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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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there are five astikāyas. But these distinctions do not present different views, they only present different facets and variations of looking at the reality." UNIFORMITY AND CONTINUITY IN THE JAINA DARŠANA'-.
The study of different systems of Indian philosophy makes it clear that the Vedic tradition and the Buddhist philosophy present varied, and sometimes conflicting metaphysical theories among themselves. The vedic tradition gives the monistic, the dualistic and also the pluralistic theries of reality. Similarly, the Buddhist philosophy has been presented in various theories often conflicting with each other in their ultimate metaphysical stand-points. For instance, in the Buddhist philosophical systems there are divergent theories of realities like realism, subjective idealism, idealism and even nihilism. The Hsnayāna schools of thought like Vaibhāșika and Sautāntrika presents the realistic approach to the understanding of the universe by positing the dharmas (elements). Mahāyāna schools of philosophy like vijñāna. vāda (Yogācāra) and Mādhyamika present the idealistic stand. The Mādhyamika school is said to be nihilistic because according to this school everything is unreal, there is nothing real. The real is the śünya (void), although śünya has been interpreted by some as the absolute which is inexpressible. However, the Buddhist philosophy have a common current of thought expressed in the prthakāda (doctrine of momentariness) and madhyamavāda (the doctrine of middle path). Thus we find that the Vedic tradition and the Buddbist thought present a variety of philosophical school, very often diverting from each other, even to the point of being conflicting in the case of the realist and idealist schools of Hinayāna and Mahāyāna sects. Similarly the vedic tradition also presents the realistic thought in the NyāyaVaiseșika and the idealistic stream in the vedānta.
Seeing the vast differences in the various sects of vedic and Buddhistic traditions, it is hard to believe that these are the off-shoots of one current.
But if we survey the development of the Jaina thought, we find there is uniformity and continuity in the Jaina tradition. There is 1 Jaina Darsana – Dr. Mahendra Kumār Jain, p. 446.
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