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partial cessation from harmful and violent activities
Jainism has not only given us a special gift with regard to practical conduct but it has also given special gifts in regard to philosophical doctrines. The chief philosophical doctrine among these is the theory of relativity or SYADVÀDA or ANEKANTAVADA. According to this doctrine many mutually contradictory or contrary attributes of a thing can be admitted when looking at it from diferent stand points. Therefore, this is known as the theory of relativity. The speciality of this doctrine is that it gives justice to the views of all philosophies. For example, Buddhism holds that the soul is totally momentary whereas Nyaya and other philosophies hold or maintain that Atma (soul) is absolutely eternal but in this matter Jainism holds that from the point of view of its modifications the soul is momentary or transitary or impermanent but the same soul is permanent when it is considered as a substance. In this way, because the soul is both permanent and impermanent, it cannot be said to be entirely permanent or entirely impermanent. But it is both. This is called ANEKANTA OR SYDVADA. Thus Jainism brings about a synthesis so far as the different view points of the different philosophies are concerned.
In each and everything so many mutually opposite, contradictory or even exclusive attributes find a place from different points of view. Just as a glass of water which is half filled with water can be described as both - half filled and half empty and both these descrioptions are apt
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