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Jaina Logic
417
Meaning: Lord has commanded us to do that act which is suitable to substance, place, time and state, keeping our mental states pure. He has commanded us to act and behave in such a manner that we cause good to ourselves as well as to others. (778) Lord tīrthankara has not commanded us to perform a particular act absolutely always in all circumstances. Nor has he forbidden us to perform a particular act absolutely always in all circumstances. His command is only this much that one should behave and act honestly and sincerely keeping in view the welfare of oneself as well as of others. (779)
Before closing the topic of anekānta-vāda, against the misuse of the theory.
It is certain that the meaning of anekānta-vāda is to examine all sides or views and to effect proper synthesis of those sides or views which are consistent with one another. But an attempt to synthesise inconsistent or discordant views is childish. An attempt to prove what is wrong to be right, and vice versa is foolish. That way anekānta-vāda becomes theory of chaos instead of that of synthesis and harmony.
When our faculty of discretion considers the activity to be improper and positively harmful in certain circumstances, to seek support of anekāntavāda for it, to try to make it consistent with syādvāda and under the pretext of anekānta, synthesis and liberality to establish it as proper and respectable is the misuse of anekānta-vāda. It is a mockery of anekāntavāda. Anekānta-vāda does not ask us to surrender to each and every view, though it is not consistent with the whole Truth. It is nothing but a theory of judicious synthesis. It is not a hotch-potch theory.
Nikṣepa (Four Meanings of a Word) Language is a means of communication. All practical intercourse or exchange of knowledge has language for its chief instrument. When it is couched or embodied in language, intangible knowledge becomes tangible and hence conveyable. Language is made up of words. One and the same word is employed to yield several meanings depending on the purpose or context. In any case, four meanings at least are had by each and every word. These four meanings are called niksepas. They are nāma (name), sthāpanā (representation), dravya (substance) and bhāva (present state). (1) The meaning that is not derived etymologically, but is gathered on the basis of convention set up by the father, mother or some other people is meaning of the type called nāma-nikṣepa; for example, a person who
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