Jain Philosophy

Mahavira

Kevala

Absolute knowledge Omniscience Cosmic Consciousness

Anekanta

Relative imperfect knowledge Karmically conditioned imperfect knowledge

Jain Cosmology Jivas animate beings bound or liberated by karma Invisible microbes (nigodas), plants, insects, animals, humans, gods.

Ajivas inanimate things Motion Rest Space (akasha) Time (kala)

Body (pudgala) material atoms (anu) of earth, water, fire, air Fine particles of karmic dirt (karma varana) Metaphors of dust, dirt, staining, contamination, and coloring are used to explain how karma flows into (asrava) the pure consciousness of the jiva.

The Jain Universe

Realist Ontology

Persons and things are real.

The universe (loka) is real and material.

Karma is a form of material substance. The world is eternal.

There is no one supreme omnipotent creator god.

Jainism is trans-theistic rather than atheistic. Many devas of a higher karmic attainment.

Jivas are the master of their own destiny.

No god’s grace can save them from their the karmic choices.

Jivas are infinite in number. Their true nature is infinite awareness, perception, bliss, energy.

Jaina Theory of Knowledge

Indirect fallible, karmically limited knowledge jnana Mati opinion Sensory perception vyavaharika pratyaksha empirical perception Memory smrti Recognition pratyabhijna (combination of memory and perception) Logic (inference induction) tarka Shruta verbal knowledge

Direct karmically purified supra-empirical knowledge Avadhi purified but still limited cognition of spatio-temporal objects, remote viewing, clairvoyance Manahparyaya Even more purified cognition of other minds, telepathy Kevala pure infinite knowledge of everything by the siddhas, omniscience

Jain epistemology and logic as the principle of ahimsa applied to thought.

Intellectual non-violence.

Svetambara Monk on Pilgrimage

The Jain Theory of Relativity

• Anekantavada Ontology of Relativity.

• Nayavada Epistemology of Relativity.

• Syadvada Logic of Relativity.

Anekantavada

• An-eka-anta: Not one sided, the many sidedness of reality. • All things have infinite aspects. As such they cannot they perceived and cognized by the ordinary human mind with its karmic limitations. Only omniscient kevalins can see the total reality. • Reality is infinitely and irreducibly complex.

Intellectual humility and respect for other points of view recognizing all are limited.

Avoid ekantata (absolutism): egotistical, sectarian, or dogmatic clinging to a point of view

Nayavada

• The partial standpoints or perspectives.

• Truth of any judgment or view depends on the perspective, the naya.

• Apparently contradictory statements can be made about anything from different nayas.

• Truth claims are based on valid nayas.

Nayas are kinds of knowledge accessible to humans.

Nayas are theoretically infinite.

But there are seven basic ones.

Not modern relativism or skepticism that there is no truth or truth is a convention.

There is an absolute truth and Jinas know what it is.

Jains vigorously defend Jain principles against attack and critique other philosophical systems as one-sided.

Other philosophical views are stuck on one naya, true from a one point of view. The Jain view is simply more comprehensive and inclusive.

Jainism saw itself as the true middle way between the radical impermanence of the Buddhists no self doctrine and the permanent enduring self of the Vedantists and Naiyayikas.

Nyaya proofs for God were also targets for much rigorous refutation.

Jain Logic

Dialectical logic of conditional predication Transcends either/or binary logic and the disagreements that arise from partial, one– sided judgments.

Syadvada

Maybe Logic

• • • • • Syat vada Syat “let it be” or “it may be” Multi-value logic Syadvada is a seven-valued logic Saptabhangi—seven-fold predication

1. From one point of view it is[ exists, true, or blue].

2. From one point of view it is not.

3. From one point of view it and it is not.

4. From one point of view it is and it is indescribable.

5. From one point of view it is not and it is indescribable.

6. From one point of view it is, it is not, and it is indescribable.

7. From one point of view it is indescribable.

From one perspective he is bad.

From one perspective he is not bad.

From one perspective he is bad and not bad. From one perspective he is bad and indescribable. From one perspective he is not bad and indescribable. From one perspective he is bad, not bad, and indescribable.

From one perspective he is indescribable.

Gautama: Lord. Is the soul permanent or impermanent?

Mahavira: The soul is permanent as well as impermanent. From the point of view of the substance (dravya) it is eternal. From the point of view of its modes (paryaya) it is undergoes birth, decay, and destruction and hence is impermanent.

Bhagavati Sutra 7:58-59

Mahavira’s Inclusive Middle Path

Mahavira answered profound metaphysical questions with yes and no:

Existence and non-existence of the soul; Eternity and non-eternity of the universe Being and non-being Unity and plurality Permanence and impermanence Identity and difference Materialism and idealism Necessity and freedom

Founders of Jain philosophy who set the trend for later Jain thinkers:

Umasvati Kundakunda Siddhasena Divakara

“Emergence, perishing, and endurance characterize all entities.”

Tattvarthasutra

Meaning of the Fundamental Principles

Umasvati 2 nd -4 th centuries CE, First work in Sanskrit to systematize the basics of Jain philosophy. Touchstone for all later authors who write commentaries on it.

Kundakunda Digambara thinker 2 nd or 3 rd Century CE

Two Truths

Mundane perspective = Anekanta-Ordinary

Vyavahara naya

cognition from the point of view of the seven nayas. Ultimate perspective = Kevala-perfect knowledge Niscaya naya of a Jina.

Siddhasena Divakara the “Sun” Svetambara logician, circa 5 th century CE

Nyayavatara Introduction to Logic Sanmatirtarka Logic of True Doctrine

Divides the seven nayas into

Dravyastika Paryayastika

Permanent substances Changing modes Identifies the nayas with different philosophical darsanas.

Permanent substances (dravyas)

1. Common Vaisesika, Sankhya 2. General Mahayana Buddhism, Vedanta Changing modes and qualities (paryayas) 3.Practical Carvaka 4.Momentary Sautrantika Buddhism 5. Verbal Grammarians 6. Subtle 7.Actual Mimamsa

Haribhadra 8 th century CE

Saddarsanasamuccaya

Compendium of the Six Philosophical Systems

(Buddhism, Nyaya, Sankhya, Jainism, Vaisesika, Mimamsa, Carvaka)

Yogadrstisamuccaya

Compendium of Views on Yoga

Victory Flag of Relativity (Anekanta) Satirizes Hindu Classics in his A Tale of Scoundrels

• • • Akalanka 8 th Haribhadra 8 c.

th c. Hemacandra 12 th c. •

Ripper Apart of Other Systems of Thought

Yasovijaya 17 th c.

Jain were great builders of libraries and collectors of manuscripts.

Religions are different roads converging upon the same point. What does it matter if we take different roads so long as we reach the same goal.

Gandhi