Studies in Jainism

Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

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STUDIES IN JAINISM
subject of religious discipline or philosophical enquiry that has not been judged by the non-absolutistic standard or has been left out of its purview. Hence, whereas the authors of the other systems tacitly accepted non-absolu-tism and did not compose original literature on it, the Jaina authors composed a vast creative literature expounding and elaborating the non-absolutistic attitude and its two corollaries, viz. the doctrines of Syadvāda and Nayas.
To explain fully the implication of non-violence, Jainism has formulated: 1) the science (vidya) of the selves (atman); 2) the science of karma; 3) the science of conduct (caritra); and 4) the science of the universe (loka). Similarly, to explain the principle of non-absolutism, it has developed: 1) the science of scriptural record (śruta); and 2) the science of logic and epistemology (pramāna). All these sciences constitute the soul of the legacy of Jainism. We shall here record some brief observations on these topics.
ATMAN
There is intrinsic equality among all selves, be they earth-bodied, water-bodied, vegetable oganisms, insects, birds, animals, or human beings. Non-violence consists in sincere and earnest exertion of oneself for the application of the principle of equality as far as possible in every field of life. To bring about such application in practical life, the Acaranga-Sutra asks us to feel the miseries of others as much as we do our own.
In regard to non-violence, the difference between the dualist systems, such as Jainism and the like, and the non-dualist Aupaniṣada (Upanisadic) system lies only in the fact that the former admit real plurality of selves and establish non-violence on the basis of the doctrine of intrinsic equality of selves, while the latter denies plurality of selves and establishes non-violence on the basis of their intrinsic identity. It seems that the doctrine of identity based upon non-dualism has gradually evolved from the doctrine of equality based upon dualism. However, what is of the utmost importance from the point of view of nonviolence is the fact that the actual feeling of equality or