Introduction to Jainism and its Culture

Author(s): Balbhadra Jain
Publisher: Kundkund Gyanpith Indore

Page 64

Buddhism does not believe in some eternal and non-regressive entity. This school believes in the ephemeral. The preceding moment transfers its attributes to the following moment and gets destroyed. This is pain or passion. Even for a moment a thing cannot remain stable in one state with one attitude. This world is nothing but continuous transformation. As against this Vedānta believes that transformation is non-existent therefore illusion. This visible world is false only Brahma is truth. It is fundamentally eternal.
The assimilation of these two contradicting schools having absolutistic belief in the impermanent and permanent nature of the world is Syādvāda. It accepts both the theories as partial truths and propounds that the fundamental form of a thing is permanent, it is never destroyed. From this point of view a thing or entity is permanent. But with reference to its modes and variants it undergoes change every moment. From this point of view it is impermanent. The permanence and impermanence of a thing is relative. Its eternal or ephemeral nature is not the absolute truth.
Syādvāda presents assimilative solutions to all philosophical debates in this form. The Jain ācāryas say that nayas (reference points) cover all the philosophies because much like nayas these philosophies accept only one specific form of a thing. For example – Buddhism may be called correct according to Řjusutra naya, Vedānta according to Samgraha naya, Nyāya and Vaiseșika according to Naigama naya, the Shabda-Brahma school according to Shabda naya, and Cārvāka according to Vyavahāra naya. But this is possible only when they are accepted as relative and not absolute.
Syādvāda is a humble effort to explore and recognize parts of truth in all religions and philosophies. Of course, it criticizes the arbitrary prejudices in favour of their own beliefs, but it promotes compromise between mutually contradicting philosophical concepts. It proves its usefulness in the field of philosophy due to this assimilative approach. Had every philosophy accepted Syādvāda would there be any philosophical dispute left unresolved?
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