re: Questions on Jainism

[Guest guest]

I hope some list member would clarify these for me.

Thanks in advance.

 

1.What exactly is the Jaina conception of the elements?

AFAIK AkAsha is not treated as one of the five elements.

ie akasha is considered as a substance that allows dharma,adharma etc

within itself.This can be seen in the Jaina

agamas.The simple and compound elements and their ordering as

given in the parapakkam of the sivajnana siddhiyar and the

sarvadarshana sangraha seem different from other darsanas.

Could someone shed more light on this?

 

2.Do any sect of the jains believe in offering to the

pitrs or the manes?

 

3.As regards the practice of removal of hair Do all sects have the

practice or only the niggantas?

 

4.Is there any concept of grace in Jainism some parallel to anugraha

or aruL in Sanskrit and Tamil traditions?

 

5.Are there any references to Jyeshta either as a yakshini or in any

other form in any of the Jaina traditions?

 

Thanks

Vidya

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "Vidya <vidyajayaram>"

<vidyajayaram> wrote:

 

>1.What exactly is the Jaina conception of the elements?

>AFAIK AkAsha is not treated as one of the five elements.

>ie akasha is considered as a substance that allows dharma,adharma etc

>within itself.This can be seen in the Jaina

>agamas.The simple and compound elements and their ordering as

>given in the parapakkam of the sivajnana siddhiyar and the

>sarvadarshana sangraha seem different from other darsanas.

>Could someone shed more light on this?

 

Jainism also has 5 elements:

http://www.daedalus.amacad.org/issues/fall2001/chapple.htm

<<<

Jainism posits a cosmological view that at first glance seems

similar to that put forth in Ptolemy's theory of the spheres

and Dante's Divine Comedy. At the base of this cosmos can

be found various regions of hell. In the central realm is the

surface of the planet, on which reside the five elements

(earth, water, fire, air, space), living beings, and humans.

>>>

 

While Jainism does not reject akasha as an element,

lokayata philosophy does that. Lokayata taking

only 4 elements as true is told in tamil in

Manimekalai, Niilakesi and KaaraaNai vizupparaiyan maTal

(Project Madurai text no. 60).

 

The number of elements in India, Persia and Greece connections

thru' physicists' eyes:

http://www.seas.columbia.edu/~ah297/un-esa/universe/contents.html

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "naga_ganesan <naga_ganesan@h...>"

<naga_ganesan@h...> wrote:

 

> Jainism also has 5 elements:

> http://www.daedalus.amacad.org/issues/fall2001/chapple.htm

<<<

 

> While Jainism does not reject akasha as an element,

> lokayata philosophy does that. Lokayata taking

> only 4 elements as true is told in tamil in

> Manimekalai, Niilakesi and KaaraaNai vizupparaiyan maTal

> (Project Madurai text no. 60).

 

 

Thanks for the reference.In the manimekalai we still find in the

words of

the Ajivaka,"nilam nIr tI kATRu ena n.Al vakaiyina".

 

Please take a look at the following papers which also seems to

indicate

only the four and the use of the words pancabhUta in Jain literature

when

referring to other philosophical systems..

 

http://ignca.nic.in/ps_02.htm

 

The Jains do accept AkAsha however

Are there reference to pancabhUtAs grouping it together with the

other

four?

Again Does this conception of AkAsha as an element differ in

various Jaina schools ?

 

Thanks

 

Vidya