया चासतो घटादेरुत्पत्त्यम्युपगमे जिनपतिमतानुसरणप्रसंग: ।
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