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particular thinking. Thus anekānta rejects absolutism and fundamentalism.. It teaches to respect alternative viewpoints even when we disagree with them. This mindset cultivates an attitude of tolerance, openness and co-operation, which helps to build bridges rather than walls, cohesion rather than conflict.
During the then period of Mahavira near about 363 schools of philosophies were prevailing. It was a tradition to ponder philosophically over every conundrum. But in those days, philosophers did not think of Yoga or its application as a task of philosophy. It was considered different from philosophy. Philosophy was understood as explaining the truths of substance, while Yoga was understood as training in meditation as accepted in Sankhya and Yoga philosophy. One cannot say this division was right. Because of this narrow view, the scope of philosophy was limited to the understanding of the process of creation of Universe and its fundamental substances namely, soul and matter, its nature and its logical utility and so forth.In reality, "Philosophy is that which can present a comprehensive picture of all the truths of life”l. The philosophy with which we have no connection and through which our present day problems cannot be solved, that philosophy may be useful for some extra-terrestrial ,but definitely not useful for man. Indeed a philosophy of matter cannot be life's philosophy. Unless this narrow definition of philosophy is reconsidered, it will not serve any purpose in contemporary times. Today it is essential to change this vision of what use can that philosophy be, which does not touch on problems? How can that which is so cut-off from problems of life, be called a philosophy at all? “Ācārya Mahaphajňa rightly said, the last step of the intellect (reasoning), is the first step of the applied philosophy.”
The several future generations will be grateful to the holistic thinking of the twentieth century's contemporary
Mahaprajnā. Anekānta: The Third Eye, p. 124.
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