Philosophical Foundation Of Religious Tolerance In Jainism

Here's a comprehensive summary of Dr. Sagarmal Jain's paper, "The Philosophical Foundation of Religious Tolerance in Jainism," based on the provided text:

I. The Nature of True Religion and the Problem of Intolerance:

• The Goal of Religion: All religions aim for individual peace and happiness and societal harmony.
• The Root of Religious Violence: Wars and bloodshed in the name of religion are not caused by religion itself, but by the fundamentalist, extremist, and rigid outlook of self-proclaimed religious leaders and their ignorant followers, often driven by vested interests.
• The Challenge: Modern religion is often sidelined or used for political agendas. True religious tolerance and friendship are crucial to counter this.
• Distinguishing True from False Religion: True religion is non-violent, intolerant, and free from fanaticism. False religion, however, is the source of intolerance.
• The Essence of True Religion: For Jains, true religion is the practice of equanimity, with the observance of non-violence (ahimsa) as its foundation and social expression.

II. The Causes of Intolerance and Jainism's Counter-Principles:

• Intense Attachment (Murcha) as the Root of Intolerance:

  • Blind Faith: The primary cause of fanaticism and intolerance is blind faith, which stems from passionate and uncritical attachment.
  • Bondage: Attachment, particularly darśana-moha (blind faith), is considered the cause of bondage and a perverse attitude. It leads to strong bias towards one's own beliefs and against others'.
  • Impediment to Truth: Non-attachment is essential for a right attitude and the perception of truth. Attachment, even "pious" attachment to a prophet, path, or scripture, hinders the seeker of truth. Attachment breeds aversion, leading to blind faith and intolerance.
  • Example: Even Gautama, Mahavira's chief disciple, experienced delay in attaining omniscience due to his pious attachment to Mahavira.

• Reason as a Check on Blind Faith:

  • Faith and Reason Complementary: Jainism values right faith, but it emphasizes that faith must be accompanied by right knowledge and truthful reasoning.
  • Critically Analyzing Teachings: Jaina thinkers advocate for critically analyzing religious codes, rituals, and doctrines. Reason is the tool to ascertain the truth of laws.
  • Bias vs. Impartiality: A biased person justifies what they already accept ("Mine is true"), while an impartial person accepts what is logically justified ("Truth is mine").
  • Open-mindedness: Jainism supports rational thinking and an open-minded approach, accepting truth from wherever it comes (e.g., Haribhadra's willingness to accept the rational and logical views of Kapila and others).
  • Rationality Prevents Rigidity: When religion is rational, there is little room for intolerance.

• Non-Absolutism (Anekantavada) as the Philosophical Basis of Tolerance:

  • The Opposite of Absolutism: Dogmatism and fanaticism arise from absolutism, the belief that only one's own view is correct. Non-absolutism (or relativism) acknowledges that different viewpoints can be correct from different angles.
  • Complex Reality: Jainism posits that reality is multifaceted, with various attributes and modes, comprehensible from different perspectives. Finite beings grasp only partial aspects.
  • Partial Knowledge, No Right to Discard: Based on partial and relative knowledge, no one has the right to dismiss opponents' views as entirely false. The truth-value of opponents' views must be respected.
  • Broader Outlook: Non-absolutism promotes a broader outlook and open-mindedness, essential for resolving ideological conflicts.
  • Truth in Opponent's Views: A non-absolutist recognizes the truth in the opponent's views as long as they don't discard others' truth-value.

• Non-Personalism as a Keystone for Tolerance:

  • Opposing Person-Worship: Jainism opposes "person-cult" and believes that veneration should be for perfectness (eradication of attachment and aversion) rather than specific individuals.
  • Worshipping Quality, Not Person: The Jain namaskāra-mantra venerates spiritual posts (arhat, siddha, ācārya, sādhu) and all saints of the world, signifying generosity and focusing on spiritual attitude, not individual names.
  • Transcendent Truth: The ultimate truth (nirvana) transcends worldly existence and can be designated by various names (Sadāśiva, Brahman, Siddhātmā, Tathāgata).
  • Inclusivity: Jain thinkers like Haribhadra venerate those free from vices and adorned with virtues, regardless of their specific tradition (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, or Jina). This liberalism extends to the present day.

