First Principal Of The Jaina Philosophy

Here is a comprehensive summary of "The First Principles of the Jaina Philosophy" by Hirachand Liladhar Jhaveri, based on the provided pages:

This book, published in 1913 as the fifth volume in the "Jaina Vividha Sahitya Shastra Mala," aims to provide a succinct and accessible outline of core Jain metaphysical and logical principles in English. The author, Hirachand Liladhar Jhaveri, was motivated to compile this work during a period of personal mourning, hoping to create something beneficial from his misfortune. The book has been met with positive reception from several Western scholars, who found it a clear and useful introduction to Jainism.

The book is structured into seven chapters, delving into fundamental aspects of Jain thought:

Chapter I: On Substances or Dravyas

• Core Concept: The universe, according to Jainism, is not created or governed by a singular divine being. Instead, the universe is composed of substances (dravyas) that are eternal, without beginning or end.
• Definitions of Substance:
  • That which always exists.
  • That which is the subject of qualities (gunas) and modifications (paryayas).
  • That which has origination, destruction, and permanence.
  • That which performs special functions.
• Six Categories of Substances:
  1. Dharmastikaya: A type of ether that facilitates motion for animate and inanimate beings.
  2. Adharmastikaya: A type of ether that facilitates rest or stationary existence.
  3. Akasastikaya (Space): Provides space for other substances and is all-pervading.
  4. Pudgalastikaya (Matter): Inanimate, insentient matter that can increase or decrease, composed of eternal atoms.
  5. Jivastikaya (Soul/Sentient Being): Characterized by knowledge (chetana), the soul's inherent qualities are obscured by karmic energies acquired through contact with matter.
  6. Kala (Time): Considered a substance figuratively, it causes the oldness or newness of things, measured by the duration of states.

The chapter highlights that souls (jivas) and matter (pudgala) interact, leading to the soul's embodied state through influx (asrava) and bondage (bandha) of karmic matter. Liberation (moksha) is achieved by stopping this influx (samvara) and eliminating existing karmas (nirjara).

Chapter II: On Principles or Tattvas

• The Seven Tattvas: These are the fundamental principles that govern existence and liberation:
  1. Jiva (Living Being/Soul): Characterized by consciousness. It possesses eight natural, unmanifested qualities (knowledge, intuition, bliss, etc.) obscured by eight types of karmas. Souls are classified as embodied (samsarin) or liberated (mukta).
  2. Ajiva (Non-Soul): Includes the other five substances (dharma, adharma, pudgala, akasa, kala).
  3. Asrava (Influx): The inflow of karmic matter into the soul, driven by attachment or aversion, leading to good or bad experiences.
  4. Bandha (Bondage): The actual assimilation of karmic matter by the soul, due to delusion, passions, non-restraint, carelessness, and activity. This bondage has four aspects: quality, duration, intensity, and quantity of karma. The chapter details the eight primary karmas that obscure the soul's natural qualities.
  5. Samvara (Stopping): The cessation of the influx of new karmas, achieved through disciplines like control of senses, mindfulness, and austerities.
  6. Nirjara (Shedding): The gradual destruction and removal of accumulated karmas, primarily through observing austerities (tapas).
  7. Moksha (Liberation): The complete annihilation of all karmas, leading to the soul's attainment of its pure, innate state of omniscience and bliss, free from any physical embodiment.
• Merit (Punya) and Demerit (Papa): These are seen as results of karma, often included under 'bandha' rather than being separate principles.

Chapter III: On Saptabhangi or Seven Modes of Predication

• Core Concept: Saptabhangi, also known as Syadvada, is a logical method that asserts that any statement about reality can be made in seven different ways, using the qualifier "syat" (in a certain sense) to avoid contradiction when describing complex truths. It acknowledges that things have multiple, potentially contradictory, attributes when viewed from different perspectives.
• The Seven Modes:
  1. Syadasti: In a certain sense, it exists. (Affirmation)
  2. Syannasti: In a certain sense, it does not exist. (Negation)
  3. Syadasti nasti: In a certain sense, it exists and does not exist. (Combination of affirmation and negation)
  4. Syadavaktavya: In a certain sense, it is indescribable. (Inexpressibility)
  5. Syadasti avaktavyascha: In a certain sense, it exists and is indescribable.
  6. Syannasti avaktavyascha: In a certain sense, it does not exist and is indescribable.
  7. Syadasti cha nasti cha avaktavyascha: In a certain sense, it exists, does not exist, and is indescribable.
• Purpose: This method allows for a nuanced understanding of reality by considering aspects like substance (dravya), place (kshetra), time (kala), and attributes (bhava). It highlights that absolute statements can be misleading.

