Jainism Some Essays

SR No.: 001374
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A S Gopani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 156
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 11 MB

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Jainism
heart experienced that life was as dear to all living beings as it was to him and that misery was as unwelcome to all as it was to him. Therefore, he thought he should so live that not the least injury even to any living being is involved. This intense emotional reaction of Mahavira inspired him to organize his life in such a manner that no harm was inflicted on any living being, howsoever small, by him. To the people at large, he preached the way of self-control.
Assessment of this wealth of thought
Totally non injurious way of life naturally gives rise to an attitude which respects others' thoughts and views because it is a matter of daily experience of all of us that all have a value of their wealth of mind as they have of the material wealth. That also is our daily experience that we may be quickly ready to lose our material prosperity but not so easily our ideas and opinions. This proves that we all of us have a love, a passion for our own thoughts, beliefs, and convictions. When we thoughtlessly brand these thoughts of other as false, he suffers a rude shock, undergoes agony and prepares himself to deal a counter-blow and ultimately he becomes ready to cling fast to his beliefs and views, right or wrong, with greater force and firmness. In equal measure does the other person also maintain his own with vehemence. This gives intensity to the continuing-process of animosity generated from discussion and counter-discussions, deliberations, argumentations etc. etc. This is nothing but a subtle form of injury (Himsa). In order to eliminate effectively this element of injury from the ideological field, Mahavira thought it wise to develop the Theory of Manifold Aspects (Anekanta) in its full form, and based the mataphysics and philosophy of Jainism on its basis. When, on one hand, it is accepted to avoid at any cost injury to any living being, also, on the other hand, it is equally necessary to abandon a subtle type of injury which is involved in crushing to pieces and powder the statements of others This danger makes it all the more necessary to try to discover the truth from others' professions and statments. So long as others' assertions are taken to be unbelievable, they have no right to be accepted and they cannot extract any approbation. Therefore, it is absolutely inevitable to attempt to locate and identify the grain of truth in them. This is possible only if the activity to observe a thing from all possible viewpoints is launched and intensified and this is designated as the theory of Manifold Aspects or Anekanta. Thus, we are now able to see that the whole edifice of the Theory rests on the principle of non-injury. Elixir of Synthesis.
Acarya Siddhasena has said that there are as many viewpoints (Nayas) as there are statements and there are as many philosophies as there