Jainism

Answer : Syadvada or Sapta-bhangi Naya is the most important part of Jaina Logic. Syadvada is neither skepticism, nor agnosticism. In fact, Syadvada is the theory of the relativity of knowledge. Every object exists in relation of its form substance, scope and time and not object exists in relation to the form substance, scope and time of any other object. Therefore, the knowledge of every object is not absolute but relative. The Jainas insist that the word syad should necessarily be used before every Naya. It denotes that the truth of that statement is confined to that particular context and it may not hold well in other context. So according to them, the use of the word syad is imperative for rendering judgment (Paramarsa) flawless and correct. The Jainas have divided the judgment into seven categories from different standpoints. The judgment, in which an object is related to its own attributes or symptoms, is called Astivachaka Paramarsa. On the other-hand, the judgment in which the absence of relationship is pointed between an object and the attribute and symptoms of other objects, is known as Nastivachaka Paramarsa. The following are the seven categories of Paramarsa. Syad Asti: The first judgment is that from its own stand point, the object can exist, e.g., the Jar exists as made of clay, in my room, at the present moment of such a shape and size. Syad Nasti: From the point of view of the same quaternary, relating to itself and another thing, it may be said that a thing is and is not. In a certain sense the Jar exists and in a certain sense it does not. We say here what a thing is as well as what it is not. Syad Astinasti: From the point of view of the same quaternary, relating to itself and another thing, it may be said that a thing is and is not. In a certain sense the Jar exist and in a certain sense it does not. We say here what a thing is as well as what it is not. From the philosophical point of view; it is important in many ways:

1. According to it, gradual description of an object from different stand points is possible. A thing cannot be described by simultaneously contradictory natures. So they are termed as indescribable.
2. All the queries cannot be answered in Yes or No. There are many questions which cannot be answered.
3. Contradiction is defect. Contradictory nature cannot be attributed to a thing simultaneously.

Syad Asti Avaktavyam: The remaining three Nayas are formed by adding the fourth Naya to the first three respectively. Other philosophical thinkers have bitterly criticized the Jaina Syadvada. The Bauddha and the Vedantius have regarded it as nothing more than a negative theory. They take syad in the sense of probability and they have based their criticism on it. The same things cannot be present and past in the same sense. Philosophers like Dharma Kirti, Santa Raksit and Samkaracharya treat it as the ravings of Mad men. For Ramanuja it is as impossible to roll into one thing contradictory qualities of existence and non-existence as it is to bracket light and darkness together. But the clarification given above exposes the ignorance of the Buddhist and Vedantic philosophers about Syadvada. According to Anekantavada everything has more than one quality. Though one sat and eternal from the stand point of Dravya, it is many, asat and ephemeral from the stand point of paryaya. A thing is sat from the view points of its own substance from time and space. Thus it admits of no contradiction.

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Answer : Anekantavada is one of the most important and fundamental doctrines of Jainism. It refers to the principles of pluralism and multiplicity of viewpoints, the notion that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, and that no single point of view is the complete truth. This is to contrast attempts to proclaim absolute truth which can be illustrated through the parable of the “blind men and an elephant”. In this story, each blind man felt a different part of an elephant (trunk, leg, ear, etc.). All the men claimed to understand and explain the true appearance of the elephant, but could only partly succeed, due to their limited perspectives. This principle is more formally stated by observing that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. According to the Jains, only the Kevalins, the omniscient beings can comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; others are only capable of partial knowledge. Consequently, no single, specific, human view can claim to represent absolute truth. The origins of anekantavada can be traced back to the teachings of Mahavira (599–527 BC), the 24th Jain Tirthankara. The dialectical concepts of syadvada (conditioned viewpoints) and nayavada (partial viewpoints) arose from anekantavada, providing it with more detailed logical structure and expression. The Sanskrit compound an-eka-anta-vada literally means “doctrine of non-exclusivity”; it is translated into English as “skepticism” or “non-absolutism”. An-ekanta “uncertainty, non-exclusivity” is the opposite of ekanta (eka+anta) “exclusiveness, absoluteness, necessity” (or also “monotheistic doctrine”). Anekantavada encourages its adherents to consider the views and beliefs of their rivals and opposing parties. Proponents of anekantavada apply this principle to religion and philosophy, reminding themselves that any religion or philosophy even Jainism which clings too dogmatically to its own tenets, is committing an error based on its limited point of view. The principle of anekantavada also influenced Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to adopt principles of religious tolerance, ahinsa and satyagraha.

