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JAIN JOURNAL VOL-XXXVIII, NO. 2 OCT. 2003
the sense of touch. Thus the Anekāntavāda is a zig-zag to the peace lovers. It is a world-court which walks the chalk for welfarism. It is a vertoscope and video which stall off staircase illusion about the objects. This view paves the way to establish the world-peace and washes away waspishness of persons and nation.
Anekānta consists in a many aided approach to the study of problems of knowing the real thing or truth. Intellectual tolerance is the foundation of this doctrine. It emphasizes the many-sidedness of truth. Reality can be looked at from various angles. Although Anekānta is a special feature of the Jaina point of view, it is possible to say that other schools of thought were aware of the view. In Buddhist Philosophy the phrase ‘majjhima magga' bears the same significance as Anekānta. It is suggested that the doctrine of evolution as propounded by the Samkhya school implies the Anekānta attitude. The Jainas perfected the doctrine and systematized it. In the Bhagavatisūtra, there is a dialogue between Mahāvīra and his disciple Gautama -
"Are the souls, O Lord, eternal or non-eternal" ?
"The souls are eternal in some respect and non-eternal in some other respects" "They are eternal, O Gautama, from the point of view of substance and non-eternal from the point of view of modes."
Anekantavāda seeks to find out a solution out of this intellectual chaos in the study of the metaphysical problems. It seeks to find meaning in the diversity of opinions and tries to establish that these diverse views are neither completely false nor completely true. They present partial truths from different points of view. The Anekānta seems to determine the extent of reality present different schools of thought and gives a synoptic picture of reality. The eminent Acāryas, like Samantabhadra, Siddhasena, Akalanka and Haribhadra have presented the subtle logical distinctions and the metaphysical thought involving unity and diversity, the oneness and duality and other forms of philosophy on the basis of Anekānta. A comprehensive picture of reality is sought to be presented by the theory of Anekānta.
Upadhyāya Yasovijaya says that one who has developed the Anekanta outlook does not dislike other view-points. He looks at other view points with understanding and sympathy, just as a father looks at
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