Reals on the Jaina Metaphysics

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

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Reals in the Faina Metaphysics
(Urdhva-gati) i.e. has a natural tendency to rise upwards and Dharma as the principle of Motion is what helps the soul in this its motion towards the blissful upper regions. But a soul is enabled to go upwards only by doing good pious acts. Thus, the word Dharma which originally meant the principle that helps the soul in its motion upwards came to signify a good or meritorious act. In the same way, it is said, Adharma which is a principle helping the stoppage of a soul in this universe came to be identified with Papa or sinful acts which cause the continuance of the soul in the Samsara. We confess we are unable to accept these theories. To us it appears that the above alleged connection between the metaphysical and the ethical senses of Dharma and Adharma could neither be logical nor chronological. There can be no justification for our thinking that Dharma as the principle of Motion is what helps the soul in its natural tendency to rise upwards. In Jaina metaphysics, Dharma is simply the principle of Motion. It helps not only the Jiva but the Pudgala in its motion. And then, why should we suppose that Dharma as the principle of Motion assists. the soul in its tendency to move upwards? When a soul goes down to any of the seven infernal regions it is Dharma which helps it then in its motion downwards. Dharma as a metaphysical principle thus assists the downward motion of a soul as well and as effectively as it does its upward motion and it is consequently impossible to trace any connection between Dharma in its sense of a good act and Dharma as the metaphysical principle of Motion. In the case of Adharma too, it may be said that it is the principle which assists the soul in its stay or stoppage in the blissful upper regions, just as well it helps it in its stay in this unhappy earth or miserable hells. It is thus impossible to connect Adharma, the principle of Rest with Adharma, the ethically bad deed. Nor can it be said that as virtue consists in activity, the ethical sense of the word Dharma is in some way connected with its metaphysical sense. Supreme virtue or merit in Jaina ethics-in fact in all the systems of Indian ethics-does not always consist in a state of
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