Religion and Philosophy of the Jainas

Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi
Publisher: Jain International Ahmedabad

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RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE JAINAS
classed as heterodox by the Vedists, who, however, it must be admitted to their credit, do not consign them to the funcovenanted mercies of God, as some Christian sects have done. These are the Buddhist and Jaina systems. Much has been written and spoken on Buddhism, but very little on Jainism. Difference between Jainism and Buddhism
This leads me to the next point that demands explanation, namely, the difference between Jainism and Buddhism. In the Buddhist view nothing is permanent. Transitoriness is the only reality. Reality in the Jaina view is a permanent subject of changing states.
Besides, Buddhism discards the idea of individuality. Jainism, on the other hand, considers individuality in the twofold aspect of permanence and transitoriness. The individual, in the Jaina view, continues to exist in different states. Next the Buddhist idea of the summun bonum is undefined. The Jaina idea is that of perfection of the individual. Jainism teaches the doctrine of soul, Buddhism denies it. There are many other differentiating points, but these will do for our present purposes. Jina and Jaina
*Jaina' means a follower of Jina, which is a generic term applied to those persons (men and women) who conquer their lower nature (passion, hatred and the like) and bring into prominence the highest. There lived many such Jinas in the past and many will doubtless yet be born. Of such Jinas those who become spiritual heads and regenerators of the community are called Arhats (the deserving ones), or Tīrthankaras (bridgemakers in the figurative sense, that is, those by the practice of whose teaching we can cross the ocean of mundane life and reach the perfect state). Hence the Jainas are also called Arhatas. In each half-cycle of many millions of years twenty-four Arhats are bom. In the present half-cycle the last Arhat, Mahāvīra, was born in 598 B.C., in Kundagrāma, in the territory of Videha. He lived seventy-two years and attained mokşa (liberation) in 526 B. C. Jaina Dualism
This philosophy of Jainism is not a monistic theory except