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Anekānta - A Jaina Contribution to
Scholastic Methodology
— M.R. Gelra
The beginning of Jaina monastic learning and scholarship originated and developed from the needs of transmitting and handing down to pupils the explanations of the sacred scriptures of Jainism. The teachings of Mahavira were first transmitted orally from one generation to another and later on they were reduced to writing in the Prakrit language in archaic style which was popular two thousand years ago. Jain Acharayas, with a view, to providing a scientific justification to the old inherited literature gave special emphasis on methodology establishing the distinctive trait of Jaina Scholasticism. They evolved quite a number of different systems of interpretative tools to explain the legitimacy of the traditions as mentioned in the canonical texts. Philosophically, the most scientific and efficacious part of the methodology is the theory of non-absolutismi.e. Anekāntavāda. During the formative period of Anekāntavāda there were two prominent rival schools of thought in India. The Vedānta used to describe the reality i.e. the substance or dravya alone as ultimately true whereas the Buddhist phenomenalism accepted the modes of substance as an ultimate truth. Jaina appropriated them both and accepted according to Jaina Logic (Anekānta) both the substance and the various modes ultimately true. This is how the doctrine of Anekānta became the central thesis of Jain Philosophical thinking.
TAHUN IC15 F4502, 2001 C
113
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