Book Title: Lessons of Ahimsa and Anekanta for Contemporary Life
Author(s): Tara Sethia
Publisher: California State Polytechnic University Pomona
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Samani Charitrapragya, "Mahāvīra, Anekāntavāda, and the World Today”
the view of Ācārya Mahāprajña, anekānta is not only a philosophy but also a manual for good life." Such an approach to reality encourages us to keep our minds open, and discourages us from adopting an absolutist thinking. This in turn helps us in overcoming the egotistic thoughts which usually originate in an environment where one considers one's view superior to those of others. An approach imbued with anekāntavāda spawns tolerance, equanimity, fraternity, love and compassion-all essential for a nonviolent world order. Thus, in this sense, anekānta is also an essential precondition of ahimsā. Conversely, a person of compassion and nonviolence alone can practice anekantavāda. In the latter sense then, ahiņsă becomes a precondition for anekāntavāda. The application of the philosophy of anekānta to the larger world will help us advance toward a peaceful, harmonious, and nonviolent world. Such attitude will certainly decrease enmity toward others and promote increasing degree of amity among human beings.
13 Ācārya Mahaprajña, Anekanta -The Third Eye (Ladnun: JVBI, 2001).
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