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ACARYA VIJAYAVALLABHASURI COMMEMORATION VOLUME
try to answer it. 'Why was he (Jamāli) initiated by Lord Mahavira, who knew beforehand the future events as he was in possession of infinite knowledge?' In answer to this question, they state that even great persons are probably unable to turn the course of events, which are destined to take place. Or, the Lord regarded it, i.e., initiation of Jamali, advantageous in a way. The Venerable Tirthankaras never engage in frivolous activities.
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8. The significance of the controversy between Mahavira & Jamali
According to the Bhagavati, having bid farewell for ever to Lord Mahavira, Jamāli preached many wrong tenets on account of his wrong faith. However, we do not come across any other adverse view except one stated before. The one and only controversial point between them as related in the canons was that Mahavira believed in the theory of '' while Jamāli pinned his faith in. Naturally, one may ask why did a unique personality like Lord Mahavira, regarded Omniscient, patient, a man of unequalled calm and of a quiet nature, the foremost expounder of the doctrine of Non-Absolution, oppose Jamali on such an apparently insignificant matter and thus allow the monastic order to be split into two, may be for a short period only? Did it not behove Mahivira to ignore the opposition of Jamali and let him go his own way? Or, did the Lord consider Jamali's view detrimental to the holy order and the common people? Can the outstanding difference between them be cemented? These problems have been elaborately dealt with by the renowned scholar Pt. Sukhlalji, in one of his articles' and we may briefly note here his views on these points.
Lord Mahāvīra judged every thing from a Non-Absolutistic view. He said that the knowledge of an object remained incomplete or imperfect unless it was gained from various standpoints relative to one another. This principle should be applied to metaphysical or philosophical theories as well as to the everyday problems one has to face in life. Broadly we can divide the various standpoints about a particular thing into twoempirical or practical, transcendental or real. The former is based on direct experience while the latter on indirect one. The former contains variety of experience and the latter has unity of experience. The empirical standpoint takes into account the distinction lying between ends and means but the transcendental one makes no such distinction. Before we 1. "Jain Yuga" Vol. I., No. 8.
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