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III, 27, 28)
:
CRAPTER III
[ 139
have also other side of the shield that is to say it also sometimes assumes the form of Ekānta (i.e. single point of view). But if that single point of view is in keeping with the true nature of a thing, there even Anekānta may sometimes become Ekānta.
Thus Anekānta guards us from holding opinions that are based on views that are one sided and extreme and that under the cloak of Anekānta really maintain onesided views. The thoughts in Jaina Šāstra are really based on Anekānta. If instead of knowing their nature of many-sidedness, a man lapses into one-sidedness, his viewpoint is wrong. The following two instances are typical. There are according to Jaina Šāstra six classes of worldly beings. Now to think that there are only six classes neither more nor less is an extreme view and should, therefore, be discarded. The fact is that sentient beings are also one from the standpoint of Caitanya. And similarly various statements of the Šāstras such as “ Soul is one and souls are many ” are synthesized.
Similarly every kind of killing is violence and as such is a sin. Now to think that this is an absolute truth is wrong. For we know as a fact that if a sage inspite of his being quite vigilant and extremely cautious inadvertently kills any being it is not at all violence. Sometimes, therefore, killing is also non-violence. We must therefore suppose killing is sometimes violence and sometimes non-violence. Thus we should subscribe not to extreme one sided views even though they are stated in Jaina Sastra. 27, 28
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