Book Title: Applied Philosophy of Anekanta
Author(s): Shashiprajna Samni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati Institute

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Page 158
________________ greatest danger to the survival of humanity. Fundamentalism is now the biggest enemy of spirituality the and it is selfdestructive. Political intolerance is no less dangerous. It destroys all norms of good governance. No political system can succeed unless rival parties competing for power learn to endure each other. It is evident that disintegration of highly cultured and educated citizens had led to two big world wars. According to Jains, forgiveness, should suffix intolerance. Emotions can't be altogether controlled. Jains have found out a very effective way to counter this. It suggests spending a couple of minutes everyday to seek forgiveness for ones intolerant acts, words and deeds, and to give forgiveness to others for their intolerance. This anekāntic approach of tolerance not only purifies the heart and cleanses the mind from ill the effects of intolerance, but also establishes a friendly abode on the earth. (v) Equanimity The fifth principle of anekānta is Equanimity. Ācārya Umāsvāti in his Tattvārtha Sūtra cites an important aphorism of universal brotherhood "parasparopagraho jivānām" i.e., mutual interdependence of living beings. Nothing is independent. All are interdependent .Our third eye is the eye of equanimity. We have two eyes. Our right eye symbolizes attachment and the left, aversion. To live in the world of phenomena , one has to develop the anekāntic view in practical life with the understanding that all the six levels of beings possess equal consciousness and behave accordingly.Tirthankar Mahavira endowed humanity with a fundarnental thought on which entire behaviour, patterns and relationship with the environment is based. An equality of all the forms of life and reverence for all of them is his central teaching. He taught, "As you want to live, Tattvārtha Sūtra. op.cit., 5.21. ? Mahaprajña. Anekānta: The Third Eye. op.cit., p. 88. 135

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