Jain Darshan Ki Dravya Gun Paryay Ki Avadharna

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Jain Darshan ki Dravya Gun Paryay ki Avadharna" by Sagarmal Jain, focusing on the concepts of Dravya (Substance), Guna (Quality), and Paryaya (Modality):

The text delves into the fundamental Jain concepts of Dravya, Guna, and Paryaya, explaining their interrelationship and significance within Jain philosophy. The central theme is the understanding of reality as comprising both permanence and change.

Core Concepts:

• Dravya (Substance):

  • Dravya is equated with Sat (Existence) and Astitva (Being).
  • It is characterized by Dhrvya (Permanence) and Parinaman (Transformation).
  • Dravya is that which retains its essential nature (swalakhana) despite undergoing changes.
  • It is considered eternal and indestructible in its essence.
  • Jainism posits the existence of Dravya as comprising Astikaya (existential bodies) and Dravyas. The term Astikaya has both eternal (asti) and non-eternal (kaya) aspects.

• Paryaya (Modality/State/Modification):

  • Paryaya represents the changing aspect of Dravya. The word itself signifies something that comes into being by surrounding itself with newness.
  • It is the process of Utpad (origination) and Vyaya (destruction) that occurs within a Dravya.
  • Paryaya is the dynamic and active aspect of existence, indicating that reality is in a constant state of flux.
  • The continuous flow of origination and destruction constitutes Paryaya.
  • Jainism views existence (Sat) as having the nature of origination, destruction, and permanence (utpad-vyaya-dhrauvya).

• Guna (Quality):

  • Guna are the inherent and eternal characteristics or essential attributes of a Dravya.
  • They are the self-nature (swalakhana) of a Dravya that cannot be relinquished.
  • Guna are considered indestructible, just like Dravya.
  • They serve as the identifying features of a Dravya, differentiating it from other substances.
  • Qualities can be general (common to all substances) or specific (unique to certain substances).
  • Guna also undergo modifications, termed "Guna Paryaya," indicating that even qualities have their own states of change.

Relationship between Dravya, Guna, and Paryaya:

• Interdependence: Dravya, Guna, and Paryaya are intrinsically interconnected and mutually dependent. A Dravya cannot exist without Guna and Paryaya, and vice versa.
• Dravya as the substratum: Dravya is the substratum or support for Guna and Paryaya.
• Dravya and Guna: Identity and Difference:
  • At the ontological level (level of existence), Dravya and Guna are inseparable and identical (Abheda).
  • At the conceptual or analytical level, they can be differentiated (Bheda) for the purpose of understanding.
  • The text uses the analogy of a person's stages of life (childhood, youth, old age) to illustrate this: these stages are distinct but inseparable from the person.
• Dravya and Paryaya: Identity and Difference:
  • Similar to Dravya and Guna, Dravya and Paryaya are considered identical (Abheda) at the ontological level because a Dravya is never devoid of Paryaya.
  • However, at the conceptual level, they are also different (Bhinna) because Paryayas originate and perish, while the Dravya itself remains. The text emphasizes that this simultaneous identity and difference is a hallmark of the Jain Anekantavada (non-absolutist) perspective.
• Guna and Paryaya: Guna are the unchanging essence, while Guna Paryaya are the specific modifications of those qualities. For instance, consciousness (chetana) is a Guna of the soul (Jiva Dravya), but the specific states of experiencing joy, sorrow, or knowledge are its Guna Paryayas.

Key Philosophical Underpinnings:

• Anekantavada (Non-Absolutism): The entire framework of Dravya, Guna, and Paryaya is rooted in Anekantavada, which asserts that reality is multi-faceted and can be viewed from various perspectives. The text highlights that accepting only permanence (Dravya) or only change (Paryaya) would be an incomplete view of reality.
• Utpad-Vyaya-Dhruvya (Origination-Destruction-Permanence): This fundamental principle, encapsulated in Lord Mahavir's teaching, is the basis for understanding Dravya as both permanent and changing. The continuous flow of utpad-vyaya constitutes Paryaya, while the underlying unchanging essence is dhruvya.
• Comparison with Buddhism: The text draws a parallel with Buddhist philosophy, noting that Buddha's statement "Action exists, but not the actor" has a similar underlying idea to the Jain concept of Paryaya, emphasizing the reality of change. However, it clarifies that Jainism, unlike Buddhism's emphasis solely on impermanence, accepts both permanence (Dravya) and change (Paryaya) as essential aspects of reality.

Classifications of Paryaya:

The text elaborates on various classifications of Paryaya:

• Jiva Paryaya and Ajiva Paryaya: Modifications related to living beings and non-living substances.
• Arthaparyaya and Vyanjanaparyaya: Arthaparyaya refers to the sequential, moment-to-moment changes (subtle), while Vyanjanaparyaya refers to the varied forms or modes of a substance (gross). The text clarifies that Dravya Paryaya is considered Vyanjanaparyaya and Guna Paryaya is considered Arthaparyaya.
• Urdhvaparyaya and Tiryakparyaya: Urdhvaparyaya describes the temporal modifications of a single substance (past, present, future), while Tiryakparyaya refers to modifications across different substances in space.
• Svabhava Paryaya and Vibhava Paryaya: Svabhava Paryaya are changes arising from one's own nature (e.g., soul's inherent knowledge), while Vibhava Paryaya arise due to external causes (e.g., soul's anger due to karma).
• Sajatiya and Vijatiya Dravya Paryaya: Modifications arising from the interaction of similar substances versus dissimilar substances.
• Karana Shuddha Paryaya and Karya Shuddha Paryaya: Pure cause and pure effect modalities (often falling under Svabhava Paryaya).
• Sahabhavi Paryaya and Kramabhavi Paryaya: Simultaneous (co-existent) and sequential (successive) modalities.
• Samanya Paryaya and Vishesh Paryaya: General modalities common to many substances versus specific modalities unique to a particular substance.

Reality of Guna and Paryaya:

• The text addresses the philosophical debate on the reality of Guna and Paryaya. Jain philosophers, as realists, consider Guna and Paryaya to be as real and existent as Dravya. They argue that our perceptions and experiences of these qualities and states correspond to actual realities.

The Concept of Krambaddha Paryaya (Sequential and Predetermined Modalities):

• A significant portion of the text discusses the concept of Krambaddha Paryaya, which posits that the sequence of modalities is predetermined.
• The author critiques this idea, arguing that it leads to fatalism, negates free will (purushartha), and undermines moral responsibility.
• The concept of omniscience (Sarvajnyata) is examined in relation to this, with the author suggesting that ancient interpretations of omniscience might have differed from later, stricter interpretations that imply absolute predetermination.
• The text cites ancient texts and philosophical arguments to suggest that the concept of strictly predetermined sequential modalities is not clearly present in early Jain Agamas and that the emphasis might have been on the possibility of human effort. The debate on Krambaddha Paryaya is presented as a significant area of discussion within Jain philosophy.

In essence, the book provides a thorough explanation of how Jain philosophy understands reality through the lens of Dravya (the enduring substance), Guna (its eternal qualities), and Paryaya (its transient states), emphasizing the dynamic yet fundamentally stable nature of existence as understood through the principle of Anekantavada.