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Existence and non-existence: knowledge of self not of others
Many people blame circumstances and go scotfree. The Acharyas who have explained anekanta have presented a similar problem to us. They gave importance to both existence and non-existence. They said every substance has existence from its point in matter, place, time, and state. Similarly, they said, every substance is non-existent with respect to another matter, place, time, and state. The essence of this is that with respect to oneself, there is existence and with respect to others, there is non-existence.
Here the view of spirituality has become slightly negligent. Why should non-existence be considered with respect to others? If we look at it from the perspective of relativity, then both existence and non-existence are of the self, of matter. It is not necessary that non-existence should always be with respect to others. Every object's existence is on the basis of its manifested modes and its non-existence is on the basis of its unmanifested modes. Every substance's existence is on the basis of the modes that are manifest and its non-existence is with respect to the many possibilities.
Anekanta: The Third Eye
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