Anekant Vad Aur Sarvodayawad

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Anekantvad aur Sarvodayawad" by Bhagchandra Jain, based on the provided PDF pages:

The book "Anekantvad aur Sarvodayawad" by Dr. Bhagchandra Jain posits that Anekantvad (the principle of manifold aspects) and Sarvodayawad (the principle of universal upliftment) are fundamental Jain principles that offer solutions to societal conflicts and promote harmony.

Anekantvad: The Foundation of Truth and Non-violence

• Core Principle: Anekantvad, established by Lord Mahavir, is a universal principle rooted in the concepts of truth and non-violence (Ahimsa). It is inspired by the idea of equanimity towards all religions (Sarvadharm Samabhav) and embodies the spirit of public welfare (Lokhit) and social integration (Loksangrah).
• Problem Solver: It serves as a potent weapon to eradicate religious, political, social, and economic inequalities.
• Conflict Resolution: Anekantvad aims to bring together differing viewpoints, even those of absolutists, on a common platform with respect. The author argues that disrespecting and denying the existence of others' perspectives is the root cause of conflict. All wars, he states, stem from this. The solution lies in considering the thoughts of each individual and nation with liberality and impartiality. This prevents one's own perspective from becoming prejudiced or one-sided.
• Innate Truth: The text asserts that the very essence of Anekantvad arose from humanity's long struggle with societal and philosophical disharmony, the challenges of intellect and logic, and the interplay of faith and knowledge. This realization led to the understanding that liberation from intellectual conflicts and immersion in the stream of peace is possible by being impartial and non-enmity.

Sarvodayawad: Universal Upliftment and Equality

• Modern Association: Sarvodayawad is often associated with the Gandhian era, specifically with Mahatma Gandhi's translation of John Ruskin's "Unto This Last" as "Sarvodaya."
• Meaning: In this context, Sarvodayawad signifies providing equal opportunities for the development of every individual in their worldly life. It emphasizes the importance of personal effort (Purusharth) and the interconnectedness of one's own upliftment with that of all others. Vinoba Bhave further developed and implemented this principle.
• Ancient Roots: The author strongly argues that Sarvodayawad is not a modern invention but was actually presented by Lord Mahavir.
• Mahavir's Solutions: Observing social inequalities, Lord Mahavir offered three principles for social revolution:
  1. Samata (Equality): All individuals are equal. No one is born a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra. Humanity is one, and divisions arise from livelihood and karma. (Quoting JinSenacharya from Adipurana).
  2. Shamata (Cessation of Karma): This refers to the complete destruction of karma, leading to Nirvana.
  3. Shrata (Self-Effort): An individual's progress depends on their own effort, not divine grace.
• Sarvodaya Tirtha: These three principles are the pillars of individual upliftment. Recognizing this, Acharya Samantabhadra, the proponent of Anekantvad-Syadvad, praised Lord Mahavir's teachings as the "Sarvodaya Tirtha" (pilgrimage of universal upliftment) in his "Yuktyanushasan."

