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DISCOURSE 7
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you have a sharp intelligence. The intelligence has to be sharp but at the same time, it has to be pure. Dharma is not a thing that can be understood by means of intellectual arguments. If your intelligence does not have purity; if you do not have a genuine desire to understand the meaning of the doctrines of Dharma then a merely sharp intellect produces only confusing controversies and disputes in the sphere of Dharma. At present, we see so many creeds and ideologies; how did they emerge? They have resulted from the contentions of intelligent people. When men of sharp intellect grow obstinate and fanatical they cause all sorts of controversies in the sphere of Dharma. Such an attitude produces in man's life indecisiveness and vacillation. THE TRADITION OF STUDYING OTHER DHARMAS AMONG THE JAIN SADHUS
We find the unique example of Siddharshigani in the history of the Jain Shramans. Siddharshi became a mendicant, in his youth. He possessed a very sharp and incisive intelligence. After mastering the Jain philosophy, he studied and mastered the other philosophies of India. This is an extraordinary speciality of the Jain tradition. It is not correct to think that the Jain Sadhus and Sadhvis study only the Jain philosophy. Those among them who possess a sharp intelligence are made to study the other philosophies of India also. This is a tradition that has been in existence from times immemorial. Even to-day, the tradition has been continuing. The Jain acharyas have been faithful to the originals in their exposition of the six Darshanas, the six systems of Indian philosophy. If they have also refuted them, they first determined their authenticity and then refuted them. If we look at the other side of the picture, we find that the Sadhus and Sanyasis of the other Dharmas probably do not make a study of the Jain philosophy. Therefore, they cannot determine the authenticity of the Jain philosophical doctrines. The world famous philosopher Dr. Radhakrishnan has not properly explained and determined in his work, "Indian Philosophy" the theory of anekantavad or the multiple-point of view because probably he did not make a deep study of Jain Dharma. Dr. Radhakrishnan has defined Anekantvad in the same manner in which Shankaracharya has defined it.
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