Source Book in Jaina Philosophy

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

Page 27

A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAÍNA PHILOSOPHY
knowledge and gave a formalistic philosophy of the 'Noumenon'. Similarly, the rationalistic pluralism was based on the methods used by Descartes. Thus, we find that Western philosophers adopted the method of "doubt in analysing the verities of life. Indian philosophers have based their development of philosopbical thought on the aspect of the innate curiosity' of man to comprehend the nature of Reality.
DARSANA AND PHILOSOPHY 7.3 Darsana and philosophy are often referred to as synonyms. However, there is a primary Distincuion in the connotation of the
me Darsana leads to the kuowledge of the seit. The ultimate end of darsana is to know oncself. The starung-point of Indian thought is its emphasis on man himself. If we take the utterances of the important philosophers of each tradition into consideration, Man know thyseli' may be said to be the chiet advice of all the four traditions. Socrates said it in so many words. The Upanisada did the same when they exported man: atmánam viddhi (know thyself). Philosophy is the intellectual pursuit on the understanding of the ultimate reality. It is, as a philosopher puts it, an unusually rigorous effort to think consistently. It is an intellectual gymnastic, a luxury of the mind. But darśana has a practical purpose-in one's efforts to free oneseli from the bondage of worldly existence. It aims at seeking solace in the eternal bliss free from the empirical adjuncts of this lite. lo ibis Sense, darśana expresses the lony grandeur of intuition. Dursund, according to the Indian tradition, has not remained restiicted to the acadernic pursuits of understaudin the nature of the ultimate reality to be sought in philosophy. It has uanscended the narrow empirical barriers and seeks to realise the highest truth. In the West, philosophy is considered merely as an academic pursuit of knowledge for knowledge sake. In India; the seers have gained the vision of reality. Hence, the term 'darśana' as applied to Indian thought becomes significant.
DARŠANA AND SCIENCE 3 In this scientific and materialistic age, we find that men are generally drawn towards gaining materialistic pleasures in life and seem to neglect the spiritual values of life. Perhaps the reason lies in this that men are caught in the web of sarhsära and fail to realize the deeper significance of life beyond this mundane world. Darśana