________________
PROF. ADHIKARI'S ADDRESS.
123
universe or of any part of it would be complete by itself. There will always remain the possibilities of viewing it from other standpoints which have as much claim to validity as the former. This is true both in regard to our mode of knowledge and to the reality known. As a matter of fact, the universe itself;is a complex of innumerable elements and aspects, and we being imperfect in our powers of knowledge, can hardly grasp the whole from our limited standpoints. It is the omniscient who can know the whole as a whole completely and perfectly. Ours are but side-views and partial lights which can never do justice to the whole. This is a simple truth. The wonder of it is that we forget it and try to set up our imperfect views as perfect, and that which is but relative we would raise into the absolute. Nay, imperfect as we are both intellectually and morally, we would fight for the position we uphold as the only true position to the total disregard of other truths that might be there. The true attitude of mind should, in such cases, be an impartial one. as is rightly emphasised by the learned Mallishena in praise of the Jinendra Mahavira.
Anyonyapakshapratipakshabhavat yata pare matsarina pravadha : Nayanaseshanapiseshamichchan na pakshanati samayastatate II."
'Showing how the same thing may be viewed equally from innumerable standpoints, your position is not partial like that of those who are rancorous of each other, because their position happen to be opposed."
44
It is this intellectual attitude of impartiality, without which no scientific or philosophical researches can be successful, is what Syadvada stands for. But we forget that, out of our eagerness to hoist up our pet theory as the only true one, we soon find ourselves placed in irreconcilable contradictions and inconsistencies as the inevitable result of the attitude we adopt. This attitude is very aptly called by Jainism Ekantavada-the single view-point. The real attitude should be one of Anekanta the many sided, where only can lie intellectual rest. How can this universe, with so much incalculable variety in its make-up and progress in time, can be brought under a single angle of vision? The scheme of the universe is palpably pluralistic, and so it would be an inadequate way of regarding it as monistic. True, the human mind must find a unity
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
