World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 610

As the different parts of body have their own position and utility in their organic whole and work for its common good, so is the case with different religions. Their common goal is to resolve the tensions and conflicts and make life on earth peaceful. For this common goal each an every one has to proceed in his own way according to his own position. Every faith, if working for that particular common goal has equal right to exist and work, and should be given equal regard.
According to Jainācārya Siddhasena Divākara (5th Century A.D.) the divergent view points/faiths may be charged as false only when they negate the truth value of others and claim themselves exclusively true. But if they accept the truth value of thers also, they attain reghteousness. He further says, 'Every view-point or faith in its own sphere is right but if all of them arrogate to themselves the whole truth and disregard the views of their rivals, they do not attain right-view, for all the viewpoints are right in their own respective spheres. Similarly if they encroach upon the province of other view points and try to refute them, they are wrong?'. For Jainas lightness of particular faith or viewpoint depends on the acceptance of lightness of other. Siddhasena further maintains that one who advocates the view of synoptic character of truth never discriminates the different faith as right or wrong and thus, pays all of them in equal regard12. Today when fundamentalism is posing a serious threat to communal harmony and equilibrium, unity of world religions is not only essential but the only way out to protect the human race.
Jainas do believe in the unity of world religions but unity according to them does not imply omnivorous unity in which all lose their entity and identity. They believe in that type of unity where in all the alien faiths will conjoin each other to form an organic whole without losing their own independent existence and given equal regard. In other words they believe in a harmonious existence and work for a common goal i.e. the welfare of mankind. The only way to remove the religious conflicts and violence from the earth is to develop a tolerant out look and to establish harmony among various religions.
Now we shall discuss the causes of intolerance and devices suggested for the development of a tolerant out look and religious harmony by the Jainas. I have discussed these points in one of my papers, "The Philosophical Foundation of Religious Tolerance in Jainism. “Here, I am dealing those points accordingly. True Meaning of Religion
So for as the leading causes responsible for the growth of fundamentalism and intolerant outlook are concerned, in my humble
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