Book Title: Religion and Philosophy of the Jainas
Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi
Publisher: Jain International Ahmedabad

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Page 84
________________ REALITY AND KNOWLEDGE Substance and Mode Both Real Both of them (the soul and matter) have their qualities and modifications. But while the Vedantist says that the modification of a substance is a phenomenon and therefore unreal and the substance itself is the only reality, a Jaina says that substance and its modification are inseparable. Though a substance is different from its modification, neither of them can exist without the other. Though gold may be said to be in a sense different from gold ring, the gold ring does not exist apart from gold, nor do you find gold existing separate from some modification or form. When an old form or modification is destroyed, a new one is produced and in both cases we have the same substance. Phenomenal and Noumenal Existence I think I must put the Jaina view about phenomenal and noumenal existence in a clearer form. In the Kantian philosophy, noumenon is that which can be the object only of a purely intellectual intuition. To such an existence the Jainas have no objection; nay, they postulate the existence of realities which are supersensuous. Such realties are a part of the cosmos, but not a cause or origin of it. There are other Western philosophers who advocate the view that behind the world of phenomena there is an impenetrable world . amena, then behind this apparent existence there is a hiusu existence i which the varied phenomena are but fleeting manifestations, that things in themselves are necessarily different from things in relation to us. In brief, a noumen in their view is a ng as it is apart from all thought; it is what remains of thy object of thought after space, time, and all the c. egunies of the understanding are abstracted from it. To th's view the Jainas Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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