Multidimensional Application of Anekantavada

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain, Shreeprakash Pandey, Bhagchandra Jain Bhaskar
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Multi-dimensional Application of Anekantavāda
concept. The speaker grasps and comprehends the object and expresses his views or interprets the object “boy”. The speaker may have many alternatives to discriminate and identify the object. The speaker can identify the object as "person”, “individual" or "human-being" or "living being" or "conscious element in the universe”. The speaker has innumerable alternatives of interpreting the object. Instead of all these alternatives, the speaker identifies the object as a boy". It is his perception of the object. “ Person but looks like a "boy”. Thus, there might be many possibilities of illusion; and fantasy. The speaker's perception of the object is valid if his perception as “boy” is in confirmation with the Reality, the boy”. The function of Anekāntavāda is to analyse the statement or Naya scientifically and meaningfully to gain insight into reality. Analysis should be multi-dynamic to comprehend reality from all dimensions. Anekāntavāda is a scientific approach to gain insight into reality. 2. Let me take another illustration of “Jainism."
The term “Jainism" is a simple word and not a full sentence. The term “Jainism” represents an entire set of philosophy and system of belief. The term “Jainism” is a specific viewpoint. It indicates a class of philosophy, which is named as Jainism, and it differs from other classes of philosophy like Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. The term “Jainism” is, therefore, ‘Naya' by itself.
The term "Jainism” is an implied and incomplete statement. The statement can be as follows:
“A set of philosophy advocated by Jinas (Tīrthankaras) is called Jainism”. “Naya' decodes reality into symbolic forms called words or language. Since 'Naya' represents some aspects of reality partially, which is a basic element of Anekāntavāda. Reality may be one and similar, but perception may be manifold, multi-dimensional, varied and multiple, and many times self-contradictory. It requires dispassionate and scientific approach to analyse ‘Naya'.
Man integrates various alternatives about reality, human mind has limited potentiality and competence to apprehend it. Reality cannot be completely or absolutely or totally perceived. Words also have limited