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is the aim of the present aphorism.
If the Jaina system, like certain others, had described the nature of a real entity by maintaining that without undergoing any change whatsoever it ever retains one and the same form, then since transience would have been impossible in an entity thus alleged to be absolutely permanent it would have been selfcontradictory to attribute to this entity permanence as well as transience. Similarly, if the Jaina system maintained that a real entity is exclusively transitory-that is, if on the ground that a real entity originates and perishes every moment the system denied that this entity is possessed of a permanent basis-then too since permanence would have been impossible in an exclusively transitory entity experiencing origination and destruction the same self-contradiction as above would have had been faced. But as a matter of fact, the Jaina system, refusing to attribute either absolute permanence or absolute transience to any thing treats everything as permanent-cum-transitory. Hence according to it all verities, while remaining fixed within the bounds of their respective specific natures, experience change-that is, origination and destruction-depending on conditions. Hence there is nothing self-contradictory about a real entity being found characterized by permanence when viewed from the standpoint of specific naturethat is, substance-and the same being found characterized by origination and destruction when viewed from the standpoint of transformation. The Jaina doctrine of permanence-cum-transience, unlike its Sankhya counterpart, is not limited to the physical sphere-the sphere of prakṛti-but is applicable to the conscious verity as well.
TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
For the admission that the doctrine of permanence-cumtransience is universally applicable to all verities whatsoever the chief means of support is experience. When matters are viewed minutely it turns out that no such verity is ever experienced as is exclusively permanent or exclusively transient. Certainly, all things whatsoever-whether external or internal-are found to be but permanent-cum-transitory. If all things are exclusively momentary then since a new thing originates and perishes every moment and
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