The doctrines of anekantavada and syadavada are often criticized on the grounds that they engender a degree of hesitancy and uncertainty, and may compound problems rather than solve them. It is also pointed out that Jain epistemology asserts its own doctrines, but at the cost of being unable to deny contradictory doctrines. Furthermore, it is also argued that this doctrine could be self-defeating. It is argued that if reality is so complex that no single doctrine can describe it adequately, then anekantavada itself, being a single doctrine, must be inadequate. In defense of the doctrine, Jains point out that anekantavada seeks to reconcile apparently opposing viewpoints rather than refuting them.

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Answer : Kaivalya Pada is the fourth and the final chapter of Patanjali Yoga Sutra. In Patanjali‘s unique way, he sets out the three components of Indian philosophy. The components of Kaivalya Pada are Bhakti marga, Karma marga, and Jnana marga. In Kaivalya Pada, the path of renunciation or the vairagya marga is elaborately explained. Kaivalya means exclusiveness, or eternal emancipation. Kaivalya Pada describes an absolute, indivisible state of existence of the Yogi. The yogi is free of thoughts, mind, intellect and ego and also freed from the intricacies of the gunas of nature like, sattva, rajas and tamas. One of its main themes is that the content of consciousness is pure, absolute and divine, provided it remains unblemished by action; be it white (sattvic) grey (rajasic) or black (tamasic). The absolute nature of consciousness is to be realised by propitious birth, spiritual fervour and meditation.

Kaivalya Pada opens with the contention that prodigious yogic powers may be inborn, acquired by merit accumulated through practice in former lives. They may also be attained through use of herbs (ausadhi), incantation (mantra), devoted discipline (tapas), meditation (dhyana) and total absorption (Samadhi). In these five types of yogis, nature‘s energy, which later becomes known as kundalini, flows with ever-increasing abundance, preparing them to receive the infinite light of the soul. This is why tapas and Samadhi are held to be the best of the five; they provide a firm foundation for stable growth, which prevents the yogi from misusing the energy built up through his practices. For safety sake the yogis employs method and restrain so as to use nature‘s energy (sakti), intelligently to gain wisdom.

Kaivalya Pada further says that this blending of the gunas creates diversity in the mind so that it sees objects in different ways. The object is the same and the mind, too, is the same. But the same mind has many qualities of mood and behaviour. This fragmentation is the cause of avidya. The mind divided by the gunas moulds and re-moulds man. The study of subject and object helps the student to perceive with prejudice, and facilitates him to be aware of the objects exist independently, irrespective of his cognition of them. The last word used in Vibhuti Pada is Kaivalyam, which denotes detachment from the material world. There are almost thirty-four Sutras under this section that guides the Yogi step by step, about what comes after Samadhi. After reaching this stage, the individual gains an amazing feeling of being united with the universe. There are no sorrows or happiness and there is only peace and contentment for the one who has successfully attained Kaivalyam. However, it is clearly mentioned in Kaivalya Pada that this should not deter the Yogi from living his life normally. A person continues to do all their material duties however without keeping any high expectations or with the greed for anything materialistic. At the beginning of the Yoga-Sutras, Patanjali informs that the individual soul or jiva, assumes by expansion, its true nature of Siva, the Supreme Consciousness. At the progressive stages of Yoga, the individual experiences radical transformations at many levels.

The ordinary human nature, previously motivated only by the constituent forces of nature (the gunas) is substituted by a higher nature (svarupa) according to Patanjali in the Kaivalya Pada. Thus the supreme state of Absolute freedom (kaivalya) manifests while the qualities (gunas) reabsorb themselves into Nature, having no more intentions to serve the Self; or it can also be said that the power of pure consciousness settles in its own pure Nature (svarupa). Patanjali defines kaivalyam in a concept that without the ignorance (avidya) no union (samyoga) can occur. This is the absolute freedom (kaivalyam) from the Sin.