III. The Door of Liberation Open to All and Jainism's Liberal Outlook:

• Emancipation for All: Jainism believes that emancipation is attainable for followers of other sects who can destroy attachment and aversion. The gate of salvation is open to everyone.
• No Narrow Outlook: Jainism does not hold the exclusive view that only its followers can achieve emancipation. It acknowledges anyalinga-siddhas (emancipated souls from other sects).
• Means of Liberation: Jainism is broad-minded regarding the means of liberation. It emphasizes right attitude and mental purity over external modes of worship. Practices considered a cause of bondage can also be a cause of liberation.
• Intrinsic Purity: Intrinsic purity, not external practices, makes a person religious. Overcoming passions is the key to liberation, regardless of one's outward practices (e.g., being clothed or unclothed, adherence to logic or metaphysics).
• Historical Precedents: Mahavira himself was ordained in other sects in previous lives and practiced austerities.
• Scriptural Interpretation: A "false scripture" can be true for someone with a right attitude, and a "true scripture" can be false for someone with a perverse attitude. It's the attitude of the follower that matters.

IV. References and Evidence of Religious Tolerance in Jain Works:

• Historical and Literary Evidence:
  • Sutrakrtanga: Praising one's own faith while disparaging others is seen as malicious and perpetuates the cycle of birth and death.
  • Isibhasiyam: Presents the teachings of 45 renowned saints from various schools (Śramanical and Brāhmanical) with respect, including figures like Buddha and Mankhali Gośāla, acknowledging them as arhats and their teachings as scripture. This demonstrates an early, unprejudiced outlook.
  • Vakyaprajñapti: Mahavira instructed Gautama to welcome a friend from another sect.
  • Uttaradhyayana: The respectful discussion between Gautama (Mahavira's disciple) and Kesi (a disciple of Parshvanatha) highlights their dispassionate and friendly approach to ideological differences.
• Haribhadra's Contributions:
  • Haribhadra actively promoted tolerance during a period of intense philosophical debate.
  • He critically evaluated other systems but maintained a liberal view, seeking truth in opponents' logic.
  • He viewed Buddha's doctrines (momentariness, non-existence of soul) as intended to remove attachment and desire, suitable for different levels of development.
  • He found the philosophies of Samkhya (Prakṛtivāda) and Nyaya (Īśvara-kartṛtvavāda) to be true and justified from certain standpoints.
  • His use of respectful epithets for Buddha and Kapila shows his generosity.
• Epigraphic Evidence: Jaina ācāryas composed hymns praising deities of other traditions, and Jaina kings built temples for both Jinas and deities of other faiths (Śiva, Vishnu).

V. Conclusion: The Unity and Diversity of Religions:

• Sound Philosophical Foundation: Jainism possesses a robust philosophical basis for religious tolerance, consistently demonstrating it throughout history.
• No Aggressive Wars: Jainas have not engaged in aggressive religious wars or invoked divine sanction for cruelty against those of different faiths.
• Defining Heresy: Jainism defines a heretic (mithyā-dṛṣṭi) as one with a one-sided view who considers others entirely false. A non-heretic (samyak-dṛṣṭi) is unprejudiced and sees truth in opponents' views.
• Union of Views: Jainism calls itself a "union of all heretic views," meaning an organic synthesis of partial and one-sided views.
• Unity in Diversity: Jainism believes in a unity where faiths coexist harmoniously, retaining their identity, like rivers flowing into the ocean. This is a liberal synthesis for the peace of mankind.
• Diversity is Inevitable and Essential: Recognizing the diversity of human thought, levels of development, and circumstances, diversity in religious ideologies and practices is inevitable and essential.
• Harmony Through Tolerance: The only way to remove religious conflicts is to develop a tolerant outlook and establish harmony.
• Final Prayer: The paper concludes with a verse from Acarya Amitagati, praying for friendliness to all creatures, delight in the virtuous, help for the distressed, and tolerance towards opponents.

In essence, Dr. Sagarmal Jain argues that Jainism's philosophical principles of non-violence, non-attachment, the complementary role of reason, non-absolutism (anekāntavāda), and non-personalism provide a strong and consistent foundation for religious tolerance. This foundation has manifested throughout Jain history in a liberal and respectful approach to other faiths and ideologies.