Philosophy In Jain Agams: Dualism in Jain Philosophy

Being realist, Jain philosophy is dualist also. According to this philosophy whatever exists in this world comprises two radically separate entities that are absolutely divergent in nature.^[1] Soul and non soul are two elements that are the basic constituents of the world. All other substances fall under these two main categories.^[2]

These two reals have contradictory attributes^[3] such as living and non­living, mobile beings and immobile beings, beings having birth place and those with spontaneous birth etc. This classification of Sthānāṅga presents the concept of Jain philosophy that existence is a combination of contradictory pairs. No existence is possible, devoid of contradictory pairs. Jain philosophy has a non-absolutistic perspective, that's why it is neither material-monist nor completely conscious-monist. It accepts the independent existence of both living and non-living beings.

We will confine ourselves in this lesson to the discussion of the five distinct substances categorised under non-living existence. Existence of living beings i.e. soul will be discussed in the next chapter so that six kinds of substances are accepted in Jainism which can also be while dealing with the Jain concept of object (of knowable).

According to Jain philosophy -this cosmos is an outcome of integration of living and non-living beings^[4] which are infinite and eternal.^[5] It means the root element can never be produced nor destroyed; only transformation within them is possible. This is called pariṇāmī nitya i.e. transformation with permanence in Jain philosophy. The existence of substance will remain intact even if the forms changes.^[6] Living and non­living beings are numerically infinite, thus the universe is managed automatically. Even after the liberation of infinite living beings (souls), existence of universe will continue as a result of mutual inter-reaction of living beings and the matter. The problem faced by believers of confined number of souls, is not pertinent to Jain philosophy.

Five kinds of astikāya (homogeneous continuums and extended existence), six kinds of substances and nine tattvas (categories of truth) are nothing but the expansion of jīva (living beings) and ajīva (non living beings) only. Jīva (living beings) and ajīva (non-living beings) are called by a similar term 'loka' in Sthānāṅga.^[7] Five kinds of astikāyas are called loka in Bhagavatī.^[8] Six kinds of substance are mentioned in āgamas^[9] but they are not titled by the name loka'. This means that the concept of accepting the universe with six kinds of substance is post-canonical. Jīva and ajīva are the significant constituents of the universe. They are mutually contradictory and both have an independent existence.

Lord Mahavira in his reply to the question of ascetic Roha, negates the prior and posterior relation between the cosmos and trans-cosmos, living and non living beings.^[10] The doctrine of eternality is proved by this question of Roha and the reply of Lord Mahavira. Non admission of temporal sequence between living and non living beings in the context of creation presents a new dimension. The stream of philosophical thought with reference to creation can be divided into two parts: monism and dualism. Monist philosophers do not accept the independent existence of living and non living beings. According to them only one tattva either jīva or ajīva exists. There are two main branches of monism - 1. Materialist-monism 2. Conscious-monism. Both branches do not believe in the causal theory that holds - effect is produced according to its cause. According to the materialist- monists, a conscious being is produced out of the combination of five elements (air, earth, water, space and fire). Consciousness does not have an independent existence separate from matter. However, according to the conscious monists, this world is an expansion of the conscious matter i.e. Brahma. There is no objective existence apart from consciousness. Dualism accepts independent existence of both, matter and consciousness. According to them, matter from consciousness and consciousness from matter cannot be produced. Effect is produced according to the cause. According to the Jain view, the world is a like sculpture house and is managed by its own existing laws. These laws work automatically given the different kinds of relations between the living and the non-living beings.^[11]

The terms cosmos and trans-cosmos are used in Jain philosophy.^[12] In Jain cosmology, trans-cosmos means void space whereas cosmos means space accommodated with living and non-living beings.^[13] According to Jain philosophy, the division of cosmos and trans-cosmos is natural and beginning less. It is not created by any divine being. All philosophies accept the concept of cosmos and creation in some way or the other, but no philosophy accepts the idea of trans-cosmos or beyond-creation. It is an original contribution of Lord Mahavira. This postulation has supported the doctrine of existence with its contradictory pair. The principle for this expression is non-absolutism. The world is full of contradictory pairs, which cannot be explained without the doctrine of non-absolutism or relativity.^[14]