Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

Page 55

things and on the multiform aspects of real appear to be similar ... to the basic ideas underlying the concepts of association, correlation and concomitant variation in modern statistics..... The realist and pluralist views of Jaina philosophy and the continuing emphasis on the multiform and infinitely diversified aspects of reality.... amounts to the acceptance of an "open" of the universe with scope for unending change and discovery.... It has certain interesting resemblances to the probabilistic and statistical view of reality in modern times.
In sum, a thorough insight into the philosophy of standpoints is necessary to estimate the true value of the statements of our predecessors in the field of metaphysical research. Mankind would find that almost all the confusion of thought, and we might say, the animosity existing between the followers of different religions, would cease to exist as soon as they test the scriptural text which most of us blindly adhere to with the aid of the touchstone of Nayavada. If they would only insert the word "somehow" (syat in Sanskrit) before any scriptural or prophetic statement, they would find their minds becoming trained in the right direction to enquire into the stand-point of the prophet who made any particular statement... It would also enable us to reconcile many a contradictory statements in the scriptures of the same creed as well as those of different faiths; for it does often happen that a statement which is wrong from one particular point of view is not so from another, e.g., one observer might say that bowl full of water contains no air, while another might describe it as containing nothing else but air, both being right from their respective stand-points since water is only gaseous matter form in its essence though manifested in the form the liquid substance owing to the action of atoms of hydrogen and oxygen on one another.
Syadvada is not merely speculative in character but provides the key to a solution of the ontological problems. It has supplied the philosopher with catholicity of thought, convincing him that Truth is not anybody's monopoly with tariff walls of denominational religion, while furnishing the religious aspirant with the virtue of intellectual toleration which is that part of Ahimsa which is one of the fundamental tenets of Jainism.