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11
The Rudiments of Anekantavada in Early Pali Literature*
BHAGCHANDRA JAIN
Anekāntavāda is the heart of Jaina philosophy. Reality possesses infinite characters which cannot be perceived or known at once by an ordinary man. Different people think about different aspects of the same reality and therefore their partial findings are contradictory to one another. Hence, they indulge in debates claiming that each of them was completely true. The Jaina philosophers thought over this conflict and tried to reveal the whole truth by establishing the theory of non-absolutist standpoint (anekāntavāda) with its two wings, Nayavāda and Syādavāda.
Rudiments of Anekāntavāda are traceabble in the Buddh's approach to questions. Pāli literaturel describes how he answered a question in four ways. The four ways are :
(i) Ekamsa-vyākaraniya (answerable categorically); (ii) Pațipuccha-vyakaraniya (answerable by putting another
question); (iii) Thāpaniya (questions that should be set aside); (iv) Vibhajja-vyākaraniya (answerable analytically).
The Buddha, who adopted these techniques in answering numerous metaphysical and ethical questions put to him by various disciples and disputants, himself claims to be Vibhajjavädin. The
+ Nagpur University Journal, 17/12, 1967 1. A. ii. 46; Milinda Pañha, iv. 2.5. Also see A. i. 197. :
Ekamsa-vacanam ekam vibhajja-vacanam param
Tatiyam patipucheyya catutthan pana thāpaye. 2. M. ii 46.
