Jain opposition to creationismI( email: rahuljain

Besides scriptural authority, Jains also resorted to syllogism and deductive reasoning to refute the creationist theories. Various views on divinity and universe held by the vedics, sāmkhyas, mimimsas, Buddhists and other school of thoughts were analysed, debated and repudiated by the various Jain Ācāryas. However the most eloquent refutation of this view is provided by Ācārya Jinasena in Mahāpurāna as thus [j] –
“ Some foolish men declare that creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill advised and should be rejected.

If God created the world, where was he before the creation? If you say he was transcendent then and needed no support, where is he now?

How could God have made this world without any raw material? If you say that he made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression.

If you declare that this raw material arose naturally you fall into another fallacy, For the whole universe might thus have been its own creator, and have arisen quite naturally.

If God created the world by an act of his own will, without any raw material, then it is just his will and nothing else — and who will believe this silly nonsense?

If he is ever perfect and complete, how could the will to create have arisen in him? If, on the other hand, he is not perfect, he could no more create the universe than a potter could.

If he is form-less, action-less and all-embracing, how could he have created the world? Such a soul, devoid of all modality, would have no desire to create anything.

If he is perfect, he does not strive for the three aims of man, so what advantage would he gain by creating the universe?

If you say that he created to no purpose because it was his nature to do so, then God is pointless. If he created in some kind of sport, it was the sport of a foolish child, leading to trouble.

If he created because of the karma of embodied beings [acquired in a previous creation] He is not the Almighty Lord, but subordinate to something else

If out of love for living beings and need of them he made the world, why did he not make creation wholly blissful free from misfortune?

If he were transcendent he would not create, for he would be free: Nor if involved in transmigration, for then he would not be almighty. Thus the doctrine that the world was created by God makes no sense at all,

And God commits great sin in slaying the children whom he himself created. If you say that he slays only to destroy evil beings, why did he create such beings in the first place?

Good men should combat the believer in divine creation, maddened by an evil doctrine. Know that the world is uncreated, as time itself is, without beginning or end, and is based on the principles, life and rest. Uncreated and indestructible, it endures under the compulsion of its own nature.

Criticisms of Jaina non-creationist theory

Jainism along with Buddhism has been categorized as atheist philosophy i.e. Nāstika darśana by the followers of Vedic religion. However, the word Nāstika corresponds more to heterodox rather than atheism. Accordingly, those who did not believe in Vedas and rejected Brahma as the creator of Universe were labeled as Nāstika.

Mrs. Sinclair Stevenson, an Irish missionary, declared that “the heart of Jainism is empty” since it does not depend on beseeching an omnipotent God for salvation. While fervently appealing to accept Christianity, she says Jains believe strongly in forgiving others, and yet have no hope of forgiveness by a higher power. Jains believe that liberation is by personal effort not an appeal for divine intervention.[21] “The Heart of Jainism” was written from her missionary point of view without respecting Jain sensibilities.

If atheism is defined as disbelief in existence of a God, then Jainism cannot be labeled as atheistic, as it not only believes in existence of gods but also of the soul which can attain godhood. As Paul Dundas puts it – “while Jainism is, as we have seen, atheist in a limited sense of rejection of both the existence of a creator God and the possibility of intervention of such a being in human affairs, it nonetheless must be regarded as a theist religion in the more profound sense that it accepts the existence of divine principle, the paramātmā i.e. God, existing in potential state within all beings”.[22]

The Jaina position on God and religion from a perspective of a non-jain can be summed up in the words of Anne Vallely.
“ Jainism is the most difficult religion. We get no help from any gods, or from anyone. We just have to cleanse our souls. In fact other religions are easy, but they are not very ambitious. In all other religions when you are in difficulty, you can pray to God for help and maybe, God comes down to help. But Jainism is not a religion of coming down. In Jainism it is we who must go up. We only have to help ourselves. In Jainism we have to become God. That is the only thing.[13]

You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!

Join ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • our perception of things are limited. now, if i ask you to draw an alien you will draw a human with three heads five legs....etc. our knowledge is so limited that we cannot think beyond what we see. we believe that every thing must resemble  something that we have seen. god is beyond all this. he is unique. how can we know him without seeing or feeling him. our elders who have seen and felt him have described him. 

    we can only feel him if we are truly devoted to him. besides, if someone says god does not exist then  give him this explanation. " we cannot drive through the city without a constable to control traffic. now this world has a traffic of heavenly bodies.there must be someone to control them. someone who made physics...... that ultimate power is whom we refer to as Krishna."

    I hope this has been of some use.

    [I want to thank one of my gurus Sri Vinod Kumar ,who was my sanskrit teacher, to provide me with this explanation.]

    Hare Krishna.

  • wow very nice

  • for one to experience himself one must have a contrast to experience. The super soul forever realizes itself in self reference. You will not become The Lord, but you can reflect The Lord. As above, so below. And this is by his grace. You are not the doer but the recipient. Those who still see good and evil rather then just one (purpose) are eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So jainists are clearly stuck in duality, end of story :) but everyone has the purpose in their time and their path and incarnation. So they too are good people, i by no means want to insist any way is correct, just an observation. Much Love To All

    • a forest fire burns and destroys everything in its path. But in that destruction the ground is made ready for lush new life. Beyond what is good and evil there is only purpose. A forest fire is neither good or bad, it is purposeful.

  • Hare Krishna,

    Rahul Jain Prabhu

    Your article is self explanatory and its is good you too come from a Jain family. Please continue your devotional service, Lord Krishna will liberate your 21 past generations from hell, which includes from both your father and mother side. Of course, this applies to all devotees including me, as pious people in Kali yuga are very few.

    So, all the best for your devotional service. I will pray that you chant sixteen rounds everyday, so that you do not come ever in this material world. Even if you come, you achieve an objective of Lord Krishna gracefully.

    Therefore, leave other philosophies and do not have trivialities in devotional life. Let Jains do  what they want. Observe good things in them like staunch fasting, and prohibition of alcohol, meat eating, including even onion and garlic.

    Do not argue too much with relatives and seek guidance from a senior devotee.

    Yours Servant,

    Ravi Chandran

  • devotees plz reply

This reply was deleted.