Jain Philosophy

Kevala

Absolute knowledgeOmniscience Cosmic Consciousness

AnekantaRelative imperfect knowledge

Karmically conditioned imperfect knowledge

Mahavira

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.

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

Jaina Theory of 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 isno 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-beingUnity and plurality

Permanence and impermanenceIdentity and difference

Materialism and idealismNecessity and freedom

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

UmasvatiKundakunda

Siddhasena Divakara

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

Tattvarthasutra Meaning of the Fundamental Principles

Umasvati 2nd-4th 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 2nd or 3rd 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 5th century CE

Nyayavatara Introduction to Logic

Sanmatirtarka Logic of True Doctrine Divides the seven nayas into

Dravyastika Permanent substances Paryayastika 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 8th 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 8th c.• Haribhadra 8th c. • Hemacandra 12th c. Ripper Apart of Other Systems of Thought • Yasovijaya 17th 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