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Religious Tolerance and Jainism
Dr. Sagarmal Jain
This has been experienced that for human solidarity and national integration the concept of religious tolerance and religious co-existence should be developed. The idea that one's own religion is the only way to approach the ultimate is to be given up. It is a matter of great satisfaction that jaina religion has developed a theory by virtue of which it has tried to be tolerant and respectful towards other religious faiths. The Jain Acaryas while opposing the different philosophical ideologies have paid full regard to them by accepting that the opponent's conviction is valid from a certain standpoint. This theory is known as Anekantavada or non-absolutism. According to this theory, different views regarding a thing are relatively true.
Jaina thinkers have affirmed that reality is a complex entity. It has many facets. In its completeness it cannot be grasped by us. It can only be viewed and understood from different angles. While every angle or view-point can claim that it gives a true picture of reality, yet the fact is that each one gives us a partial and relative picture. On has no right to discard the views of one's opponent as totally false, So the truth-value of an opponent's view according to Jaina thinkers must be accepted and respected. Upadhyaya Yosovijaya (a famous jaina Acarya of 17th century A.D.) mentions that a true non-absolutist does not disdain any faith. He treats all the faiths equally, since a non-absolutist does not have any prejudice in his mind. According to Haribhadra, liberation can be achieved by the person of any faith. The only condition for this is the attainment of equanimity. In the Lokatatva-nirnaya, Haribhadra says that he venerates all those who are free from vices and are adorned with virtues. They may be Brahma, Visnu, Siva or Jina. Haribhadra's crusade against sectarianism is unique and admirable in the history of world-religions. This view is further supported by various Jaina thinkers of medieval period such as Akalanka, Yogindu. Manatunga, Hemachandra and so on. While worshipping Lord Siva, the Jaina pontiff, Hemacandra says : 1 worship those who have destroyed attachment and aversion which are the seeds of birth and death, be they Brahma, Visnu, Siva or Jina.' It is important to note that though
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