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

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Page 186
________________ human lies in the virtue of compassion, sympathy, affection, service, and in the acts of benevolence. He propounded in Uttaradhyanna Sūtra that man is brahmin, sudra, kastriya and vaiśya not by birth but by action. Noble thoughts and actions justifies the human nature. He abolished the practice of considering one person as high or low on the basis of one's birth, and re-established the merit of action in the world of disparity. In Veda-s it is quoted, "Amrutasya putraṁ vayam", i.e. we all are the sons of the same God."Ātmavat Sarvabhutesu", i.e. behold all living beings as of equal intrinsic values as of oneself. "Visham eka needań", i.e. the whole universe is single, all supporting trees keep suggesting for peaceful co-existence without discriminating between one man and the other on the narrow principles of class, colour, languages, province, caste or creed. Today we see that there is a kind of absolute notion of sexual superiority, colour superiority, caste superiority, class, country and religious superiority which is creating reactive violence and inhuman behaviour in the name of untouchable considering the other as inferior due to the one-sided outlook.. The outstanding philosopher of the day Richard Rorty has discussed the cause of distinction between male and female. In male dominated society, only male are considered as human beings as they possess rationality. Women are emotional, so they are not human beings. This kind of approach is threatening for the human solidarity. It is conceived that nine out of ten men or women , are firmly convinced of the superior excellence of their own sex. There is abundant evidence on both sides. If you are a man, you can point out that most poets and scientists are male; if you are a women, you can retort criminals. This question is inherently insoluble, until the anekantic perspective is taken into the consideration. Uttaradhyanna Sūtra. op.cit., verse-12. 163

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