Book Title: Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture
Author(s): Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
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290 Anekäntavada and Syädvāde
have belonged to Sañjaya's school of Paribbājakas who were followers of Parsvanatha tradition converted later into Nataputta's religion before he joined the Buddha's order. Dighanakha was a nephew of Sañjaya. It seems therefore that he was a follower of Jainism. This inference may be confirmed if Dighanakha can be identified with Dighatapassi of the Upalisutta of Majjhima Nikaya, who was a follower of Nigantha Nataputta.
In the above propositions of Saccaka, Citta Gahapati and Dighanakha Paribbājaka, we can trace the first three or four predications (including Syadavaktavya) of Syādvāda conception of Jainism.
It is not impossible that the term "Syat" had been used by Jainas in the beginning of each predication to justify correctly the other's views on the basis of non-absolutism. The word "syat" (siya in Pāli), which indicates the definite standpoint towards the problems, is also used in the Cula Rahulovadasutta of the Majjhima Nikaya, where the two types of the Tejodhātu are pointed out in definite way48. It seems that this word "syat" originally belonged to Jainas and was later used by the Buddhists in a particular sense. The defect of self-contradiction in Syadvada conception of Jainas is a criticism levelled against it by the Buddhists. It happened so, only because of ignorance of the meaning of Syat. As a matter of fact, the Jainas had concentrated their attention on the matter of controversial points in different theories of the then philosophers and had trid to examine their views from differnt standpoints. By this method, the Jainas could figure out the real nature and consider the problem in a non-violent way.
48. See B.C. Jain on the Refutation of Syadvāda in Buddhist Literature: Anekantavāda and Buddhist Philosophers, Vidharbha Samsodhana Mandala Varsika, 1966.