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Answer : In Jaina philosophy substance has infinite characters. It is subject to production, destruction and permanence. The whole universe is brought under the two everlasting uncreated, eternal and co-existing categories which are called Jiva and Ajiva. Jiva means the conscious spirit and Ajiva means the unconscious non-spirit. Ajiva includes not only matter which is called ‘Pudgala’ but also space, motion, rest and time. Matter is called Pudgala which means that which is liable to integration and disintegration (purayasti galanti cha).

This word in Jainism it is used for matter. An atom (ahu) is supposed to be the smallest par of matter which cannot be further divided. Compound objects (Sanghala or Spandha) of the material world including senses, mind (manas) and breath are the combinations of atoms. Mater possesses the four qualities of colour, taste, smell and touch. Sound is regarded not as a quality, as oher systems have done, but only as a modification (parinama) of matter. There atoms are supposed to house the souls. Like the ancient Greek atomists Democritus and Leuscippus and unlike the Nayana-Vaishesika thinkess, the Jainas do not maintain any qualitative difference in the atoms. All atoms are qualitatively alike and indistinguishable. They become differentiated by developing the qualities of colour, taste, smell, and touch. Hence the distension of elemens of earth, water, five, and air is s3econdary and transmutation of elements is quite possible. Matter in its subtle form constitutes kerma which infiltrates into the souls and sinds them so samsara and ideal bondage of the soult takes place as soon as it has bad disposition and the material bondage (drarya-bandh) takes place when these is actual influx into the soul. In the bondage, the Karma pudgara unites with the soul by infinite interpenetrsion, just as water units with mille or fire unites with the red hot iron ball. Right faith, right conduct and right knowledge all the three together form in the passes of liberasion which is the joint effect of these three.

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Answer : In Jaina philosophy substance is defined as that which possesses quality and modes. It is subject to production, destruction and permanence. I has many characteristies and it exists independently. It perisists in and through all attributes (guna) and the latter modes (paryaya). Substance and attributes are inseparable because the latter are the permanent essence of the substance and cannot remain without it. Modes or modifications are changing and accidental. Hence are two categories in substance. The whole universe is brought under the two evestasting uncreated, eternal and co-existing categories which are called Jiva and Asiva. Jiva means the conscious spirit and Asiva means the unconscious non-spirit.

Ajiva includes not only matter which is called ‘Pudgala’, but also space, motion, rest and time. Spirit, matter, motion, rest and space (respectively called Jiva, pudgala, dharma, adhesma and akasha) also described as asti-kaya dravyas or substances which possess constitutent parts extending in space, while time (Kala) is the only anasti-kaya dravya which has no extension in space. Jiva is generally the same as the Atman or the Purusa in other pluralistic schools with this important difference that it is identified which possess consiutent parts extending in space, while time (kala) is the only anasti-kaya dravya which has no extension in space. Jiva is generally the same as the Atman or the Purusa in other pluralistic schools with this important difference that it is identified with life of which consciousness is said to be the essence. Like the monadas of Leibnitz, he Jivas of Jainism are qualitatively alike and only quansitatively different and the whole universe is literally filled with.

Consciousness is regarded as the essence of the soul. Pudgala, akasha, dharma, adharma and kala age all without life and consciousness. Time is anastikaya because it odes not extend in space. It is infinite. Like time, space is also infinite, externa and imperceptible. It is inferred as the condition of extension. Dharma and Adharma are used here not in their popular sense of merit and demerity but in the technical sense of the conditions of movement and rest. Like space and time, these also are external and imperceptible. They are inferred as the conditions which help motion and rest respectively. Mater is called ‘Pudgala’ which means that which is liable to integration and disintegration.

