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grace. According to this scheme of salvation, when we witness Jains worship in their temples, it is actually the grace of God in Christ that is at work, and in truth, the Jains are "anonymous Christians." Behind the statue of Mahavira, stand the "hidden Christ." All of the Tirthankaras were "crypto Christians."
Needless to say, for devotees of Krishna, Buddha, or Mahavira, to be told that they are "crypto Christians" is not very complimentary; but in this way contemporary Catholic theologians are able to reconcile Christianity's claim to uniqueness, along with the inclusive message of God's universal love present in all religions, including Jainism. Such "openness" enables the Church to eat its cake and have it too. The doors of the Vatican are now opened to all, but the many are conceived as one - Christians!
The type of thinking that looks on believers of other religions as hidden Christians is a Greek mode of conceptualization, which characterizes all Western thought. It is governed by the logical rule known as the "law of the excluded middle" - "either a or not-a." Atul Shah must be mortal or not mortal - there is no other possibility. But in India this law of thought has not been as emphasized as in Europe. In place of "either/or" thinking, the Indian mind prefers "both/and" thinking. However, Jains allow not two possibilities, but seven!
The Jain basis for complete openness is that the world we encounter is more complex than it appears; that reality is more subtle than we think. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth can only be apprehended by the perfected soul; and if you claim absolute truth, you are claiming to be a siddha - a precarious perch for most, mere mortals!
The tolerance and friendliness which Jains have historically shown toward other sects, proceeds from this unique doctrine of the manysidedness of truth. The magnificent Ranakpur temple enshrines this truth, for though it is erected of 1444 pillars, not a single pillar obstructs the view of the Lord from any nook or corner; he is visible from all angles!
Tulsa Jain Sangh- Tulsa, Oklahoma
tending Jain Her
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134 Jain Education International 2010_03
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