Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture

Author(s): Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 294

The Rudiments of Anekāntavāda in Early Pāli Literature 277
Sūtrakstānga of the Jainas requires the Jaina monk to explain a problem with the help of Vibhajjavāda'. It shows that the Jainas as well as the Budhists followed the analytical method of explanation.
It is possible that the earliest division of the above questions was into (1) Ekamsa-vyākaraniya-pañha, and (2) Anekamsa-vyākaraniya.. pañha corresponding to the Jaina classification of two kinds of statements-ekamsika dhamma and anekamsika dhamma. Later, the latter calss would have been sub-divided into the (1) Vibhajja-vyakaraniya and the (2) Thāpaniya. Patipucchā-vyakaraniya is a sub-ciss of vibhajja-vyākaraniya“.
A point to be noted here is that the Buddha used the word “Anekamsa'' in his preachings. For instance, in reply to a question asked by Potthapāda, the Buddha says "I have taught and laid down doctrines (of which it is possible to make) categorical (assertions) and I have taught and laid down doctrines of which it is not possible to make categorical assertions.” (ekamsika pi.....mayā dhammā desitä, paññattā anekamsika pi...mayā dhammā desitā paññattā”). Here “Anekamsika” like “Vibhajjavāda'' is similar to Anekāntavāda" of Jaina. The etymolcgy and meaning are also similar. But the difference between these two theories is that the Jainism accepts all statements to possess some relative (anekāntika) truth, while Buddhism does not accept that all non-categorical statements (anekamsika) can be true or false from one standpoint or another. Anekāntavāda, unlike Anekāmsikavāda, conceives of the possiblity of knowing reality from one or more standpoints. Pandita Durvekamiśra, a Buddhist philosopher in the Hetubinduţikāloka, summarized this concept as follows: “Syācchabdo" nekāntavacano niyatosti tena syādvädo anekāntavādo yadvā syādakșanikah ityādi..... A developed form of this doctrine is referred to in later Sankrit Budhist philosophical literature. This theory continued to develop still further upto the time of Kundakunda.
Nayavāda Nayavāda or the theory of partial truth is an integral part of the conception of Anekāntaväda, which is essential to conceive the sole nature of reality (vastu nayati prāpayati samvedanākotimārohati). It provides for the acceptance of different viewpoints on the basis that each reveals a partial truth (vastvamsagrāhī). about object. Naya
3. Vibhajjavayan ca vyāgarajje, Sūtrartānga, 1. 44. 22. 4. Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge, p. 292. 5. D. i. 191 6. HBT. p. 284