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essence of spiritual nectar and easily graspable to the aspirants of emancipation
Anandaghana, a mystic Jaina saint of the 17th century A.D. remarks that just as ocean can includes all the rivers so does Jainism all other faiths. Further, he beautifully expounds that all the six heretic schools are the organs of Jina and one who worships Jina also worships them. Historically, we also find that various deities of other sects are adopted in Jainism and worshipped by the Jainas. Ācārya Somadeva in his work Yasastilak-campu remarks, that where there is no distortion from right faith and accepted vows, one followthe tradition prevailing in the country.
As we have already said that Jainas believe in the unity of world religions, but unity, according to them, does not imply omnivorous unity in which all the alien faiths will conjoin each other to form an organic whole without losing their own independent existence. In other words it believes in a harmonious co-existence or a liberal synthesis in which all the organs have their individual existence, but work for a common goal i.e. the peace of mankind.
To eradicate the religious conflicts and violence from the world, some may give a slogan of “one world religion” but it is neither possible nor practicable so far as the diversities in human thoughts are in existence. In the Niyamasārait is said that there are different persons, their different activities or karmas and different levels or capacities, so one should not engage himself in hot discussions neither with other sects nor one's own sect.
Acharya Haribhadrasuri remarks that the diversity in the teachings of the Sages is due to the diversity in the levels of their disciples or the diversity in standpoints adopted by the Sages or the diversity in the period of time when they preached, or it is only an apparent diversity.
Jainism and its History | 300
