Philosophy of Space-Time in Early Jaina Thought

Abstract

The aim of this article is to bring to light the determining role played by quantification for early Jain monastic intellectuals. Jaina philosophy of space-time attempts to fix in a finely elaborated numerical structure the model of the Universe and the whole system of reality. In discussions about the sophisticated mathematical practices characterizing Jaina sources, the achievements realized by highly elaborate formulae have been variously emphasized. An aspect that has been thus far disregarded by historiography is the reasoning behind mathematical modes of enquiry. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the relationship between the way Jaina thinkers expounded philosophical issues and the use of quantifying procedures. Everything imaginable that could be quantified was computed: the numbers of individuals among different kinds of beings in the various regions of the three worlds, the extent of their lifespans, the volumes of space occupied by living beings of various shapes, and other matters. I shall argue that in Jainism, mathematics is a fundamental expedient of philosophical enquiry. Textual evidence from religious-philosophical works will be presented to demonstrate that, for Jainas, quantification responds to a‘quest for order’: the intellectual and spiritual ambition to recognize in nature structured and predictable patterns.