SUBSTANCE/DRAVYA

Metaphysics

There are many realities(dravya) and every Dravya has many qualities, some attributes and some modes. From each relative point of view, either permanence or transience is real.

SUBSTANCE/DRAVYA

Substance is that which possesses innumerable characteristics and exists independently.

Every substance has combination of essential qualities called attributes(gunas) and accidental qualities called modes(paryaya). In so far substance has attributes, it is permanent and from its modes perspective it undergoes origin and decay.

Thus origin and decay as well as permanence, all three elements characterize reality.

Example - soul(Jiva) is a substance. It is a combination of permanent attributes(gunas) of consciousness, while pain, pleasure are accidental modes(Paryaya).

When viewed from modes point of view : CHANGING

When viewed from attributes  point of view : PERMANENT

Thus, both commits fallacy of exclusive prediction. Each of them look at one side of reality only (EKANTVADA).

As Jainism takes into account all partial views, their philosophical doctrine is ANEKANTAVADA. Change and permanence are both real. The contradiction vanishes when we remember that any prediction is relative and conditional as given by doctrine of Syadvada.