Source Book in Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Devendramuni
Publisher: Tarak Guru Jain Granthalay

Page 14

(
17 )
soul. The complete treatise of matter was to understand the nature of soul more clearly. Being the main aim the quest of the soul Indian philosophers never neglected the life and activities of the physical world. In true sense, Indian philosophers have posited their faith in life and enhanced their continued steady foot-steps toward the attainment of ultimate truth.
Philosophy has logic and cogitation as its bases. It tries to understand the nature of reality and ultimate reality by reason and then induces to believe the accuracy and legitimacy of them. In this way, the faith and reason are in harmony in Indian philosophy.
Western philosophy is based on free thinking. It is theoretical in nature and its main characteristic is intelligence. It avoids authoritative valid knowledge.
The demarcation line between the Eastern and Western philosophy is the conception of salvation. All the main currents of Indian thinking merge in the ocean of salvation while western philosophy neglects this subject.
The various happenings and changes in nature leave man in astonishment. He desires to search and know the causes of these happenings ; and so is the aim of western philosophy to investigate and understand the real nature of this visible physical world. Hence it can be said that the western philosophy is the mental exercise. It does not do much to remove the miseries of mankind It suggests no pathway to the ultimate good of man.
But according to Indian philosophers, misery is responsible for the origination of philosophy and they posit its aim the removal of misery. The prominency of Indian philosophy resides in the fact that it is helpful to us to attain the highest goal, i.e., salvation. The nature of elements is considered only due to the cause that such knowledge helps to remove misery.
Indian philosophy is not only a method of thinking but also a method of life. It has a specific view-point regarding the life and visible world. It is not only the science of reasoning, but an art of life. Indian philosophy does not satisfy itself by the search and