Samayasara

Author(s): Kundkundacharya, Jethalal S Zaveri
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 27

Introduction/Premble to Chapters I & II
Samayasāra
aspect, 'substratum' of attributes is, for the time being, removed from the theatre of consideration, while the attributes are restored with the main part, without however denying the former's existence. 7. Salient Features of Jain Doctrines
As already stated in the general introduction, there are some fundamental metaphysical and philosophical doctrines which are peculiar to Jain philosophy. To grasp properly the Jain views in general and the author's views expressed in this book in particular, it is necessary to first understand and appreciate these doctrines. We shall, therefore, very briefly discuss the salient features of these doctrines.
(1) The Doctrine of Non-absolutism (Anekānta)
The first and the most important doctrine is the law of anekāntavāda, that is, non-absolutism. It is basal to the structure of Jain philosophy and at the same time, is its most original contribution to philosophical thinking that has come down to us as an invaluable heirloom. Unfortunately, anekāntavāda is more maligned than understood. Its originality lies in that it seeks to reorientate our logical attitude and asks us to accept the exposure of (apparent) contradictions as the true measure of the nature of Reality. It is the key to unlock the mystery of the paradoxical nature of Reality.
To fully understand the fundamental nature of the conscious substance which is the subject matter of the entire book and, in particular of the first two chapters, we shall discuss the basic principles of this unique doctrine. In the first place, non-absolutism neither endorses absolute eternalism nor absolute fluxism, but explains both these extremes as real with reference to different spects of the same reality.
The law of anekānta affirms that there is no opposition1. Modern science explains the paradox of wave particle duality of light by the
concept of complementarity introduced by Neils Bohr (one of the founders of the quantum theory). This concept states that light is a wave from one aspect and particle from another aspect and both the wave-aspect and the particleaspect of light are necessary to fully understand the true nature of light. At the same time it clarifies that light or anything else, cannot be both wave-like and particle-like in the same context. This precisely is the Jain position with regard to any two opposites.