Jainism in a Global Perspective - Collection of Jain papers of 1993 Parliament of World Religions, Chicago

SR No.: 014010
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain, Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 402
Language: English
Classification: Seminar & Articles
File Size: 23 MB

Page 164

Religious Harmony and Fellowship of Faiths: A Jaina Perspective 135
presented with due regards". They are remembered as arhatrși and their teachings are regarded as an agama. In the history of world religions there is hardly any example in which the teachings of the religious teachers of the opponent sects were included in one's own scriptures with due esteem and honour. Evidently, it indicates the latitudinarian and unprejudiced outlook of the earliest Jaina thinkers. We also have a reference to religious tolerance in the Vyakhyāprajñapti, one of the early works of the Jainas, When an old friend of Gautama, who was initiated in some other religious sect, came to visit him, Mahavira commanded Gautama to welcome him and Gautama did so. Accroding to Uttaradhyayana, when Gautama, the chief disciple of Mahāvira and Keśi, a prominent pontiff of Pärsvanatha's sect met at Kosambi, both paid due regard to each other and discussed the various problems dispassionately and in gentle and friendly manner about the differences of both the sects37.
Haribhadra has not only maintained this latitudinarian outlook of earlier Jainācāryas, but lent new dimension to it. He was born in the age when the intellectuals of the India were engaged in hair-splitting philosophical discussions and in relentless criticism of one other. Though he also critically evaluated the other philosophical and religious systems, his outlook was fully liberal and attempted to see the truth of his opponent's logic also.
In the Śāstravārtā-samuccaya, which is one of the foremost works illustrating Haribhadra's liberal outlook, it is mentioned that the great saint, venerable Lord Buddha preached the doctrine of momentariness (kṣaṇikavāda), non-existence of soul (anātmavāda), idealism (vijñānavāda) and nihilism (Sunyavāda) with a particular intention to vanish the mineness and desire for worldly objects and keeping in view the different levels of mental development of his followers, like a good physician who prescribes the medicine according to the disease and nature of the patient 38. He has the same liberal and regardful attitude toward Samkhya and Nyaya schools of Bhrahmanical philosophy. He maintains that naturalism (Prakṛtivāda) of Sāmkhya and Iśvara kartṛttvavāda of the Nyaya school is also true and justified, if viewed from certain standpoint39. Further, the epithets such as the great saint (mahāmuni), the venerable (arhat), the good physician (Suvaidya) used by him for Buddha