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own self, religious goal, and the path. One's vision also must be clear. Right vision is just like a torch that illuminates the right way and helps a person to reach their destination.
To start with, one should have faith in Jain Dharma and a Guru who follows the five major vows. However this faith should not be blind, one should always reason and question one's own actions and motivations behind this faith. If these steps are followed with sincerity, one will soon develop total faith in the teaching of the Tirthankars. Right vision will gradually reduce one's worldly attachments and wrong illusions. This in-turn makes a person healthy, happy, wise and spiritual.
Anekant - Non-absolutism: We humans, over time, develop various viewpoints. With a little introspection we realize that our own opinions change over time, place, circumstances or the state of mind. If we do a little deeper introspection, we realize that some of our views are correct, some views are only partially correct as they were formed while not being fully informed, and some views are plain wrong. If we understand how our own views change over time, and some of them are incorrect due to wrong perception, we would also understand that the same will also be true about other people's views. Add to this the fact that other people might have different interests, likes, dislikes, cultural or religious background, and we begin to realize how complex it is to understand people's viewpoints.
A person begins to practice Anekant when he/she develops a discipline of evalu ating not only from his or her own perspective but from that of the other person. This practice will lead a person to seek truth by evaluation from multiple perspectives. This will further lead to the enrichment of one's thought process by the adaptation of relativistic thinking, enabling easy reconciliation and co-existence with oth
ers.
Ahimsa - Non-Violence: Archaya Mahapragya says that Ahimsa is his religion. Not to kill is non-violence, but this is not the complete definition. The real understanding of Ahimsa comes with the realization that the soul within us is just like the soul within every other living matter, be it people, animals or plants. Further, this soul in its pure form is just like the souls of our beloved Thirthankars. As we practice Ahimsa, we will develop respect towards other living matter; respect for their individual rights, their independence and their individuality. With this respect will rise the feeling of compassion, friendship, and equanimity. Although giving up violence altogether is not possible for social beings, the application of maximum non-violence or refraining from unnecessary violence must be part of life.
Saman Sanskrit: Saman is a Prakrit word, and has three forms: Saman, Shaman and Sraman.
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