Book Title: Jainism And Its History
Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

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Page 296
________________ heart. For non-absolutism the views of the opponent are also true. As Siddhasena Divakara (5th Century A.D.) remarks, all schools of thought are valid when they are understood from their own standpoint and so far as they do not discard the truth-value of others.22 Ācārya Hemcandra was a Jaina saint, he composed his works in the praise of Siva. This liberalism has also been maintained by later saints, who composed their works in Hindi or Gujarati like Anandaghana and many others till these days. In a Hindi couplet J.K. Mukhtar says: Buddha Vira Jina Harihara Brahma ya unako svadhina kaho. bhakti bhava se prerita ho yaha citta usi me lina raho. DOOR OF LIBERATION OPEN TO ALL Jainism holds that the followers of other sects can also achieve emancipation or perfection, if they are able to destroy attachment and aversion. The gateway of salvation is open to all. They do not believe in the narrow outlook that “only the follower of Jainism can achieve emancipation, others will not”. In Uttarādhyayana there is a reference to Anyalinga Siddhas i.e. the emancipated soul of other sect. The only reason for the attainment of perfection or emancipation, according to Jainas, is to shun the vectors of attachment and aversion. Ācārya Haribhadra, a staunch advocate of religious tolerance remarks: “One, who maintains equanimity of mind will certainly get emancipation whether he may be a Svetambara or Digambara or Buddhist or any one else. It is this broad outlook of the Jainas which makes them tolerant to the non-violence of thought. About the meansof liberation, the Jainas are also broad minded. They do not believe that their mode of worship or their religious practice only represents in way to reach the goal of Jainism and its History | 294

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