Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

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Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion
In the Vedas and Upanişads, the ultimate reality is described neither as real ( Sat ) nor as unreal ( Asat ). Some described the reality is one, while others hold it as many. In fact, the ultimate reality as the same, though it is called by different names. Ajõeyavāda or Agnosticism of Sañjaya shows reconciliatory spirit through his Four-fold or Five-fold formula of denial, so the Vibhajyavada or the Critical method of Investigation of Buddha is contrasted with the Ekantavāda. This is his doctrine of Middle-path or the Madhyam-pratipadá which induced Buddha to “treat prevalent opinions with all due consideration." Nagarjuna's Dialecties of Four-fold Antinomies ( chatuskoți ) resembles Anekanta approach. The Bhedabheda system of Bharata-prapancha is actually referred to as Anekanta. While the Bhatta Mimářsa and the Samkhya have an anekanta bias with respect to some of their ideas and methods. Therefore, Santarakṣita attributes the concept of vaichitrya to the Mimāṁsi as well to the Sámkhyas. Even the critique on the light doctrines of Gautama resemble the Anekantavāda in its spirit and form although they are not as pervasive as they are in Jainism.
(5) Anekantavā da is the heart of Jainism. It constitutes its moral original contribution to the philosophical speculation. However, Anekāntaváda-syädvåda has been more maligned than understood even by the great Vedāntic and Buddhist Acāryas. It is misfortune that system like Advaita which realises the inadequacy of logic to appreciate the evidence of experience as well as the probablistic interpretation of multi-valued logics, which can reconcile the apparent contradictions in the Anekantavāda. Anekanta implies twin functions of analysis and synthesis known as conjunctive and disjunctive dialectics respectively or Nayavada and Syádvāda.
(6) Viewed in the light of the doctrine of Anekanta, the reality reveals not merely as many ( anantatmakam ) but also as infinitely manifold (ananta-dharmātmakam ). The reality is possesed of infinite number of attributes and human know