Play Music
Vividh Bharati
Live News
Jainism, founded about the 6th century BCE by Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th in a succession of religious leaders known either as Tirthankaras (Saviors) or as Jinas (Conquerors), rejects the idea of God as the creator of the world but teaches the perfectibility of humanity, to be accomplished through the strictly moral and ascetic life. Central to the moral code of Jainism is the doctrine of ahimsa—noninjury to all living beings, an idea that may have arisen in reaction to Vedic sacrifice rituals. There is also a great emphasis on vows (vratas) of various orders.
Although earlier scriptures, such as the Bhagavati-sutra, contained assorted ideas on logic and epistemology, the 2nd-century CE philosopher Kundakunda was the first to develop Jaina logic. The Tattvarthadhigama-sutra of Umasvatis, however, is the first systematic work, and Siddhasena (7th century CE) the first great logician. Other important figures are Akalanka (8th century), Manikyanandi, Vadideva, Hemchandra (12th century), Prabhachandra (11th century), and Yasovijaya (17th century).
The principal ingredients of Jaina metaphysics are: an ultimate distinction between “living substance” or “soul” (jiva) and “nonliving substance” (ajiva); the doctrine of anekantavada, or nonabsolutism (the thesis that things have infinite aspects that no determination can exhaust); the doctrine of naya (the thesis that there are many partial perspectives from which reality can be determined, none of which is, taken by itself, wholly true but each of which is partially so); and the doctrine of karma, in Jainism a substance, rather than a process, that links all phenomena in a chain of cause and effect.
As a consequence of their metaphysical liberalism, the Jaina logicians developed a unique theory of seven-valued logic, according to which the three primary truth values are “true,” “false,” and “indefinite,” and the other four values are “true and false,” “true and indefinite,” “false and indefinite,” and “true, false, and indefinite.” Every statement is regarded as having these seven values, considered from different standpoints.
Knowledge is defined as that which reveals both itself and another (svaparabhasi). It is eternal, as an essential quality of the self; it is noneternal, as the perishable empirical knowledge. Whereas most Hindu epistemologists regarded pramana as the cause of knowledge, the Jainas identified pramana with valid knowledge. Knowledge is either perceptual or nonperceptual. Perception is either empirical or nonempirical. The latter arises directly in the self, not through the sense organs but only when the covering ignorance is removed. With the complete extinction of all karmas, a person attains omniscience (kevala-jnana).
Jainism emphasizes dualism, making the distinction between soul (jiva) and matter (ajiva). The coming together of jiva and ajiva creates karma (action), which leads to an endless cycle of birth and rebirth. To free oneself from karma, one has to practice severe austerities and self-mortification. Although Jainism recognizes the soul, it rejects the notion of an ultimate, universal soul. Souls are not only the property of animal and plant life but also of rocks, running water, and many other natural objects not looked on as living by other religious sects.
Jainism propagates the theory of ‘The Doctrine of Relativity of Knowledge and Judgments.’ It divides all knowledge into two classes: the Mediate (Paroksa, which can be sensed through sensory organs) and the Immediate (Aparoksa, which can be obtained without sensory organs). Immediate knowledge is divided into Avadhi, Manahparyaya, and Kevala. Mediate knowledge is divided into Mati and Shruta.
Jainism emphatically asserts that every soul is capable of attaining perfection if it willfully exerts in that direction. But the real situation is that from time eternal the soul is bound with matter and it is the aim of every person to get the soul rid of matter so that the soul can assume its true state. This spiritual emancipation requires the knowledge of the beatific condition and of the causes which stand in the way of its attainment. To find out these causes it is necessary to understand what are the existing elements or substances of nature and the mode of their interaction.
The universe can be divided into two categories: Jiva (soul) and Ajiva (non-soul). These two – jiva and ajiva – exhaust between them all that exists in the universe, and Jaina philosophy is based on the nature and interaction of these two elements. The seven tattvas (realities) of Jainism are as follows:
Jainism’s philosophical system elaborates on the interaction between these tattvas, which are essential to understand in the pursuit of moksha (liberation).
The souls are substances and as such they are eternal. Their characteristic mark is intelligence, which can never be destroyed. The soul is ever all-perfect, all-powerful; but by ignorance, it identifies itself with matter, and hence its degradation and troubles start. The souls are of two kinds: Samsari (mundane souls) and Siddha or Mukta (liberated souls).
Jaina philosophy divides the universe into living and non-living substances. The non-soul substances are:
These substances are termed Dravyas in Jainism, and each dravya has three characteristics: existence, permanence through origination and destruction, and it is the substratum of attributes and modes.
These five principles form the process through which the soul is bound, and the soul’s path to liberation is achieved. The ultimate goal is Moksha, the separation of soul and matter, freeing the soul from all karmic matter.
At Studento, we make sure you always remain focused on your studies
Website status : 21% complete
Release Date(Tentative) : 01st May 25
