Book Title: Applied Philosophy Of Jainism
Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Prachya Vidyapeeth

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Page 45
________________ 38 : Applied Philosophy of Jainism He further remarks that all schools of thought are true when they are understood from their own standpoint and so far as they do not reject the truth-value of others. A non-absolutist does not divide them into the category of true and false. The same spirit is also followed by Haribhadra in his works such as Šāstravārtā-samuccaya and Șaddarśana-samuccaya. It is only Haribhadra, who in his Saddarśana-samuccaya,26 presented all the six schools of thought in their true spirit and without condemning them. No other work in the history of Indian philosophy has been written till date in such a noble spirit. In this period, Jaina ācāryas tried to synthesize the different conflicting views and thus tried to establish harmony and peace in the society. Non-absolutism - The Philosophical Basis of Tolerance Fanaticism or Intolerance is one of prime curses of our age. Jainism, since its inception, believes in non- absolutism or Anekāntavāda and preaches for tolerant outlook and harmonious living. On the basis of its theories of non- absolutism and non-violence it has remained tolerant and respectful towards other religions, faiths and philosophical ideologies. Jaina scholars, while opposing the different one sided or absolute view-points of other ideologies and faiths, paid full regard to them and accepted that the opponent's convictions may also be valid from a certain standpoint. Jaina men of learning appose only their absolute truth-value, but accept their partial truth-value on the basis of their fundamental concept of nonabsolutism or Anekāntavāda. Jainas hold that dogmatism and fanaticism are the born children of absolutism i.e. one-sided outlook or ekāntavāda. An extremist or absolutist holds that what so ever he propounds is correct and what other say it is false, while a non-absolutist or relativist is of the view that he and his opponent both may be correct if viewed from two different angles and thus a relativist i.e. Anekāntavādi adopts a tolerant outlook towards other faiths and ideologies. It is the Jaina doctrine of Anekāntavāda or non-absolutism on which the concept of religious tolerance and fellowship of faiths is based. For the Jainas non-violence is the essence of religion, from which the Jaina con

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