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Jaina Relativism (Anekāntavāda) and Theory of Relativity
Dr. N. L. Jain
A story is narrated that once Mrs. Einstein asked him about the theory of relativity. Smilingly, he told about the feeling of time under (a) when a boy spends time with his girl friend and (b) when a boy is asked to stand on a warm platform. In the first case while in second case, hours seem to be minute. I do not know whether I am talking before by (girl) friends or putting you on hot plates. However, as a polyviewist, I will try to follow a path to make you feel your situation as intermediate. The theory of relativity started a revolution in ideas since early twentieth century. The whole world thinking has been affected by it except per chance the Jaina system-so immune to new ideas-per chance there are none as all have been existing in the perfect knowledge of the omniscients. The Jains have no worries for physically and intellectually growing knowledge. They seem to be pleased with their preservative attitude of old intuitional knowledge. It will be however, my humble effort to visualise our current position with respect to theory of Anekantavāda.
Types of knowledge2
In early day's of human thinking, religion, philosophy and science were not separated as they are today. The Greek word 'Phys' for physics meant to study the essential nature of thing involved in everything associated with the world and its phenomena. The earliest human thinking starts with monastic animism as evidenced from the first principle of Vedas, Jaina and Chinese scriptures and early Greek schools involving pantheism, cosmic breath and nature by itself. This principle was later
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