The Jaina View of Darkness
By Himanshu Shekhar Acharaya
Summary
Himanshu Shekhar Acharya examines how Jain philosophers conceive darkness (tamas). Unlike Hindu schools that see darkness as absence, Jains treat it as a positive quality of matter (pudgala). The article surveys canonical texts and commentaries, explaining that darkness consists of subtle particles and is distinct from shadow (chāyā)file:///home/oai/share/520768%20(18)%201-170_compressed.pdf. Acharya analyses works like Hemacandra’s Yogaśāstra and Vijayānanda’s commentaries to show how Jains explain natural phenomena such as night and eclipse through material darkness. He compares Jaina theories with Nyāya and Buddhist views, arguing that the Jain position offers a consistent account of sensory experience by granting ontological status to tamas. The paper concludes that the Jaina view integrates cosmology, physics and epistemology, revealing the sophistication of Jain natural philosophy.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that, for Jains, darkness is a material quality rather than mere absence. By examining canonical texts, Acharya shows that tamas plays a role in cosmology and perceptionfile:///home/oai/share/520768%20(18)%201-170_compressed.pdf. This insight enriches comparative philosophy and highlights Jain contributions to ancient physics.