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Anekanta : Philosophy of co-existence
Lord Mahāvīra explained each related issue on the basis of 'Pariņāmi Nityatvavāda' when he was asked whether 'ātmā' (the soul) and pudgala (the matter) both are eternal, he said that existence never ceases 'to be', in the sense that both are 'nitya' (eternal). However, since the cycle of their modification never ends, so they are 'anitya'. In a comprehensive sense, therefore, they are neither 'nitya' nor 'anitya'. So call them 'nityānitya'. No substance ever creases to exist and it is also true that there is a constant process of change and therefore transformation from one form/shape to another is also a fact.
There are two attributes to reality - Sahabhavi or that which persists and kramabhavi or that which changes successively. The sahabhavi indicates the state of reality while the kramabhavi indicates its pace. The sahabhavi is called its trait or gun while the kramabhavi is called the mode (paryay). The famous aphorism of Jain philosophy is that no mode can exist without substance and no substance can exists without mode. One Jain philosopher asked the philosophers believing in absolute permanence, the Vedantins, “Who has seen substance without modes? Have they seen it? When have they seen it? In what form have they seen it? Let us know. In the same manner he asked the fluxists who has seen change without substance. Where have they seen it? When have they seen it? In what form have they seen it?
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