Historical Development Of Jaina Philosophy And Religion

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Z_Jaina_Literature_and_Philosophy_a_Critical_Approach_001936_HR.pdf

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Aspects of Jainology: Volume VI
from which the theory of non-absolutism (Anekantavada) emerged. Sütrakṛtänga, in its first chapter records various contemporary one-sided doctrines regarding the nature of soul and creation of the universe. Mahāvira's approach to all these doctrines is non-absolutistic or relative. In every case, whether it was the problem of eternalism (Śāśvatavāda) and nihilism (Ucchedavāda) about the soul or that of finiteness and infiniteness of the world or that identity and difference of body and soul or also that of monism and pluralism, Mahavira's approach was never absolutistc but relativistic. It was firmly maintained in Jaina canons that the nature of reality is complex and multi-dimensional as well as confluence of many self-contradictory attributes, so it can be approached and explained from various angles or view-points. It is believed that Tirthankara Mahavira while explaining the reality uttered first sentence as tripod (tripadi), i.e., Uppannei, Vigamei, Dhuvei Va. Accordingly in Jainism Reality / 'Sat' is defined as possessing origination, decay and permanence (Utpadavyayadhrauvyayuktam sat: Tattvärtha, 5.29). This three-fold nature of Reality is the base of the Jaina theory of Non-absolutism. On the one hand, the nature of Reality is complex, i. e., a synthesis of opposites identity and difference, permanence and change, oneness and manyness and so on, and on the other hand scope of our experience, knowledge and even expression is limited and relative, so we can not know the Reality as a whole from any particular angle. Our every knowledge about the Reality will always be partial and relative only and in that position our expression or statement about the Reality will be always relative and not categorical ( arpita närpite siddhe: Tattvärtha, 5). In canonical age we have an account of only this much discussion about Anekantavāda.
Thus, in the first phase of its development, this theory was evolved from the theory of Vibhajja
vāda. Though the theory of Vibhajjavāda was common to both Jainism and Buddhism but so far as Buddhist approach to the metaphysical doctrine is concerned, it was a negative one, while Mahavira's was a positive one. Lord Buddha maintained that whether it is eternalism or nihilism, none of these can be regarded as true because any one-sided approach neither represents a right vision regarding Reality nor it explains our practical problems of sorrow and sufferings. That is why he kept mum while answering the questions related to the metaphysics. It is due to this negative approach that Buddha's theory of Nihilism came into existence later on in Buddhism. On the other hand, Mahavira's approach towards these onesided views was positive. He tried to synthesize these different views on the basis of his theory of Anekantavāda.
The synthesis is found for the first time in Bhagavatisutra, wherein, on the basis of two main divisions of Nayas - substantial standpoint (Dravyarthika Naya) and modal standpoint (Paryayarthika Naya) as well as Niscaya Naya, Vyavahara Naya and different Nikṣepas (Positing) and Gateways of investigations (Anuyogadvāras ) such as Substance (dravya ), space (deśa ), time (kāla), mode (bhāva ), name (nama ), symbol (sthapana ), potentiality (dravya ), actuality (bhava ) etc. He has synthesised the various opposite view-points. So it is clear that in the first phase, i. e., before c. 3rd A. D. Vibhajjavāda of Lord Mahavira was fully developed in the positive and synthesising theory of Anekantavāda along with its subsidiary doctrines such as the doctrine of standpoint (Nayavada) etc. Thus, along with the origination of Anekāntavāda, the doctrines of Naya, Nikṣepa and Anuyogadvāra came into existence.
The second phase of the development of Nonabsolutism / Anekantavāda began with Siddhasena Divakara's Sanmatitarka (c. 4th A. D.), continue till the Haribhadra's works such as Saddarśana