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In the ego-centric world of today, situations and problems are quite often perceived, viewed and assessed with a one track absolutist approach. It is, however, important to realize that there is nothing like an absolute truth as such. Truth and reality to be clearly understood have to be seen in a relative context in all its multifold aspects and from multiple angels. An absolutist approach tends to ignore overall reality in its comprehensive setting. The inherent nature of truth about any person, situation, commodity or problem could well have manifold aspects of thesis, ante-thesis and synthesis. Anekant approach seeks resolution of such contradictions in order to determine the core and fundamental element of truth. For instance in the life history of a tree, one witnesses first growth from seed to sprout, and then to a little plant and from it to a growing tree. At every stage there is a change of structure as well as change of functioning of particular parts. Thus there is continuous change in the same organism, which is otherwise unchanging and permanent. In the growth of a tree, one observes both identity as well as difference. Forgetting or ignoring the multi-dimensional aspect of reality and attempting to describe it piecemeal and absolutist isolation would end in a similar confusion as the description of an elephant by five blind men, each describing the animal from his own point of contact and thus distorting the reality. Anekant maintains that each individual entity has its unique perception of the world which is a mixture of truth and ignorance. All perceptions may be valid in their place, but may be incomplete, prejudiced, subjective and inadequate view of the reality. The approach of Anekant projects awareness at all times of the multidimensional relativity. It seeks interpretation of a fact or a situation as seen from various related angles. The objective is to initiate an effort to understand and harmonize different points of view in order to bring to surface the core truth from among them. Thus, it will be seen that Jain metaphysics has got a more rational
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A Portrait of Jain Religion
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