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Answer : According to Jainism the whole universe is brought under the two eveslasting uncreated eternal and co-existing categories which are carried Jiva and Ajiva. Jiva means the conscious spirit and Ajiva means the uncomscious non-spiri. Jiva is generally the same as the Atman or the Purusa is other pluralistic schools with this important difference that it is identified with life of which consciousness is said to be the eseence. Like the monads of Leibnitz, the Jiavas of Jainism are qualitasively alike and only quantitatively different and the whole universe is literall filled with them. The Jivas are divided first into those who are liberated (Ukta) and those who are bound (Baddha). The bound sows are further divided into mobile (trasa) and imnsobile (sthavara). The later live in the atoms of earth, water, fire and air and in the vegetable kingdom and have only one sense hat of touch. The mobile sows are again classified as those who have two senses (e.g. warms), three sense (e.g. ans), four sense (e.g. warps) and five senses (e.g. higher animals and men).

Consciousness is regarded as he essence of the soul (Chetanalaksanojivah). Every soul from the lowest to the highest possesses consciousness. The degrees of consciousness may vary according to the obstacles of Karma. The lowest souls which inhabits material atoms appear o be lifeless and unconscious but in fact life and consciousness are presents in there though in a donmant form. Purest consciousness is found in the emancipated souls where there is not shred of Karma. All somes are really alike. The degrees of consciousness are due merely to the Karma-obstacles. The soul in its infiniti nature possesses infinite faith, its infinite knowledge, infinite Bliss and infinite power. In the case of the board souls there characteristics are obscured by Karma.

A jiva is a real knower (Mata), a real agent (Kerta) and a real experiens (bhokta). It is included in the astikaya drayas because its constitutents possess extension in space. But it does not extend in space like matter. It is like the light. Just as the light tills the space where it is burning and just as many lights may remain in the same place without the conflict with one another, similarly the soul fillws the space and many souls may remain together without any conflict. Though itself formless, it takes the form of the body which it illunsinakes. The soul of an ant is as big as the body of it and the soul of an elephant is as big as the elephant itself. The soul is coextensive with the body. Though we found souls in this world as emboldeness and as possessing the senses and the makes which help the souls to know, yet really the body, the senses and the manas are obstruction placed by karma and winter the souls in their direct knowledge. Knowledge is not a property of the soul; it is its very eseence. Every soul, therefore,e care directly ad immediatel know everything if it is not obstructed by matter. Freedom from matter means omniscience and emancipasion.

Karma is the link which unites the soul to the body. Ignorance of truth and four passions-anger (Krodha), greed (losha), prise )(mana) and delusion (maya) which are called leasaya or sticky substances where Kermic particles stick, attract the flow of Keranic mater towards the soul. The state when Karmic particles actually begin to flow towards the soul to bind it is called Asrava or flow. The state when these paricles actually infiltrate into the soul and bind it is called Bandha or bordage. The ideal bordage (bhava-bandha) of the soul takes place as soon as it has bad disposition and the material bondage (dravyabandhra( takes place when these is actual influx of Karma into the soul. In bondage the karamic matter unites with the soul by intimate interpenetraion.

Just as water unites with milk or fire unites with the red hot iron ball. It is for his reason that we find life and consciousness in every part of the body. By the possession and practice of right faith, knowledge and conduct the influex of fresh karma is stopped. This stake is called sanivara or stoppage. Then, the already existing karma must be exhausted. This stake is called Nirjara or wearing out. When the last particle of Karma has been exhausted the partnership between soul and mater is dissolved, and the soul shinves in its intringic nature of infinite faith, knwoeldge, bliss and powers. This state is called Nirijasa or wearing out. When the lest particles of Karma has been exhausted the partnership between soul and matter is dissolved, and the soul shinves in its intringic nature of infinite faith, knowledge, bliss and powers. This state is called Moksa or libersation. Here kevalanjanva or omniscience is attained. The liberated soul transcends samsera and goes straight to siddha sail, at the top of the world and dirells there in external knowledge and bliss. Bondage, therefore,e means union of the soul with matter and consequently liberation means separation of matter from the soul.

We, consciousness living wouls, find ourselvese bound to karmic matter and the end of our life is to remove his karmic dross and regain our intrinfic nature. Hence Jainism is primarily an ethical teaching and it saim is he perfection of the soul. Asrava or the flow of matter towards the soul is the cause of bondage and samvara or the stoppage of this flow is the cause of liberation. Everything else in Jainism is said to be the elaboration of this fundamental teaching. These five states together with jiva and the Ajiva make the seven principles of Jainism. Sometimes virtue (punja) and vice (papa) are added to these seven to make up the nin categories of Jainism.

