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Chapter 13
THEORY OF NON-ABSOLUTISM
Non-absolutism is the very basic doctrine of Jainism; it is accepted equally in both the spheres of philosophy and religion. In the modern days the words 'Anekānta' and 'Syādvāda' are generally used in the same sense. Not only Jainas, even discriminative non-Jains know the Jain philosophy and the Jain sect as nonabsolutist philosophy or as non-absolutist sect. For Jainas this belief in non-absolutism has a place of pride in their faith and they have claimed that the doctrine is great, liberal and excellent. Let us now see what this non-absolutism is.
General Explanation
Non-absolutism is a method of thinking and analysis. It is a mental eye that is open from all directions and all sides. It refuses outright to view, from a broken or an incomplete angle, ary subject of knowledge, thinking and conduct. It tends to be partial to all thinking and behaviour from all different angles of vision possible. This partiality is based on truth and that only. The life of this pon-absolutism means the flow of truth and reality oo all its sides. Non-absolutism is not just an imagination; it is a doctrine proved by truth, it is philosophy and a subject of discriminative conduct. The life-force of non-absolutism lies in this that it asks us to think with an open mind on its own self, just as it inspires us to think over and adopt other topics. The power and life of non-absolutism lies in openmindedness, clarity and impartiality of thought.
[Darśan aur Cintan, pt. 2, p. 873
Any individual philosophy or a religious cult is always endo. wed with a special vision of its original promulgator. To illustrate, in the philosophy of Sri Sankara, the vision of non-dualism and
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