Reals on the Jaina Metaphysics

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

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The Principles of Motion and Rest theology also we meet with the Evil Spirit, sternly opposed to God. Ancient India had its Devas and Asura's. Coming to philosophy proper, we are ever face to face with dualism. Foremost of all dualisms, we have that between soul and non-soul, which is inherent in almost all the systems of philosophical thought. The Sāṁkhya states the problem as the antagonism between the Puruşa and the Praksti; the Vedānta re-states almost the same problem as that between the Brahma and the Māyā. The Cartesians could ill reconcile the dualism between soul and matter. In Jaina philosophy we have the dual principles of the Jiva and the Ajīva. Besides this, we have the various other forms of dualism in philosophical thought viz. the dualism of Being and Non-being, Noumenon and Phenomenon etc., etc.
DUALISM OF MOTION AND REST WITH THE GREEKS AND THE JAINA's
The early Greeks found out another important dualism viz., that between Motion and Rest. The Heraclitians asserted that there was no real rest and that everything was constantly in a flux or changing state and for the matter of that, in motion. The school of Parmenides, on the contrary, contended that motion was an impossibility and that rest which was ever immutable was essential to reality. The arguments in support of the contentions of Heraclitu's and Parmenides tend only to show the reality of both Motion and Rest. A practical philosopher cannot ignore the one and admit the exclusive reality of the other. It is no wonder, then, that the Jaina's who are upholders of the Anekāntavāda and as such, opposed to all one-sided views, would admit the reality of both Dharma (the Principle of Motion) and Adharma (the Principle of Rest).
CAN EITHER OF DHARMA AND ADHARMA BE SUPPOSED TO BE LOGICALLY PRIOR TO THE OTHER ?
Motion is accounted for by Dharma and Rest or stoppage by Adharma, both of which are real substances included in the class of the Ajīva or Non-soul. Both of them are