Passion attracts the flow of karmic matter into the souls. And passions are due to ignorance. So ignorance is the real cause of bondage. Here Jainism agrees with Samkhya, Buddhism and Vedarta. Now, ignorance can be removed only by knowledge so right knowledge is the cause of liberation. This right knowledge is produced by faith in the teachings of the ominiscien Pirthencalces. Hence faith is necessary. And it is right conduct which perfects knowledge since theory without practice is empty ad practice without theory is blind. Right knowledge darns when all the karmas are destroyed by right conduct. Hence, right faith, right conduct and right knowledge, all the three together form the path of liberation which is the joint effect of these three. Right faith (Samyaka darshan), knowledge (Jnana) and conduct (Chearitra) are the three Jewels (tri-ratna) of Jainism. They are inseparably bound up and perfection of one goes with the perfection of other two.

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Answer : Anekantavada is a theory of realistic and relativistic pluralism. It is also called the doctrine of the manyness of reality. Matter (pludgala) and spiri (Jiva) are regarded as separate and independent realities. These are innumerable material atoms and innumerable individuals souls which are all separately and independently real. And each atom and each soul possesses innumerable aspecs of its own. A thing got an infinite number of characteristics of its own. Ever object possesses innumerable positive and negative characters. It is not possible for us ordinary people to know allk the qualities of a thing. We can know only some qualities of some things.

To know all the aspects of a thing is to become omniscient. Therefore the jainas say that he who knows all the qualities of one thing knows all the qualifies of all things, and he who knows all the qualifies of all things, knows all the qualifies of one thing. Human knowledge is necessarily relative and limited and so are all our judgments. This epistemological and logical theory of the Jainas is called Syadvada. As a matter of fact, both Anekantavad and Syadvada are the two aspects of the same teaching realistic and relativistic pluralism. They are like the two sides of the same coin. The metaphysical side that reality has innumerable characters is called Anekantavada, while the epistemological and logical side that we can know only some aspects of reality and that therefore all our judgements are necessarily relative, is called syadvada.

A thing has many char meters and it exists persists in and through all attributes and modes. Substance is defined as that which possesses qualities and modes. Out of these innumerable qualities of a substance, some are permanent and essential while others are changing and acciential. The former are called attributes (gunta) and the later modes (paryaya). Substance and attributes are inseparable because the latter are the permanent essence of the substance and cannot remain without it. Modes or modifications are changing and accidental.

Reality is a unity and difference or difference and unity. Viewed from the point of view substance, a thing is one and permanent and real, viewed from the point of view of modes, it is man and momentary and unreal. Jainism here becomes a theological means’ between Brahmanism and early Buddhism. Brahmanism emphasizes the one, the permanent, the real, early Buddhism emphasizes the many, he changing the sides of the same thing. Substance, therefore is also defined as that which possesses the three characteristics of production, destruction and permanence. But it also has its changing modes and therefore is subject to origination and decay. To mistake any one sides and partial view as the whole truth is to comnist the fallacy of Ekansavada. As Jainism takes into account all these partial views, it is called Anekantvada.

Janism rightly points out that all our knowledge is necessarily relative, conditional and partial. All human knowledge is empirical and therefore relative. The Buddhis doctrine of dependent origination (Pratityasamuspada) also tells us that all things have dependent and conditional origination and are therefore relative. Shunyevada, Vijnavaveda and Advaita Vedanta have always maintained he necessarily relative character of the empirical knowledge. But while they have made of distinction between the empirical and the absolute, the phenomenal and the nominal the conditional and the unconditional the Samvrit and he Paramaritha or the Paratangra and the Parivispanna or the Vjavachare and the Parmartha, Jainism has bluntly refused to make a distinction. It refuses to rise higher than the relaive. It has a bias against absolutions and in favour of common sense realistic plusalions. Being wedded to common sense realism and having pinned its faith to seeming pluralism. Being wedded to common sense realism and having pinned its faith to seeming plusalism, Jainism has conveniently forgotton the implications of its own logic and has refused to rise above the relative.

