Jain Journal 1973 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 21

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JAIN JOURNAL
pillar and one who had touched his ears affirmed him like a winnowing fan. The passer-by found out the real cause of their quarrel and he said to them, “Friends, every one of you is correct. The mistake is that you have the knowledge of partial truth which you supposed to be the whole truth about elephant. If all your statements are properly combined we get the complete description of the elephant.” In the like manner various philosophies have cropped up due to the partial visions of truth. This harbinger of harmony suggests rational reconciliation among the warring concepts and thus the whole truth is revealed.
These remarks of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan are illuminating, "Individual freedom and social justice are both essential for human welfare. We may exaggerate the one or underestimate the other, but he who follows the Jaina concept of Anekantavāda,, Saptabhangi naya or Syādvāda will not adopt that kind of cultural regimentation. He will have the spirit to discriminate between the right and wrong in his own and in the opposite views and try to work for a greater synthesis. That should be the attitude, which we should adopt. So the necessity for the self-control, the practice of Ahimsā and also tolerance and appreciation of others point of view--these are some of the lessons, which we can acquire from the great life of Mahavira.” (Mahāvīra Jayantī Speech 1955, India Govt. Publication, New Delhi).
Syādvāda suggests us to see reality from different angles. From the generic view-point of mere existence all are one, be they substratum, attributes or modes. There is no Dualism or Pluralism. But there is other view-point also. From the stand-point of substratum, attributes or modes there is no Monism but Pluralism. Therefore, reality would be described both ways. From the view-point of existence or ‘Sat’, Monism represents the truth; whereas from the stand-point of details, and diversities Pluralism is equally true. When we have the sense of class without its component parts we adopt the generic view, but when we have individual sense instead of the class-view we speak of reality which denies the generic-sense. The class-view is different from the particular view ; e.g., the word 'European comprises of the English, Germans, Russians, etc. When we have the idea of different nationalities the nomenclature 'European' would not serve our purpose ; in that case we will be inclined to distribute the word into different nations of Europe only. If we use a wider term 'mankind' the entire human race will be covered by this general term. The widest term is 'Sat' or Existence. This term has no divisions.
This doctrine of Syādvāda always adopts a friendly and rational approach to reality. As positive and negative wires of electricity when