The Interconnection and Importance of Anekantvad and Sarvodayawad

• Inner Peace: True peace is not found externally but arises from internal equality, cooperation, restraint, and coordination. A life of deceit and falsehood is meaningless, and the ideals of humanity are lost in the grip of cruelty. The language of war and aggression becomes prevalent.
• Harmony in Diversity: The text criticizes those who distort religious principles for selfish gain, creating divisive concepts like class and caste discrimination. This leads to a societal rush into irrational thought, scorching all rational calculations and allowing violent behavior and exploitative tendencies to dominate, thereby endangering individual and collective peace.
• Responsibility for Conflict: The author holds absolutist thinkers responsible for misleading society, creating a distorted image of disharmony, and erecting walls of distrust and disrespect between neighbors.
• Revitalization of Society: Anekantvad and Sarvodayawad offer a new direction to a society fractured by inequalities. They provide a strong, disciplined, and community-oriented thread to a broken kite, revitalizing faith and knowledge, transforming conflict into understanding, and fostering a spirit of coordination, equality, and truth-seeking. They encourage shedding one-sided views and protecting humanity from degradation through impartiality, non-enmity, and fearlessness.
• The Nature of Reality and Knowledge: The universe and its qualities are infinite and boundless, while human intellect is finite. The limited seeks to encompass the infinite through flawed knowledge and biased reasoning, ignoring scientific facts and universal utility. This leads to constant conflict, the suppression of truth, clashes between old and new faiths, and changing definitions, ultimately making life a burden.
• Eradicating Ignorance and Immorality: Anekantvad and Sarvodayawad are potent tools to eliminate ignorance and immorality and to practice pure knowledge and conduct. They require individuals to be self-aware and grounded in equality, which is defined as humanity's true essence. Coordination is its every word, purity and fearlessness its punctuation, and non-dogmatic and unsectarian thinking its paragraph.
• Path to Spiritual Progress: A society that embraces Anekantvad and Sarvodayawad will be fully non-violent and spiritual, contributing to the upliftment of all. Its means and ends will be pure, moving from dry intellectualism to reality and touching the limits of Sarvodaya through heart transformation. Consciousness, senses, and mind will be controlled. The authenticity of truth will be unquestionable, and relative thinking will gradually lead to definitive understanding. This represents a progression from the gross to the subtle, the external to the internal, the practical to the ultimate, and sensory knowledge to spiritual knowledge.
• The Role of Language and Syadvada: Words represent our perceptions, which are limited and diverse, leading to gradual expression. This gradual expression of the infinite qualities of an object is achieved through the word "Syat" (perhaps or in a certain way). This is the primary means of knowing truth in parts; only when one is detached from passion does this truth become complete and manifest simultaneously.
• Resolving Misunderstandings: The text highlights how words can deviate from their original meaning and context, becoming a source of social and personal conflict. Lord Mahavir addressed this issue by advocating "Vibhajyavayam Cha Viyagarejja" (divide and differentiate), emphasizing the concept of Vibhajyavada (classification) or relativism.
• Respecting Perspectives: Relative statements equally respect others' viewpoints, facilitating the open exchange of ideas. The truth of a subject is revealed without bias. This approach frees individuals from ideological violence. Through the lens of Nayas (standpoints), representative words bring society and individuals together with love, resolving disputes of existence and non-existence. The teaching "Na Cha Syadvada Viyagarejja" (and do not speak without Syadvada) in thought and language eliminates internal conflicts, grants justice to all, and paves the way for simple, clear, and undisputed expression.
• Harmonious Practice: Acharya Siddhasen Diwakar and Haribhadra are cited for their contributions to this harmonious approach, emphasizing the need for coordination in both thought and behavior to overcome social inequalities. The author notes that the pursuit of worldly desires (Lokeshana) has led to the neglect of the ascetic aspect of religion and the prominence of worship, which often offers otherworldly assurances and requires less personal effort. This diminishing religious consciousness leads to straying from the core principles.
• Laukik and Paralaukik Dharma: Somdev's concept of two types of dharma for householders—worldly dharma (Laukik Dharma, dependent on the world) and otherworldly dharma (Paralaukik Dharma, dependent on scriptures)—is presented as a means to prevent internal conflict by framing the language of behavior and experience within scriptural context.
• Equanimity in All Spheres: This spirit of coordination enables the seeker to practice equanimity in all areas, be it social or political. According to Anekantvad, absolute opposition does not exist in any field; even in opposition, a source of non-opposition can be found. The seven-fold logic (Saptabhangi) is seen as stages of thought, representing various directions of coordination, intrinsically linked to the core idea of Sarvodaya.
• A Panacea for Society: Anekantvad and Sarvodayawad are truly life-giving to society. In the current era of conflict, they are an invaluable boon for harmonious interaction with everyone, a new means of progress, a unique contemplation for resolving family discord, and the central point for establishing non-violence and truth. They are the foundation for establishing humanity and a strong beacon in the realm of mutual understanding and coexistence.
• Consequences of Neglect: Neglecting these principles invites discord and bitterness, serving as the plot for tales of conflict, with destruction as their climax. The clash of ideas and perspectives, and the gap between individuals, transcends personal and social conflicts to reach national and global levels. All conflict originates from differences in thought and mutual disrespect.
• Intellectualism vs. Being Intellectually Grounded: While the author acknowledges that intellectualism can be dangerous, he stresses the importance of being "Buddhinishtha" (intellectually grounded). Being intellectually grounded, rather than blindly intellectual, is an unspeakable truth that liberates one from dangers and conflicts. This is precisely what Sarvodayawad embodies.
• Humanitarianism, Not Just Democracy: Labeling Sarvodayawad as mere democracy would be a grave error; it is humanitarianism, encompassing non-violence, truth, tolerance, coordination, sociality, cooperation, goodwill, and self-restraint—the development of Jain spiritual virtues.
• Holistic Development: Social and national upliftment are not excluded from its scope. It can extinguish the poisonous fires of personal, familial, institutional, and sectarian animosity. Therefore, Anekantvad and Sarvodayawad truly meet the standards of sociality.
• Intertwined Destinies: In essence, Anekantvad serves as the pivot between life and truth, while Sarvodayawad paves its path. Together, they make life extensive, honest, harmonious, harmless, and free from dispute—this is their universal utility.