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not imply that they do not exist.
In this way, Syadvad is not a symbol of possibility, uncertainty, and confusion, and so on, but a replica of certainty and truth. Mahavir's concepts of Syadvad, ahinsa (nonviolence) and aparigrah (non-hoarding) are erected on the foundation of Manifoldness of Reality. What is plurality (Anekantavad) in thought is Syadvad in speech, non-violence in conduct and aparigrah in the social system. Via the mode of Anekant, Mahavir is in search of a classless, secular, serene and sublime life for an individual and the society. His agony and concern is not merely for human beings, but for all Jiv (living beings) and Ajiv (non-living beings). In an era when it was impossible to think of equality between man and man, Mahavir declared that all things are equally vast and independent. Translating his declaration into deeds, he admitted men and women of all castes and creed impartially in his fourfold Sangh (religious organization).
DOCTRINE OF UPADAN How should we interact with this immense expanse of living and non-living things bearing in mind the manifoldness of reality with its concomitant characteristics of creation, destruction, permanence, independence and self-sufficiency has been the basic concern and the gist of Mahavir's philosophy. Mahavir has spelled out this behaviour by attributing the role of material cause (upadan) and of instrumental agency (nimitta) to an entity. He says that each entity is solely responsible for its progress or regress.
Change takes place in the upadan (material cause). For instance, clay is the upadan in making a clay pot. For it is clay that changes form to turn into a clay pot. But it retains its essential identity (svadravya). It has the attribute of being transformable from a lump of clay to a clay pot.
Nimitta (instrumental cause) is the catalyst. For instance, the potter is merely the instrumental agent in turning a lump of clay into a clay pot. Hence, clay is the upadan and the potter is the nimitta. It is the essential but external factor in
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