Jain Journal 2005 01

SR No.: 520157
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 2005
Total Pages: 58
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 30

DEVEN YASHWANT: ANEKÄNTA AND ITS PARALLELS
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4. 5.
view about saints of his own religion. To praise Mithyādçsties, To have intimacy with the Mithyädrsties.
Suspecting that the theory of Anekānta may not stand test, Jainācārya Atmā Rāma (Vijayānanda) Sūri while writing commentary on the Acārāriyasūtra has mentioned in the 1st section of the 8th chapter that the Jain saints should not accommodate the saints of any other faith in place of their own. The Jain saints should not offer food. water, etc. to the followers of other faiths. He goes to the extent saying that even if he has to offer any edibles, it should be without any respect. He has further mentioned in the same chapter that the Jain saints should not maintain relationship with saints of other faiths and should not pay respect to them. The Jain saints should not visit them. On one side one says that everybody can be perhaps right, whereas in practice one is not ready even to meet, talk, discuss or even g respect to others. The saints of other faith have been branded, as "sithilācāris”.
Such stories prove themselves supreme, although against the spirit of Jainism, and these stories naturally made a negative impression of the Jain masses easily on account of their sheer ignorance of the Jain doctrines. One finds such controversial stories proving the supremany of Rāma, Krsna, Siva and others in different Hindu mythological stories. The followers of each of them criticized and fought amongst themselves for the absolute supremacy of their deity.
However, the claim of experiencing absolute truth and the stories connected with it were challenged first by Jainācārya Haribhadra Sūri who in chapters 1-33 of his Șad-darsana-samuccaya says that it is unbelievable that only Vardhamāna was Sarvajñānī who could experience absolute truth. He even disputed the claim of Vardhamāna having been worshipped by gods by saying that the jugglers and magicians often demonstrate such miracles for their own benefit. Later on, we find another Jainācārya Yaśovijaya Sūri mentioning