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Jainism is a realistic philosophy. It is empiricist in outlook. It is analytic in methodology. It starts with experience in this life and derives its conclusions from the rational analysis of experience. Then it transcends the stage of reason to enter into the stage of intuition and direct experience. In this sense it is synoptic and comprehensive in its approach to the problems of philosophy. The philosophical problems, like the fundamental categories and the psychic and non-psychic substances of the universe, are the philosophia perennis of Jainism. For the Buddha, metaphysical problems were not relevant for his enquiry, as he was pri concerned with ethical problems of life. For, his metaphysical problems were avyaksta. When the Buddha was asked questions regarding metaphysical problems of ultimate reality, he said, “Malukyaputta, consider - If a man were to be wounded by an arrow and needed to be treated, Consider again if the man w refuse treatment unless he was told who shot the arrow, a brahmin, a Kșatriya, or a sūdra, would this be relevant?”. “No my Lord”, said Malukyaputta, “So is your question" said Buddha. Mahavira faced philosophical questions in the realistic spirit and attempted to give solutions to these problems.
In surveying the field of Indian Philosophy, Dr. Padmarajaiah mentions five types of philosophy considered from the point of view of the nature of reality. They are : 1) Philosophy of Being as we find in the Advaita of Sankara. 2) Philosophy of Becoming as presented by the Buddhists. 3) Philosophy subordinating difference to identity as we find in the Visiștadvaita. 4) Philosophy subordinating identity to difference as is presented in the Vaiseșika and the Dvaita of Vedanta. 5) Philosophy that co-ordinates both identity and difference as is presented in the Jaina theory of reality.
According to the Jainas identity and difference, the one and the many, the universal and the particular, and substance and its modifications are equally real and they are co-ordinate with each other. For instance, change is as much real as identity. Becoming and modes are as much real as being and substance. This is the basis attitude of the Jaina philosophy. In this “coherent" view of reality equal emphasis is given on the substance and its modes, identity and difference and universal and the particular.
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