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Legacy of Jaina Philosophy to the World of Thought
Jainism has occupied an important place in ancient thought. It has made significant contributions to the stream of Indian thought. What we call Indian philosophy, or Indian culture is a long flow and the synthesis of the two streams of thought, the Vedic and the Śramana current of thought coming together and harmoniously synthesising into each other. We find that Jainism has contributed immensely to the development of the Indian view of life. The Jainas have given equal emphasis on reason and state. We find the same type of emphasis in other systems of Indian philosophy. Sankara gives importance to both reason and intuition.
Jainism may be considered from the point of view of its metaphysical structure and also of its emphasis on ethical values. The foundational principles of ethical structure would be anekanta, while the moral fibre is expressed and based on the all-pervading principle of ahimsa (non-violence). The Jaina contribution to the Indian philosophical thought may be considered to be anekanta, ahimsa and aparigraha. These constitute the perennial philosophy of Jainism.
The concept of ahimsa is to be found in other systems of Indian philosophy, but the systematic study of ahimsa as of theory and the way of life is presented by the Jainas in their all-pervading principle of ahimsa. Ahimsa is the highest principle of conduct. Therefore, Jainas have called it as paramodharmah. It appears that the Jaina theory of ahimsā as a moral injunction has been a pre-aryan principle which was later assimilated in the aryan way of life. The Jainas made
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