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NON-ABSOLUTISTIC ATTITUDE OF THE JAINAS [CH.
was an agnostic or a sceptic. His failure to answer was due to his indecision and all-round scepticism. (There are scholars who believe that the avyākặta attitude of the Buddha and the non-absolutistic attitude of Mahāvīra towards the same problems were either influenced by or developed in opposition to this sceptical attitude of Sañjaya Velatthiputta. But it is beyond doubt that the respective attitudes of the Buddha and Mahāvīra were characteristic of their natures. The Buddha was a thoroughgoing rationalist and as such did not enter into problems which were beyond the reach of reason. His enquiries were mainly concerned with finding out the cause of suffering and the means to final emancipation, and he rejected as absurd the unnecessary metaphysical speculations. On the other hand, Mahāvīra inherited a number of doctrines from his predecessors and had to reinterpret and revise them in the context of the speculations of his age. In consonance with his immense faith in toleration, and peaceloving nature, he developed a non-absolutistic attitude which enabled him to solve the problems and create conviction among his followers. The whole subsequent Jaina thought is inspired by this attitude, and we shall have many occasions in the course of this work to see the results of this attitude.
1 Vide SBE, Vol. XLV, Introduction, p. xxvii et seq.
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