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śramaņa, Vol 58, No. 2-3/April-September 2007
"We will work to eliminate nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and terror."'
We thus find that modern man stands in dire need of a philosophy of life that is built upon the foundations of and is conducive to world peace. Indian philosophy, with it's eternal ideal of 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam', is therefore, the obvious need of the hour, the urgently required panacea to the ills of the modern society, the key to a balanced and purposeful development. For long, our sages have nourished the minds and hearts of millions with eternal concepts such as dharma, karma, yajña, ahimsā, sarvodaya, advaita, višistādvaita, mokşa, puruşārtha, samādhi etc. Jainism, one of the Heterodox systems of Indian philosophy has an important place in Indian philosophy. Nonviolence in ethics, non-absolutism (Anekāntavāda) in thought, qualified assertions (Syadvāda) in speech and non-possessiveness (Aparigraha) in society, are four pillars on which the whole Jaina philosophy is resting. 'Anekāntavāda and Syādvāda', like above mentioned ahimsā, sarvodaya, etc. are the two gems of Jainism which if rightly implemented in all walks of life and Nation can be proved harbingers of peace - individual as well as social. The present paper endeavors to explicate the Jaina philosophy of 'Anekantavāda and Syādvāda' and explore their 'indispensability' towards attaining the coveted ideal of 'world peace'.
A careful analysis reveals that an in-depth approach towards the topic under consideration needs to be based upon two strong pillars. The first is the complete understanding of this doctrine of realistic and relativistic pluralism and the second is a proper analysis of the contemporary challenges to world peace and security.
The Jaina metaphysics or the theory of reality believes in the independent existence of innumerable material atoms (matter or pudgala) and innumerable individual souls (jīvas). Further, it says that each atom as also each soul has infinite characteristics of
