Keynote Address of Dr Sagarmal Jain at Calcutta

Author(s): Mahadeolal Saraogi
Publisher: Mahadeolal Saraogi

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in society, specially in the present day, when conflicting ideologies are trying to assert supremacy aggressively. Anekanta brings the spirit of intellectual and social tolerance.
For the present-day society what is awfully needed is the virtue of tolerance. This virtue of tolerance i.e. regard for others' ideologies and faiths is maintained in Jainism from the very beginning. Mahavira mentions in the Sutrakrtanga, 'those who praise their own faiths and ideologies and blame that of their opponents and thus distort the truth will remain confined to the cycle of birth and death.' Jaina philosophers all the time maintain that all the view points are true in respect of what they have themselves to say, but they are false in so far as they refute totally other's view-points. Here I would like to quote beautiful verses of Haribhadra (8th century A.D) and Hemchandra (12th century A.D), which are the best examples of religious tolerance.
Haribhadra says: "I bear no bias towards Lord Mahavira and no disregard to the Kapila and other saints and thinkers, whatsoever is rational and logical ought to be accepted." Hemchandra says: "I bow all those who have overcome the attachment and hatred, which are the cause of worldly existence, be they Brahma, Vishnu, Siva or Jina."
Jaina saints have tried all the times to maintain the harmony in different peligious-faiths and they tried to avoid religious conflicts. That is why Jainism has survived through the
ages.
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