YJA Convention 1996 07 San Francisco CA Second

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 26

are 2 words that are identical in meaning their simultaneous use leads to a fallacy: sabda nayabhasa. Samabhirudha is the viewpoint concerned with the etymological relationship of word to object.
Rjusutranaya is the viewpoint that takes account of the present mode of the object or sees it as the present agglomerate of particulars. It does not concern itself with past or future. Examples: The actual condition at a particular moment = suksma, such as a soul with a momentary good thought. The actural condition for a long time = sthula = a jiva with a human condition for a lifetime. This is a non-eternalist view.
Evambhutanaya: The viewpoint that language must conform to the function of an object at the moment in which the word is used of an object. The example that comes to mind is only calling someone a professor when he is actually teaching his class, or only calling her a doctor when she is in that particular role.
Those are the seven nayas that have been traditionally used to analyze different positions. We will come back to the use of these nayas.
Now, let's discuss syadvada, or saptabhangi. This is the system which is used to discuss whether something is true, not true, inexpressible, or in various combinations of these possibilities. Syat means in some respect. It indicates the conditions that must be referred to for validity. Eva, means in fact, and is used to preclude other conditions which are not true. Every assertion is made within the framework of a situation defined by 1) sva bhava, the specific state of the referent, 2) sva dravya, the specific being of the referent, 3) svaksetra, the specific place of the referent, and 4) svakala, the specific time of the referent. Within this framework, assertions are said to be true, (asti), not true, (nasti), and inexpressible (avyaktavyah). For example syad asti eva means in this particular perspective the statement is true.
There are seven possible assertions, that (in some respect) something is true (symbolized by x], false (symbolized by yl, both true and false (x and y], inexpressible (because it is true and false simultaneously, thus as language has to refer to one thing at a time, it cannot express simultaneity) (symbolized by 0], true and inexpressible [x and o), false and inexpressible (y and o], and finally, true, false and inexpressible (x, y and o). Syadvada can also be used with nayavada, with the specific naya qualifying the statement. For example, rather than the general, in some respect, it is true that the sky is blue, you could say, from the samgraha viewpoint, the sky is blue. Some writers have interpreted the use of syadvada to synthesive views as classified in nayavada to show the harmonizing intention of anekantvada, with respect to non-Jain views.
It is not so clear however, that anekantvada harmonizes. There are 3 other definitions that reveal judgments about these various nayas. Sunaya is a naya that despite being limited, is understood to be limited. Durnaya is a naya that is taken to be the only possible or correct assessment. It is improper because it excludes other views. This is the idea of the following: "Jaina philosophers all the time maintain that all the viewpoints are true in respect of what they have themselves say, but they are false in so far as they refute totally others' viewpoints" (Jaina Path of Purification). However, there is another
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