The epistemological aspect of Anekantavada called syadvada gives us only seven scattered forms of judgements and makes no attempt to synthensize them. These seven forms of judgment are like scattered pearis of leads or flowers they cannot be woven into a philosophical gestured in the absence of the absolute which alone can act as the thread. The relatives are found together in the absolute. It is the absolute which gives life, meaning and significance to the relatives If you throw away the absolute you cannot have even the relatives. If you refect the noumeral, you cannot retain even the phenomenal. Syadvada itself becomes relatives and partial. The Jainas do not give as a real identify-in-difference what they give is merely identify plus difference. But reality is not a mathyematical sum total of partial viewpoints. They absolute is not all the relative put together. The Jainas forget that organic synthesis and not arithmetical addition is the secret of reality. Hey forget their prejudice against absolution when they absolutely assest that their teaching alone represents the whole truth, while all other systems give partial truths.

Some schools teach Being permanence, identity and universally, while others teach non-being, Momentariness, plurality and particularity. The jainas have comfined both, thinking that a mere combination of partial truths will give them the whole truth. But this is not the way of reaching truth. The jainas make a distinction between sakaladesha and vikaladesha. The scattered partial truths are called. But when they are put together they become the whole truth which is called sakaladerh. But jains forgot that a mere booling together of the nayas by no means removes their contradictions. For this a proper synthesis is required which will units all the nayas, presesive their merits and remove their defects. In the absence of absolute, this synthesis is impossibility for Jainism.

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Answer : In jains philosophy both Anckantavada and Syadvada are the two aspects of the same teching realistic and relativistic plusalism. The are like the two sides of the same coin. The metaphysical side that reality has innumerable characters is called Anekartavada, while the epistemological and logical side that we can know only same aspects of reality and that therefore all out judgments are necessarily relative, is called Sadavada. The Jaina metaphysics is a realistic and relativistic pluralism. This is Anekantavada. Matter (pudgala) and spirit (Jiva) are regarded as separate and independent realities. There are innumerable materials atoms and innumerable individual souls which are all separately and independently real. And each atom and each soul possess innumerable aspects innumerable positive and negative characters.It is not possible to my, ordinary people, to know all the qualities of a thing. We can know only some qualities of some things.

More prexisely levity has infinite aspects, which are all relative and we can know only some of these aspects. All our judgments therefore are necessarily relative, conditional and limited. Syat or relatively speaking or viewed from a particular view point which is necessarily related to other view-poins must precede all judgements. Absolute affirmation and absolute vegation both are wrong. But both he theories of Syadavada and anekantvada have been criticized and decared to be self contradictory doctrine. Syadvada gives usonly seven scattered forces of judgements and makes no attempt to synthesize them. It is absolute that gives life, meaning and significance to the relatives. Moreover, Jaina accuses the other schools of philosophy of committing the fallacy of mistaking a relative truth to be the absolute truth. But by its own assertion Jainism becomes partially false.

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Answer : Saptabhangi Naya which is also which is also called Saptabhangi-naya is the theory of relativity of knowledge. Saptahangi Naya means dialectic of the seven steps or the theory of seven fold judgement. The word syot is used here in the sensee of the relative. According to this theory reality has infinite aspects which are all relative and we can know only some of these aspects. Absolute judgements and absolute negation both are wrong. All judgements are conditions. We can know an object in three ways through durniti, Naya and Pramana. Mistaking a partial truth for the whole and absolute truth is called dusniti or bad judgement.

A were statement of a relative truth without calling it either absoluteor relative is called naya or judgement. A statements of a partial truth knowing that it is only,relative condutional and has possibility of being differently inperpreted from different points of view is called pramana what be qualified by syat. Syat is said to be symbol of truth. It is a relative ad successive knowledge. The Jaian logic distinguishes seven forms of judgement. Each judgement, being relative, is preceded by the world syat. This is syadvada or saptabhangi naya. The seven steps are as follows :

• Syadasti : Relaively a thing is real.
• Syanesti : Relatively, a thin is unreal.
• Sydasti nasti : Relatively a thing is both real and threat.
• Syadavakatarjaul : Relatively, a thing is indescribable
• Syadasti Cha avaktavyain : Relative, a thing is real and is indescribable.
• Syannasti Cha Avakteryam : Relaively, a thing is unreal and is indescribable.
• Sadasti Cha Nasti Cha Avaktavyam : Relatively, a thing is real, unreal and indescribable.

