Chapter III - Categories

Metaphysics or categories form an important portion in Jainism. It is the theory of reality. The Jaina metaphysics or categories are realistic, pluralistic and also relativistic. The Jainas hold that every object possesses innumerable characters. These characters may be positive as well as negative. All the objects of the world are interrelated. The individual form of an object cannot be established unless the knowledge of its interrelation is assumed. The knowledge of one substance or object suggests the relative knowledge of other substances or objects. When the idea of a human being springs up in our mind, then the relative knowledge of objects other than the human being also springs up by itself. Similarly, when the idea of Europeans springs up, the idea of non-Europeans springs up naturally. When the idea of Indians springs up, the idea of non-Indians springs up naturally. The idea of virtue suggests the idea of vice and so on. So, the Jaina philosopher advocates the doctrine of non-absolutism, which is termed by them as anekāntavāda.

According to the Jainas, an object has three fundamental characteristics: permanence, origination and decay. They say reality (sat) is that which consists of three factors, viz., origination, decay and permanence. Origination and decay are the modes and permanence is the essence, which always exist together in a substance. As a matter of fact, every object that seems to be permanent is liable to both origination and decay. Permanent according to Jainism, is that which continues to exist in spite of origination and decay. They hold origination is not possible without decay and permanence; decay is also not possible in the absence of origination and permanence. Similarly permanence is not possible without origination and decay. All of these three fundamental characteristics of an object.