Jaina
Philosophy
(Short
introduction)
I. Jainism is a religion preached by the Tirthankaras. The first
Tirthankara in this eon of the cycle of lime is Rishabha and the
24th, the last Tirthankara is Vardhamana Mahavira. He carried the
tradition of the previous Tirthankaras. Jainism is a pre-Aryan religion
which prevailed in India long before Mahavira and Parsva, the last
two Tirthankaras1. It belongs to the Sramana current of thought.
Jainism has made a significant contribution to the stream of Indian
thought in its fundamental concepts of Anekanta and Ahimsa. These
concepts are logical and ethical in content. The concept of Anekanta
with its logical expression in Syadvada is the special and significant
contribution of Jaina thinkers to Indian thought. It states that
reality is complex. It can be looked at from different points of
view. Each point of view gives the picture of reality which is as
valid and real as the picture of reality received from other points
of view. The point of view is the naya. There are several points
of view. Seven points of view have been mentioned. Among them the
noumenal (niScaya) and the phenomenal (vyavahara) points of view
are important. For instance, jiva can be described as spiritual
substance, pure and simple from the noumenal point of view; but
from the phenomenal point of view it is the doer and the enjoyer
of the fruits of karma. Each naya presents a partial picture of
truth But to say that it is the sole truth is dogmatism, ekanta.
Jainism, therefore, gives a synoptic view of reality. Syadvada is
the logical expression of nayavada in prepositional forms. Anekanta
is the foundational principle. Naya is the analytical approach to
the understanding of the problem. It is epistemological in content.
And Syadvada is synthetic It is logical in expression, in sevenfold
proposition. It is the formulation of the possibility of reconciling
the apparent contradictions in the real whole. It is formulated
as: i) Syad asti: it asserts the existence of a thing in a particular
context, ii) Syad nasti: it is the denial of existence in another
context, iii) Syad asti nasti: refers to the simultaneous affirmation
and denial in a different context. There is no logical contradiction
in this. Detailed elaboration would be required to explain this
point. It is beyond the scope of this paper. iv) Syad avaktavyam
: It posits the inexpressibility of the nature of the object or
an event from a different point of view. For instance, the agnostic
would affirm the unknowability and not merely inexpressibility of
the nature of reality.
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By permutation of the three, .— affirmation, negation and inexpressibility
— we get the other formulations; v) Sy -ad asti avaktavyum (affirmation
and inexpressibility) vi) Syad nasti avaktavyam (negation and inexpressibility)
and vii) Syad asti nasti a\-akta\-yaih (affirmation, negation and
inexpressibility). These predications have to be understood in the
context of dravya (substance), ksetra (place), ka la (time) and bhava
(nature). Jainas say that different philosophical theories have been
presented by different points of view. The Vedantic formulation is
from the samgraha naya (Synthetic point of view) and the Buddhists
have approached the problem of reality from the momentary point of
view (rujusutra naya). Each approach to the understanding of the real
has a place in the comprehensive picture of reality. The Anekanta
gives the comprehensive picture of reality. It symbolises the fundamental
nonviolent attitude of the Jainas. In its metaphysical aspect, Jainism
is a realistic philosophy. It posits the dychotomous categories of
jiva and ajiva as equally real. The Jiva is a spiritual substance.
It is pure and perfect. It is indestructible. Jiva is active. Due
to its dynamic nature it comes into contact with ajiva, the nonliving
substance. Due to the contact of the living and the nonliving there
is activity, both physical and mental. It gives rise to the after-effects
of activity, which is karma. The jivas in the wheel of samsara are
infected by the karmic matter. This is beginningless. And in the normal
course of things it has no end. But it is possible for an individual
self to be free from this bondage by means of moral and spiritual
efforts-There is no place for divine grace. One has to reach ones
perfection by self-effort. The process of perfection has been formulated
by five more categories bandha (bondage due to the self coming in
contact with the non-self). This bondage is due to the influx of karma
into the self, which is called asrava. Freedom from bondage is possible
by first stopping the influx of karma. This process is samvara. Once
the influx of karma is arrested, it is necessary to remove the accumulated
karma. This is nirjara. When all the karma is removed, the self attains
the state of perfection. This is self-realisation in the real sense
of the term. This is the state of moksha. The Jaina contribution to
the philosophy of life is to be found in its insistance that the path
way to perfection is threefold : i) Samyag-darshana (right faith,
right understanding), samyag-jnana (right knowledge) and samyag-caritra
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