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only one sided picture of the fact or phenomena and thus create a false notion. According to the Jaina thinkers the onesidedness (ekānta) and the claim that my view is the only right view (agraha) are considered as false notions (mithyātva).
For Buddha and Mahavira both, the true method of answering the philosophical questions is the method of analysis. Only an analytic approach towards the philosophical problems can give us a right vision. Both of them suggested that the philosophical questions should be answered after analysing them. This method of analysis was called as vibhajjavāda in both the canons. Buddha and Mahavira both claimed themselves as Vibhajjavadins. In Buddhist order at the time of Asoka only the Vibhajjavadins were considered as the true followers of Buddha. In Anguttarnikāya it is mentioned that there are four methods of answering a question-(i) answer to a question en-toto, i.e., absolutely (ekāṁśavāda), (ii) answer to a question after analysing it into various parts (vibhajjavāda), (iii) answer to a question by raising a new question and (iv) to keep silence.1 Buddha and Mahavira both preferred the second method, i.e., vibhajjavāda, though Buddha sometimes used the first, third and fourth methods also. It is mentioned in the texts that Buddha himself claimed as Vibhajjavadin. Prof. S. Dutt in his book 'The Buddha and Five After Centuries' says "perhaps the word Vibhajjavadin originally meant one whose method was to divide a matter posited into its component parts and deal with each part separately in his answer and not with the whole matter in en-toto fashion." This method of vibhajjavāda i.e. the method of analysis is well illustrated in Subha-sutta of the Majjhimanikaya. Subha asked Lord Buddha, 'whether busy life of a man of the world is to be preferred or a monk's reposeful life? Buddha answered-'the busy life may be a failure or success and so too the life of repose.' Similarly in the Jaina text Bagavati-sutra, Jayanti asked Mahavira whether sleeping is good or awakening is good? Lord answered that for a sinner sleeping is good and for a saint awakening is good. This analytic approach towards the problems shows that the relative answer is the proper method to deal with the problems, whether they are philosophical, religious, ethical or the problems of everyday life. Absolute or categorical answer explains only one aspect or the part of the problem and other aspects of the problem remain unexplained.
Thus we can say that analytic approach towards the problems gives
1 Anguttara Nikaya, Vol. II, page 47.
130 JAINTHOLOGY
