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id	eprints-13427
recordtype	eprints
institution	SOAS, University of London
collection	SOAS Research Online
language	English
language_search	English
description	The article examines a fundamental problem in classical Jaina philosophy, namely, the ontological status of dead matter in the hylozoistic and at the same time dualistic Jaina worldview. This question is of particular interest in view of the widespread contemporary Jaina practice of venerating bone relics and stūpas of prominent saints. The main argument proposed in this article is, that, from a classical doctrinal point of view, bone relics of renowned ascetics are valuable for Jainas, if at all, because of their unique physical attributes, rather than the presumed presence of the deceased in the remains as posited in much of the extant literature on relic worship across cultures. The specific focus of the article are Jaina and non-Jaina explanations of the qualities of special matter in terms of karmic and natural processes of transformation.
format	Journal Article
author	Flügel, Peter
author_facet	Flügel, Peter
authorStr	Flügel, Peter
author_letter	Flügel, Peter
title	Sacred Matter: Reﬂections on the Relationship of Karmic and Natural Causality in Jaina Philosophy
publisher	Springer Nature
publishDate	2012
url	https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/13427/