Jaina Theory of Multiple Facets of Reality and Truth

SR No.: 001746
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagin J Shah
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 168
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Nyay
File Size: 12 MB

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Jaina Theory of Multiple Facets of Reality and Truth
liberation (mokṣa). For the attainment of this goal they have prescribed their respective spiritual disciplines which do not differ much from one another. In all these spiritual disciplines the practiser is necessarily required to cultivate five prime virtues, viz. non-violence, truth, nontheft, celibacy and non-possession. And among these five, non-violence is supreme and fundamental. It is so fundamental that the rest depend on it and are included in it, not only that but it provides us with the sole criterion for determining as to what is truth, etc.' That which involves violence is not truth even though it may be factually true, and conversely that which does not involve violence is truth even though it may be factually untrue. That which hurts others is never truth. So one should not speak what hurts others and should also respect the views of others. One should not be stubborn to state that what one says is the only truth. Not to hurt others in presenting one's view implies one's respect for views of others. So, one should be very cautious in one's statement of one's view. One should qualify one's statement by 'this is my faith' 'this is my view' etc. implying thereby that others may have different faith or view. By thus saying one protects truth, while making absolute statements one harms the truth." This spirit prevails in all the ethical systems of India. It is this spirit that has given rise to the theory of anekāntavāda."10
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7. taträhimsā sarvathä sarvadă sarvabhutānām anabhidrohaḥ, uttare ca yamaniyamās tanmulās tatsiddhiparataya tatpratipadanaya pratipadyante, tadavadātarupakaraṇāyaivopādīyante / Vyāsabhāṣya, 2.30.
ahimsayā avirodhenaiva satyadayo yamaniyama anuṣṭheya iti / Yogavārtika, 2.30. yatha nagapade'nyāni padāni padagāminām /
sarvany evapi dhiyante padajātāni kauñjare // evam sarvam ahimsāyām dharmartham api dhiyante //
-Mokṣadharmaparva
8. eṣā (vag) sarvabhūtopakārārtham pravṛttā na bhūtopaghātāya, yadi caivam apy abhidhiyamānā bhūtopaghātaparaiva syat na satyam bhavet papam eva bhavet, tena punyābhāsena punyapratirupakena kaṣṭatamam prapnuyat / Vyasabhāṣya, 2.30.
9. saddha cepi, Bharadvaja, purisassa hoti; 'evam me saddha' ti vadam saccam anurakkhati, na tveva tava ekamsena niṭṭham gacchati, -'idam eva saccam, mogham aññam' ti / Camkisutta, Majjhimanikaya.
10. Introduction to Samantabhadra's Aptamimāmsā Critique of an Authority by Nagin J. Shah, Sanskrit-Sanskriti Granthamālā No. 7, Ahmedabad, Pp. 13-14.