$JES 904 Compendium of Jainism (Jain Academic Bowl Manual 3rd Edition)

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 93

PHILOSOPHY
B11 - Anekäntavädal - Theory of Multiplicity
B11 - Anekäntavädal - Theory of Multiplicity 01 Introduction Modern day logic is defined as the study of principles and method of argumentation. An argument in the system of logic is a set of statements. Jain logic is ancient. Its roots can be traced to the Holy Scriptures in which it states, "Non-absolutism is the principal dogma of Jainism". Furthermore, "every statement is to be accepted as relative truth". Let us take an example. My name is Kirit. My father's name is Prabhudas and my son's name is Amit. Now I am father and son at the same time. How can this be? From Prabhudas's perspective, I am a son and from Amit's perspective, I am a father. Thus, both statements are true from their own perspectives. Soul is eternal as well as changing. How can these two conflicting statements be true? According to Jain logic, they are true statements in their own perspective. Soul is eternal from a substantial point of view (Dravya). The soul is ever changing from a modal point of view (Paryaya). Philosophical and religious arguments about the nature and origin of reality are as old as human history. In India, sages and philosophers held many metaphysical views and were in constant dialogue and argument with one another. The Jains were active participants in the debates, and among their central tenets was the position referred to as Anekäntaväda. Translated literally, it means the multiplicity and relativity of views. Anekäntaväda means that in many cases the arguments adopted by the various participants in a debate all hold some validity. Because the Jain position is able to overcome the apparent inconsistencies between the other views, it comes closer to fully grasping the one underlying truth. Anekantaväda maintains that the truth has many facets. Each viewpoint may be true from one perspective while not so from the other. Furthermore, only the omniscients know the whole truth. Worldly beings without omniscience are limited in their capacity to know and comprehend the whole truth. This is elegantly demonstrated in following story. An Elephant and The Blind Men Once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. One day the villagers told them, "Hey, there is an elephant in the village today." They had no idea what an elephant looks like since they were blind. They decided, however, to go and feel the elephant anyway. Each of them touched the elephant.
"Hey, the elephant is like a pillar," said the first man who touched his leg. "Oh, no! It is like a rope," said the second man who touched the tail. "Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant. "It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant. "It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.
"It is like a solid pipe," said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant. They began to argue about the elephant and every one of them insisted that he was right. They were getting agitated. A wise man, who was passing by saw this. He stopped and asked them, "What is the matter?" "We cannot agree on what the elephant is like." They said. Everyone told what he thought the elephant was like. The wise man calmly explained to them, "All of you are right. The reason every one of you is perceiving elephant differently is because each one of you touched a different part of the elephant. "Oh!" they said. There was no more fighting. They felt happy and content that they were all right. This story clearly demonstrates the fact that one cannot make an affirmative statement regarding the truth without knowing the whole truth. Truth has many facets and can be expressed in many different ways. Any statement regarding the truth may be true in its own limited way. So, rather than arguing like the blind men, we should say, "Maybe you have your reasons." One should know the complete truth, and
Compendium of Jainism - 2015
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