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characteristics are relative to each other and are contained in the same matter without any contraindications. The importance of this comprehensive synthesis of Anekānta in day to day life is immense in as much as these doctrines supply a reational unification and synthesis of the manifold and rejects these assertions of bare absolutes.
Mr. Stephen Hay, 26 an American Scholar-historian, refers to Mahatma Gandhi's view about the Jaina theory of Anekānta as 'It has been my experience, wrote Gandhi in 1926. ãthat, I am always true (correct) from my point of view, and often wrong from the point of view of my critics. I know that we are both (myself and my critics) right from our respective points of veiw'. He further quotes Gandhijis saying as under:
'I very much like this doctrine of the manyness of reality. It is this doctrine that has taught me to judge a Mussulman from his standpoint and a Christian from his .... From the platform of the Jainas, I prove the non-creative aspect of God, and from that of Ramanuja the creative aspect. As a matter of fact we are all thinking of the unthinkable, describing the indescribable, seeking to know the unknown, and that is why our speech falters, is inadequate and been often contradictory.
History of all conflicts and confrontations in the world is the history of intolerance born out of ignorance. Difficulty with the man is his egocentric existence. Anekānta tries to make the man conscious of his limitation by pointing to his narrow vision and limited knowledge of the manifold aspects of things, and asks him not to be hasty in forming absolute judgements before examining various other aspects both positive and negative. Obviously, much of the bloodshed, and much of tribulations of mankind would have been saved if the man had shown the wisdom of understanding the contrary view points. Anekānta and Ahimsā
More important aspects of Anekāntavāda is, however, the subtlety with which it introduce the practice of Ahimsā (non-violence) even in the realm of thought. The moment one begins to consider the angle from which a contrary viewpoint is put forward, one begins to develop tolerance, which is the basic requirement of the practice of 'Ahimsā”. Origin of all bloody war fought on the surface of this earth can be traced to the war of ideas and beliefs. Anekāntvāda puts a healing touch at the root of human psyche and tries to stop the war of bloodshed. It makes all absolutes in the field of the thought quite irrelevant and naive imparts
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