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Relating Besides Ahimsaornonviolence, Anekantavada, theprincipleofmultipleviewpoints, isapracticethathelpsdecreasetheharmthatonedoe stotheinterrelatedsoulsofoneselfandothers. Thispluralisticnotionpositsthattruthandrealityareperceiveddifferentlyfromdiversepoints ofview,andthatnosin glepointofviewisthecompletetruth.[6]Humans, likealllivingbeings, arecapableofpartialknowledgeonly. VonUexkull'sumweltrelatesinparttothis Jainphilosophyattendingtoamultiplicityofviewpoints. VonUexkullseesbeingsasoccupyingtheirownenvironments, perceivedandinhabitedthroughsenses. Spaceandtimearerelativetobeings' perceptionandexperiences. In Jainphilosophy,since allunenlightenedbeingsonlyperceiveandexperiencepartialtruths, therearecertainlym ultipleworlds,andweexistintheminparticular,subjectiveandsituationalways comingintobeingassubjectsinrela tiontoourexperiences, relationships, practices. Anekantavadashowshowtherearemanyworldsthatareexpressedandexperienceddifferently, takingseriouslyt herealityofeachorganism'sdifferentperception, asreality,equaltoone'sown, eachaspartialtruths. Thesetwophilosophiesrecognizetheexistenceofmultiplerealities, butunlikevonUexkullwhowouldmostlikelythi nkitimpossibletounderstandtheumweltofanotherbeing, especiallyonewithadifferentsensecapacities, Anekant avadaadvisesthatoneshouldtrytounderstandthepositionsofothers, tothebestofone'sability,evenifoneislimited bycategoriesofsenseperception. Thismaybeexplainedthroughsoultransmigrationandthepotentialthatonemayonedaybecome,orhasalreadyb eeninthesense-worldofanotherjiva,with differentsense-perceptions, andanotherbeing.
Metamorphoses Besidesrelatingthroughjivacategoryplacement therockandtreearebothsinglesensed, andmayshareamoresimilarumweltrelationshipstakeon,orshapedifferentmeaningsthroughchange, transformation, ormetamorphosis. In Jainphilosophy,energyanditsmanifestationinindividualsoulsexistseternally,itistheformsandrelationsthatsh
ChitrabhanuspokeattheWednesdaymeditationsessionaboutenergyinthisway, "Energycannotbedestroyed. Youcannotincrease. Youcannotdecrease. Ittransformsfromonetoanother. Itchanges, butenergyisenergy."Actionandinteractionmovebeingsandrelations. Youcanlookatkarmicdirt,orpudgalaasforgingthetransformationandmovementof,andbetweenlifeforms,movin gus, them, those throughspecificvectors, andpathways. In Jainism,weareallalwaystransformingthroughinteraction, metamorphosingaccordingtokarmicaccumulation
Animal Welfare ConsciousnessofkarmicaccumulationaffectsthelifechoicesandactionsofmanyJains. It'seasytoseehowallianceswithtransnationalenvironmental,animalrightsandveganorvegetarianforumsarefor
ged.
EspeciallyindiasporicJaincommunities, andespeciallyamongyouth, Jainsareincreasinglyfindingrelevancean dbroaderapplicationforpracticesofnon-violenceandcompassion. Miredbyagenealogyconnectedtopityandcondescension, animalwelfaretakesonadifferentmeaningina Jainco ntext. ForJains,crueltytoothers, toanimals, oranylivingbeingisequallycrueltotheself. Thiscomplicatesthepaternalismofacare-formodel, asthereislessdistinctionandseparationbetweenlives. Sinceactionstowardsothers'livesaffectsone'sownlife, alllivesareworthprotecting,tothebestofone'sabilities. Connectionandcareextendstoalllifeforms, smallandbig. Thisethicissimilarlyinclusiveofotherbeings. Eachsoulwithinitsgivenformshould, tothebestofitsability.protectorcausetheleastharmpossibletoothers. ThisJainethicofnon-harm, however, doesnotfittraditionallywithethicsofactivism. Asanideal, OrthodoxJainethicsseekstotranscendthisworld, notworkwithinit. However, theidealdoesmanifestitselfinactionsandpracticesofactivism, advocacyandtransnationalalliances. Jainismaspracticedischanging constantlyconstitutedthroughactions, andinteractions.
| SR No. | 250394 |
| Book Title | Jiva Relatedness and Relationships |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Nina Mehta |
| Publisher | Nina Mehta |
| Publication Year | |
| Total Pages | 7 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Article |
| File Size | 41 KB |