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of the tree. So is the case with human knowledge and understanding also, we can have only a partial and relative picture of reality. We can know and describe the reality only from a certain angle or viewpoint. Though every angle or viewpoint can claim that it gives a true picture of reality yet it gives only a partial and relative picture of reality. In fact, we cannot challenge its validity or truth-value, but at the same time we must not forget that it is only a partial truth or one-sided view. One, who knows only partial truth or has a one-sided picture of reality, has no right to discard the views of his opponents as totally false.
We must accept that the views of our opponents also may be true from some other angles. The Jaina theory of Anekāntavāda emphasises that all the approaches to understand the reality give partial but true picture of reality, and due to their truth -value from a certain angle, we should have regard the other's ideologies and faiths. The Anekāntavāda forbids to be dogmatic and one-sided in our approach. It preaches us a broader outlook and open mindedness more essential to solve the conflicts taking place due to the differences in ideologies and faiths. Prof. T.G. Kalghatgi rightly observes, “The spirit of Anekānta is very much necessary to society, especially in the present days, when conflicting ideologies are trying to assert supremacy aggressively. Anekānta bring the spirit of intellectual and social tolerance”.
For the present-day society what is awfully needed is the virtue of tolerance. The virtue of tolerance, i.e. regard for others ideologies and faiths has been maintained in Jainism from the very beginning. Mahāvīra mentions in the Sūtrakrtanga, those who praise their own faiths and ideologies and blame those of their opponents and thus distort the truth will remain confined to the cycle of birth and death". Jaina philosophers have maintained that all the
Jainism and its History
