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746
I am the Soul
Firstly, it needs to be stated that Srimadji was full of compassion upon seeing the sorry state of the jivas insisting on one-ended solutions. He has tied up the concepts of vyavahara and niscaya in Atmasiddhi Shastra in such a way that these jivas could understand the truth. Jain philosophy is multi-ended. Here the seven nayas have been broken down to seven hundred nayas and those further into infinite nayas. No naya has been ignored. If ignored it will be only an illusion of naya. Then the true and proper form of a principle cannot be understood. Atma has been discussed in this Shastra through two viewpoints involving naya. That is why Srimadji says that here, we have neither the oneended niscaya naya nor the one-ended vyavahar naya. But both have been explained in their proper form in their respective places.
This vision of Srimadji is unique. He was englightened. He knew the thoughts of the pancham-kala. He was familiar with the psychology of today's humans. That is why he emphasised that those who insisted on ekanta were on the wrong path and is seeking to open their eyes. Indeed, he is trying to show us where those believing in vyavahar are mistaken in their vyavahar and those believing in niscaya are mistaken in niscaya. One of them is at fault firstly because he believes only in vyavahara and more so because he does not understand good vyavahara. In the same way, the other one is at fault firstly because he believes only in niscaya and more so because he is unaware of what proper niscaya is.
Thus he very clearly expresses these beliefs prevailing in this our period.
A jiva tends to believe that the customs and thinking of the school of thought – gachcha or sect – sampradaya to which he belongs are the vyavahar. However, where there is stubborn insistence, that vyavahar is not pure. There is an insistence that dharma is possible only through the observance of those
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