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CHAPTER X
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in the consciousness. This attitude of responsive reaction on the part of the Self, is responsible for the psycho-physical changes when stimulated by karmic material. The changes in the empirical Self therefore are directly due to the activity of the empirical ego in the form of responsive reaction brought about by the operation of karmic material. Thus for the changes in the consciousness, the ego is responsible. Hence the empirical ego must be considered to be an active agent capable of producing modifications in his own consciousness in response to the operation of karma. Thus the Self must not only be active but must also be liable to change. As against the nature of Sankhya Purușa, who is said to be nitya and akartā, the Jaina doctrine makes him anitya and kartā, a changing Self and an active agent. But to leave the position here would be untrue. This description of the Self is applicable only to the empirical ego which is the samsāra jiva. Though he is anitya and kartā, as an empirical ego, because of the absence of discriminative knowledge between the Self and the non-Self, still when he acquires this discriminative knowledge, when he realises his pure nature, unsullied by karmic influence, he would remain for ever without any change and without any action; at that stage, certainly he is nitya and akarta. The Jaina metaphysics combines both these aspects. From the absolute real point of view, the Self is nitya and akarta, but from the empirical or vyavahāra point of view he is anitya and karta. It is because of the combination of such apparently conflicting views, that the Jaina system is said to be the anekanta view. All the other systems which emphasise one aspect of reality or other exclusively are described to be ekanta-vadas and no ekanta-vadı is able to offer a complete and comprehensive solution for the problem of reality. Sānkhya is thus as an ekānta system refuted because of its incapacity to explain the nature of concrete reality or samsāra.
Next another ekanta system is taken up for consideration and refutation. The Bauddha system of metaphysics lays emphasis .upon the changes in reality. This one-sided emphasis converts reality into an impermanent and everchanging stream of existence. This doctrine is also considered to be inadequate as is shown below.
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