________________
conflicts, strifes and tensions. Seeing widely differing theories in the same subject one is apt to get confused, hardly knowing which of them represents the correct position. Here anekāntavāda comes to our aid and rescue, and provides an amicable solution to controversies.
The doctrine of anekānta forms the corner-stone of Jain philosophical thinking. Hence, the first volume is devoted to the study of the different aspects of this important doctrine of Jaina philosophy. It is the prerogative of the human being to know the truth and also to express it. According to the Jainas, we find a multiplicity of reals in the world and each object of knowledge is found to be endowed with infinite characteristics. The infinite number of characteristics, though appear to be mutually contradictory, are, in fact, the inalienable part of a real. As a matter of fact, a real is an integrated whole of infinite qualities or attributes. They do certainly, say the Jainas, co-exist in the same object. This co-existence of mutually opposed characteristics should be accepted as a reality. This is the intrinsic nature of the reality. If we deny this, then there arise various sorts of complications and confusions, which lead to conflicts, strifes and tensions. Seeing widely differing theories in the same subject one is apt to get confused, hardly knowing which of them represents the correct position. Here anekāntavāda comes to our aid and rescue, and provides an amicable solution to controversies.
Ken Wilber says that one can notice that all spatial and directional dimensions have opposites : up vs. down, Inside vs. outside, high vs. low, long vs. short, north vs. south, big vs. small, here vs. there, top vs. bottom, left vs. right etc. All the things we consider serious and important are one pole of a pair of opposites : good vs. evil, life vs. death, pleasure vs. pain, freedom vs. bondage. So also our social and aesthetic values are