The Buddhism and the Vedantives havecriticized Syadvada as a self-contradictory doctrine. Contradictory attributes like existence and non-existence cannot belong to the same thing in the same sense. But Jainism never says like this in the same sense. But Jainism never syas like this. According to Jainism a thing is identify in difference from the different points of view and not the same point of view. The Vedainta says that no theory can be sustained by probability but Jainism does not propound theory of probability. It’s theory is theory of relative knowledge.

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Answer : According to Jainas reality is a unity and difference or difference and unity. Viewed from the point of view of substance, a thing is one and permanent and real, viewed home the point of view of moder it is many and momentary and unreal. Jainism is thus a theological mean between Brahmanism and Early Buddhism. Brahmanism emphasizes the one, the permanent the real; early Buddhism emphasizes the man the changing the unreal; Jainism points out that both are the two sides of the same coin. Substance is also defined as that which possesses the three characteristics of production, destruction and permanence. Substance has its unchanging essence and therefore is permanent. But it also has its changing modes and therefore is subject to origination and decay.

To mistake any one-sides and partial view as the whole truth is consist the falling of Ekantavada. As Jainism takes into account all these parial views, it is called Mekantavada. Thus the Jain Metaphysics is realistic and relastivisic pluralism. It is called Anekantavada or the doctrine of the manyness of realiy. Mater and spire age regardeal as separate and independent realities. These are innumerable material atoms and innumerable individual souls which are all separately and independently real. And each atom and each soul possesses innumerable aspects of its own. A thing has not on infinite number of characteristics of its own. Every object possesses innumerable positive and negative characters. It is not possible for us, ordinary people, to know all the qualities of a thin. We can only some qualities of some things. To know all the aspects of a thing is to become omniscient. Therefore the Jainas say that he who knows all the qualities of one thing, knows all the qualities of all things, and he who knows all the qualities of all things, knows all he qualities of one thing. Human knowledge is necessarily relative and limited and so are all our judgements.

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Answer : Ekantavada refers to Brahman that is the only reality. It is absolutely indeterminate and non-dual. It is beyond speech and mind. It is indescribable because no description of it can be complete. It is not an abyss of non-entity, because it is the supreme self and self-revealed as the background of all affirmations and denials. There is no difference between Jiva and Brahman. Atman is the same as Brahman. Atman is the same as Brahman. It is pure consciousness. It is the self which is self luminous and which transcends the subject object quality and trivity of knower, known and knowledge. But the Jain metaphysics is a realistic and relativistic pluralism. It is called Anekantavada or the doctrine of the many ness of reality. Matter (Pudgal) and spirit (Jira) are regarded as separate and independent realities.

There are innumkarable material atoms and innumerable individual souls which are are separately and independently real. And each atom and each sol possesses innumerable aspects of its own. A thin has got an infinite number of characteristics of its own. Is very object possesses inenarrable positive and negative characters. It is not possible for us, ordinary people, to know all the qualities of a things. We can know only some things. To know all the aspects of a thing is to become outniscient. Therefore the Jainas say that he who knows all the qualities of one thing, knows all the qualities of all things, and he who knows all the qualifies of one thing.

Humna knowledge is necessarily relative and limited and so are all our judgements. This spistemological and logical theory of the Jainas is called Syadvada. As a matter of fact both trekantavada and syadavada are the two aspects of the same teaching realistic and relativistic pl.usalism. They are like the two sides of the same coin. The metaphysical side hat reality has innumerable characters is called Anekantavada. Jainism here becomes a theological mean between Brahmanism and yarly Buddhism because Brahmanism emphasizes the one, the permanent, the real and early Buddhism emphasizes the many the changing the unreal.

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