Jainism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Many-sided reality (''anekāntavāda'')=== {{Main|Anekantavada}} [[File:Medieval Jain temple Anekantavada doctrine artwork.jpg|thumb|Jain temple painting explaining Anekantavada with [[Blind men and an elephant]]]] The second main principle of Jainism is ''anekāntavāda'',{{sfn|Charitrapragya|2004|pp=75–79}}{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=229–231}} from ''anekānta'' ("many-sidedness") and ''vada'' ("doctrine").{{sfn|Charitrapragya|2004|pp=75–79}}{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=229–231}} The doctrine states that truth and reality are complex and always have multiple aspects. It further states that reality can be experienced, but cannot be fully expressed with language. It suggests that human attempts to communicate are ''Naya'', "partial expression of the truth".{{sfn|Charitrapragya|2004|pp=75–79}} According to it, one can experience the taste of truth, but cannot fully express that taste through language. It holds that attempts to express experience are ''syāt'', or valid "in some respect", but remain "perhaps, just one perspective, incomplete".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Mark Owen |last=Webb |url=http://www.iep.utm.edu/jain/ |title=Jain philosophy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221042158/http://www.iep.utm.edu/jain/ |archive-date=21 February 2015 |access-date=22 February 2015 |url-status=live |encyclopedia=[[Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]] |issn=2161-0002}}</ref> It concludes that in the same way, spiritual truths can be experienced but not fully expressed.{{sfn|Charitrapragya|2004|pp=75–79}} It suggests that the great error is belief in ''ekānta'' (one-sidedness), where some relative truth is treated as absolute.{{sfn|Schwartz|2018}} The doctrine is ancient, found in Buddhist texts such as the ''Samaññaphala Sutta''. The Jain Agamas suggest that Mahāvīra's approach to answering all metaphysical philosophical questions was a "qualified yes" (''syāt'').{{sfn|Matilal|1990|pp=301–305}}{{sfn|Balcerowicz|2015|pp=205–218}} These texts identify ''anekāntavāda'' as a key difference from the [[Buddha]]'s teachings. The Buddha taught the Middle Way, rejecting extremes of the answer "it is" or "it is not" to metaphysical questions. The Mahāvīra, in contrast, taught his followers to accept both "it is", and "it is not", qualified with "perhaps", to understand Absolute Reality.{{sfn|Matilal|1998|pp=128–135}} The permanent being is conceptualized as ''[[Jiva (Jainism)|jiva]]'' (soul) and ''[[ajiva]]'' (matter) within a dualistic ''anekāntavāda'' framework.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=90–99, 104–105, 229–233}} According to [[Paul Dundas]], in contemporary times the ''anekāntavāda'' doctrine has been interpreted by some Jains as intending to "promote a universal religious tolerance", and a teaching of "plurality" and "benign attitude to other [ethical, religious] positions". Dundas states this is a misreading of historical texts and Mahāvīra's teachings.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=232–234}} According to him, the "many pointedness, multiple perspective" teachings of the Mahāvīra is about the nature of [[Absolute (philosophy)|absolute reality]] and human existence.{{sfn|Sethia|2004|pp=86–91}} He claims that it is not about condoning activities such as killing animals for food, nor violence against disbelievers or any other living being as "perhaps right".{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=232–234}} The five vows for Jain monks and nuns, for example, are strict requirements and there is no "perhaps" about them.{{sfn|Long|2009|pp=98–106}} Similarly, since ancient times, Jainism co-existed with Buddhism and Hinduism according to Dundas, but Jainism disagreed, in specific areas, with the knowledge systems and beliefs of these traditions, and vice versa.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|p=233}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page