Lessons of Ahimsa and Anekanta for Contemporary Life

Author(s): Tara Sethia
Publisher: California State Polytechnic University Pomona

Page 91

Lessons of Ahimsa and Anekānta for Contemporary Life
as high a punishment as death. Deepa Mehta's film ‘Water' ran into troubled water in Varanasi, and the ‘Miss World' beauty contest invited violence in the city. The creed of intolerance is mushrooming to such an extent that acceptance of the views of others has become rare and the pressures of obscurantist and communalist forces are getting stronger and stronger.
In this paper, I suggest that the Jaina tradition may offers a solution to the above mentioned problems. The essence of Jaina philosophy may be captured in the following three terms: ahimsā, anekānta and aparigraha. Most significant of these is anekānta since it has the benefit of samyak-darśana (right-attitude). samyag-jñāna (right knowledge) both are pre-requisites to samyag-căritra (right conduct). Ahimsă and aparigraha both rightly come in the category of samyag-căritra. The three-- samyag-darśana, samyag jñāna, and samyag-căritra--together are called triratnas (three-jewels), and constitute the path of liberation as stated in the opening sutra of Tattvārtha Sutra by Umāsvāti(samyag- darśana-jñāna-cāritrāņi mokşamärgah). Only with right attitude and right knowledge are we in a position to tread the path of supreme ethical principles of ahimsa and aparigraha in our life.
Anekānta emphasizes the basic attitude of mind in the understanding of reality or truth, which has infinite number of aspects (anantadharmātmakamvastu), and thus very complex in nature. Reality, therefore, can be seen from different points of views. One point of view reveals one aspect and another point of view reveals another aspect. The story of six blind men getting different images of an elephant and accordingly giving their own impressions explains this well. None of the pictures given is incorrect but it is not complete either. Therefore the predications about these pictures are not absolute but are only relative. Anekānta helps in comprehending a fuller picture, absorbing numerous aspects of reality. Thus, reality is “eternal” and “noneternal.' Neither of the two alternatives is true or false absolutely. An existent (sat) is real in relation to its four-fold qualities (svabhāva) i.e. substance, place, time & nature (dravya,
84 For Private & Personal Use Only