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The Jaina Theory of Liberation and the Non-absolute :: 253
drift from unity to diversity. Bradley, like other idealist thinkers, fails to detach himself from the idea of unity as the sole constituent of reality. Somehow these thinkers must recognize the ultimacy and supremacy of unity in the absolute. Waiving aside this overwhelming aspect of the conception of the absolute we may take these various conceptions about the absolute as steps on the passage from unity to diversity. The position of the Mädhyamika yields two interpretations. If it is considered from the viewpoint of the reality of drstis it comes next to Sankara. If this transcendence over unity and diversity is taken into account, he comes after Bradley. The Madhyamika is chiefly credited for his insight beyond unity and diversity both. The Jaina may be taken to represent the last step on this passage. Unity and diversity are granted an equal status and are grounded in the very nature of reality which transcends both of them. The recognition of these characters in the region of traits of dharmas, as the Jaina calls them, and not at the level of attributes, saves the Jaina position from being inconsistent. Really speaking the nature of reality is best explained by the paramārtha of Kundakunda or, to be more general, by the non-absolute of the Jaina.
Kundakunda in his 'Samayaprābhrta', from where we get his theory of the paramārtha, is mainly concerned with an exposition of the soul's nature. This work contains very little of the exposition of matter. This part of the Jaina philosophy becomes the main theme in his other works like the Pañcāstikāya and the Pravacanasāra. So Kundakunda must not be taken to uphold the substantial reality of the soul alone. He cannot be classed with the idealists. He follows the general dualistic trend of the Jaina philosophy. Hence his paramārtha may be taken to represent the nature of the soul. The non-absolute is a general term to include the reality of the material and the spiritual which are held substantially different in Jaina philosophy. This non-absolute is said to be the fundamental reality of the Jaina system, and is held to be beyond all theses, drstis or paksas.
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