Anekant and Mutual Tolerance
– By Prof. M.L. Jain
Every living being, every religion tries to answer and faces three Central questions in every country all the time-in search of happiness, bliss and truth 1. What should l belive in? What is the corret faith? 2. What should I learn? What should I know? 3.What should I do? What actions should I take to achieve eternal happiness and bliss. There are Two ways in which the above questions have been answered. One is by EKANTWAAD -one sided absolutism. One insists on one’s own truth of his own faith and absolutely denies the validity of the opposite view. Such a view many a time has promoted hate. I Quote Martin Luther King-Hate in reply of hate multiplies hate. and the darkness of a starless night becomes more dark. Darkness can not remove darkness Hate multiplies hate : it is only light that can remove it. Voilence multiplies voilence And Muscle power multiplies muscle power. Ultimately that cyclone descends downward And there is destruction all around.
– Martin Luther King
Jains go out in search of the point of view of ANEKANTWAAD. The apparently conflicting religions can be reconciled by Jaina principle of many sidedness or non absolutism. This principle promotes mutual tolerance because there may be apparant differences in different religions in rituals and matters of ceremony, but there is strong under current of similar principles and values in all religions. There is fundamental unity at the root of all religions. I quote- Fritjof capra Fritjof Capra says: When the mind is disturbed Multiplicity of objects take shape But when the mind is silent The multiplicity of objects evaporates and unity is achieved’ At the root of all religions The fundamental unity of existence seems to be recognized. As ling as that unity in not forgotteen No conflict would ever arise among the religions. The key of knowledge, by Barrister C.R. Jain echos the same views- “Apart from matters of ceremony there are hardly any differences in the cardinal principles of the different creeds which are flourishing in our midst in the world. The differences with respect to doctrinal matters and dogmatic belief disappear with the true interpretation of the sacred books and we have also seen how a true and lasting reconciliation is possible amongst the followers of the apparently hostile sects. Even the differences in respect of ceremonies exist on the surface and totally disappear when we look into the principles underiying their observance. The ignorant alone emphadize the difference between the places and forms of worship: in reality, the object of worship is always the same, whether it be understood by the devotee or not. (C R Jain- Key of knowledge.) To the true worshipper in spirit all places are places are alike, their forms and designations being matter of secondary import. The Sufis maintain :- “The true mosque in a pure and holy heart is builded : there let all men worship God; for there He swells, not in a mosque of stone”. The fact is that the earnest seeker after truth has eyes and ears only for the living Divinity enshrined within his won heart and not for the style and syructure of the places made by the human hand. So far as the attainment of happiness is concerned, there are no material differences in the principal religions of the world. They all prescribe : (1) discriminaiton between the Self and the non-self, (2) renundiation, (3) concentration and (4) devotion for the attainment of the great ideal of happiness. The Hindus classify these means as the different kinds of yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and like the Muhammadans describe them as belief, purification, resignation and dovotion; in other systems they are known by othere names. The great codifier Manu difining dharma said, Dhrithi ksama damoasteyam saucamindtiyanigrahah, Dhiravidya satyamkrodho dasakam dharmalaksanam. -Manusmrti, 6.10 Dharma or good conduct has ten characterstics: (A) dhrti (for,mess), (2) ksama (forgiveness), (3) dama (self-restraint), (4)astey (not stealing), (5) souca (cleanliness), (6) indriya-nigraha (restraint of senses), (7) dhi (wisdom), (8) vidya (knowledge), (9) satya (truth), and (10) akrodha (non-anger/non-violence). They are beneficial not only for Hindus but for the entire world. An individual or society can move towards the upliftment by obderving them in life. So are Ten superior human qualities mentioned in Jaina thought which can make life of the individual and the society pure, peaceful and happy. They are ksama (forgiveness), mardava (softness), arjava (pure), satya (truth), soucha (cleanliness), samyama (restraint), tapa (austerity), tyaga (renunciation), akincana (poor/desitute), and aparigraha (possessionless). They too take us towards good conduct and humanity. Patanjali (200 BC) in Samadhi Shatak (Sutra33) says: cew$eer keâ®Ceecegefoleeshes#eeCeeb megKeogŠKehegCÙeefJe<eÙeeCeeb YeeJeveeleef§ele Øemeeoveced The mind becomes clarified by cultivating attitudes of friendliness, compassion, gladness and indifference respective by towards happiness misrey, virture and vice. A Jain Saint Acharya Amitgati in 12th century in the equanimity Sutra of the Jains said: melJes