Chapter IV: On Nayas or Methods of Comprehending Things from Particular Standpoints

• Core Concept: Nayavada refers to the doctrine of standpoints. A Naya is a particular viewpoint or method of understanding that focuses on one aspect or quality of a thing, without denying the other aspects. A misapplication of Naya is called a Nayabhasa.
• Distinction from Saptabhangi: Nayas are analytical, focusing on parts of a thing, while Saptabhangi is synthetical, dealing with the thing as a whole.
• Two Main Classes of Nayas:
  1. Dravyarthika-naya: Focuses on the permanent, substantial nature (dravya) of things.
     • It is further divided into ten sub-types, each offering a different way to understand substance, such as its inherent qualities, its existence in space, time, and condition, its non-existence in relation to other things, its predominant quality, its pure state, its eternal nature, its inseparable unity with modifications, its phenomenal state under karma, and its distinction from qualities.
  2. Paryayarthika-naya: Focuses on the changing, modal nature (paryaya) of things.
     • This class is divided into six sub-types, dealing with modifications that are eternal (with or without beginning/end), perishable, or influenced by external factors.

Chapter V: On Modifications (Paryayas)

• Definition: A modification (paryaya) is that aspect of a substance which is subject to change, production, and destruction.
• Two Main Types of Modifications:
  1. Sahabhavin Paryaya: Modifications of essential qualities (e.g., the color of the sea).
  2. Karmabhavin Paryaya: Modifications of foreign qualities, often due to karmic influence (e.g., anger or pleasure in the soul).
• Four Types of Modifications (applied to both souls and matter):
  1. Svabhava-dravya-vyanjana paryaya: Signifying the pure substantial nature.
  2. Svabhava-guna-vyanjana paryaya: Modifications of pure qualities.
  3. Vibhava-dravya-vyanjana paryaya: Signifying unnatural substantial aspects.
  4. Vibhava-guna-vyanjana paryaya: Modifications signifying unnatural conditions or qualities.

Chapter VI: On Paryayarthika-Nayas

• Focus: This chapter details the six subdivisions of Paryayarthika-naya, which focus on the changing aspects (paryayas) of substances. These nayas analyze modifications based on their eternity, origin, destruction, and the influence of karmic or external factors.

Chapter VII: On the Seven Nayas

• Synthesis: This chapter consolidates the discussion on Nayas, drawing a distinction between Dravyarthika-nayas (focusing on permanence) and Paryayarthika-nayas (focusing on impermanence).
• Subdivisions of Dravyarthika-nayas (3):
  1. Naigama: Considers a thing with both general and specific qualities, without strict separation.
  2. Samgraha: Focuses on generic qualities, asserting no reality apart from the general.
  3. Vyavahara: Focuses on particular qualities, denying generic qualities without specific ones.
• Subdivisions of Paryayarthika-nayas (4):
  1. Riju-sutra: Considers a thing only in its present state, disregarding past or future.
  2. Sabda: Recognizes the conventional meaning of words, including synonyms.
  3. Samabhirudha: Distinguishes between synonyms based on their etymological meanings.
  4. Evambhuta: Applies names to things only when they are actually performing the function implied by the name.
• Total: This classification leads to a total of seven distinct nayas or standpoints for comprehending reality.

In essence, "The First Principles of the Jaina Philosophy" provides a foundational exposition of Jain metaphysics and logic, explaining the nature of reality through its eternal substances and the principles governing the soul's journey from bondage to liberation, all while emphasizing the importance of nuanced understanding through its unique logical frameworks like Saptabhangi and Nayavada.