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Non-absolutistic Heritage of Bhagavāna Mahavira
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Brahman.1 Even Lord Buddha's attitude was very close to non-absolutism. He always avoided two extremes-eternalism and nihilism, and held the middle view ( madhyam pratipada ). Lord Buddha's Vibhajyavā da has contributed negatively a lot to the rise and growth of Syádváda. Even the pre-Mahavira Jaina thought was saturated with non-absolutistic ideas. 3
The Brahmanic, the Buddhistic and the Jainas are all engaged in the quest of truth only their methods are different. The method of philosophising adopted by Mahāvīra is known as Anekantavada (Non-absolutism ), which is characterised by two things - totality ( Pūrpata ) and reality ( Yatharthata )4 or viewing the whole reality in its completeness and concreteness. Hence, it was never a Utopia but an attitude of practical life. The basic principle of non-absolutism is applicable in all works of life social and religious, literary and cultural, economic and political. We shall however limit ourselves to the three-fold non-absolutism in thought, word and action.
(IV) (a) Non-absolutism in Thought : Anekantavada — Life is a unity of thought, word and deed. Thought influences action. Hence, emphasis has been laid upon right thinking (Samyak drş!i5 or Samyak Jñāna 6 ). But what is right and what is 1. Brhadaranyak Upanişad, II. 5. 19. 2. Samyutta-nikaya, XII. 17; XII. 24; XII. 35; XL. 85;
XLIV, I. 7-8; Anguttara-nikaya, 3; Digha-nikāya, I. 3. S. N. Gokhale says, “Ahimsā is the key-note of Jainism,
a philosophy which comes from pre-Aryan days”,
quoted by Bool Chand, Ibid. p. 55. 4. Sanghavī, s. : Anekantavada (Varanasi ; J. C. R. S.,
1948 ), p. 3. 5. Digha-nikaya, 22 ( Warren, pp. 372-374 ); Majjhima
nikaya ( quoted by Sogen ); Systems, pp. 169-171. 6. Tattvartha-Sūtra of Uma Swami, I. 1.
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