Religious Harmony And Fellowship Of Faiths A Jaina Perspective

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Z_Jaina_Literature_and_Philosophy_a_Critical_Approach_001936_HR.pdf

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Religious Harmony and Fellowship of Faiths: A Jaina Perspective
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scriptures. Thus when religion tends to be rational there will hardly be any room for intolerance. One who is thoroughly rational in religious matters, certainly would not be rigid and intolerant.
Non-absolutism of the Jainas refuse to allow the individual to be dogmatic and one-sided in approach. It pleads for a broader outlook and open mindedness, which alone can resolve the conflicts that emerge from differences in ideologies and faiths. Satkari Mookerjee rightly observes that Jainas do not believe in the extremist a priori logic of the absolutists. Pragmatically considered, this logical attitude breeds dogmatism and if carried a step further, engenders fanaticism, the worst passion of human heart22. For non-absolutism the views of the opponent are also true. As Siddhasena Diväkara (5th Cent. A.D.) remarks "All schools of thought are valid when they are understood from their own standpoint and so far as they do not discard the truth-value of others. Hemcandra was a Jaina saint; he composed his works in the praise of Siva. This liberalism is also maintained by later saints who composed their works in Hindi or Gujarati like Anandaghana and many other, till these days. In a Hindi couplet J.K. Mukhtar says
buddha Vira jina Harihara Brahma ya usako svadhina kaho/ bhakti bhāva se prerita ho, yaha citta usi me lina raho //
Non-Absolutism - the Philosophical Basis of Tolerance
Dogmatism and fanaticism are the born children of absolutism. An extremist or absolutist holds that whatsoever he propounds is correct and what others say is false, while a relativist is of the view that he and his opponent both may be correct, if viewed from two different angles and thus a relativist adopts a tolerant outlook towards other faiths and ideologies. It is the doctrine of 'Anekantavada' or non- absolutism of the Jainas on which the concept of religious tolerance is based. For the Jainas non-violence is the essence of religion from which the concept of non-absolutism emanates. Absolutism represents 'violence of thought', for, it negates the truth-value of its opponent's view and thus hurts the feeling of others. A non-violent search for truth finds non-absolutism.
Jaina thinkers are of the view that reality is a complex one.20 It has many facetes, various attributes and various modes. It can be viewed and understood from different angles and thus various judgments may be made about it. Even two contradictory statements about an object may hold true. Since we are finite beings, we can know or experience only a few facets of reality at one time. The reality in its completeness cannot be grasped by us. Only a universal-observer-Sarvajña can comprehend it comple- tely. Yet even for an Omniscient it is impossible to know is and to explain it without a standpoint or viewpoint. This premise can be understood form the following example. -- Take it for granted that every one of us has a camera to clic a snap of a tree. We can have hundreds of photographs but still we find most portion of the tree photographically remains uncovered, and what is more, the photographs differ from each other unless they are taken from the same angle. So is the case with diversified human understanding and knowledge. We only can have a partial and relative view of reality. It is impossible for us to know and describe reality without an angle or viewpoint. While every angle or viewpoint can claim that it gives a true picture of reality but each one only gives a partial and relative picture of reality. On the basis of partial and relative knowledge of reality one can claim no right to discard the views of his opponents as totally false. According to Jaina thinkers the truth-value of opponents must be accepted and respected.
Door of Liberation - Open to All
Jainism holds that the followers of other sects can also achieve emancipation or perfection, if they are able to destroy attachment and aversion. The gateway of salvation is open to all. They do not believe in the narrow outlook that "only the follower of Jainism can achieve emancipation, others will not". In Uttarādhyayana there is a reference to anyalnga-siddhas i.e. the emancipated souls of other sects. The only reason for the attainment of perfection or emancipation, according to Jainas, is to shun the vectors of attachment and aversion. Haribhadra, taunch advocate of religious tolerance remarks : "One, who maintains equanimity of mind will certainly get emancipation whether he may be a Svetāmbara or Digambara or Buddhist or any one else. It is this broad outlook of the Jainas which makes them tolerant to the non-violence of thought.
About the means of liberation, the Jainas are also broadminded. They do not believe that their mode of worship or their religious practice is the only one that represents the way to reach the goal of emancipation. For them, not the external modes of worship, but the right attitude and mentality are the things that makes religious practices fruitful. The Acārānga-sutra mentions that the practices which are considered to be the cause of bondage