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RELIGION & CULTURE OF THE JAINS
principles which only now are being rediscovered in the West. In stressing, as they should, the significance of ahimsā as basic to their doctrine, Jainists may be overlooking the importance of their logical contributions to human thought as means to greater peace.” Dr. Shri Krishna Saxena observes, “The Jaina doctrine of anekāntavāda is a unique contribution as in the realm of conduct, it preaches love and respect for all living beings, in the realm of thought, it affirms only relative and conditional validity to all propositions. Its attitude towards other forms of religion is that of perfect noncriticism."
“This intellectual attitude of impartiality”, says Professor P.B. Adhikari, "without which no scientific or philosophical researches can be successful, is what syādvāda stands for. Even the learned Sankarācārya is not free from the charge of injustice that he has done to the doctrine. Syādvāda emphasises the fact that no single view of the universe or any part of it would be complete. There will always remain the possibilities of viewing it from other standpoints.” And, in the words of Dr. Kalidas Nag, “By this great contribution of Jainism to world thought the Jaina logicians and philosophers showed the application of coexistence in philosophy... The diverse approaches to Truth are not conflicting but complimentary; and once this basic truth is fully understood, we may hope to witness the Dawn of a new Conscience and a new Religion of Man."
So, as Prof. A.B. Dhruva puts it, “Syādvāda is not a doctrine of speculative interest, one intended to solve a mere ontological problem, but has a bearing upon man's psychological and spiritual life." Similar is the view of Dr. Harisatya Bhattacharya who says, “The Syādvāda is a theory presenting things as they really are; it is not a set of formal propositions, divorced from and unconnected with matters of experiences.” According to the late Prof. Hiralal Jain, “Jainism has attempted a 'rap - proachment' between the seemingly warring systems by a breadth
