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and logical ought to be accepted." Thus, when religion tends to be rational, there will hardly be any room for intolerance. One who is thoroughly rational in religious matters, certainly, would not be rigid and intolerant.
Dogmaticism and fanaticism are the born children of absolutism. An extremist or absolutist holds that whatsoever he propounds is correct and what others say is false, while a relativist is of the view that he and his opponent, both may be correct if viewed from two different angles hence a relativist adopts a tolerant outlook towards other faiths and ideologies. It is the doctrine of Anekāntavāda or non-absolutism of the Jainas, the concept of religious tolerance is based upon. For the Jainas nonviolence is the essence of religion from which the concept of nonabsolutism (Syadvāda) emanates. Absolutism represents 'violence of thought', for it negates the truth-value of its opponent's view and thus, hurts the feeling of others. A nonviolent search for truth finds non-absolutism.
Non-absolutism of the Jainas forbids the individual to be dogmatic and one-sided in approach. It pleads for a broader outlook and an open mindedness, which alone can resolve the conflicts that emerge from differences in ideologies and faiths. Non-absolutism regards the views of the opponent also as true. Siddhasena Divakara (C. 5th A.D.) remarks "All schools of thoughts are valid when they are understood from their own stand-point and in so far as they do not discard the truth-value of others. The knower of non-absolutism does not divide them into the category of true and false. They become false only when they reject the truth-value of others." It was this broader outlook of non-absolutism which made Jainas tolerant.
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