Practise Anekantvada(many-sidedness)

In this week's challenge you must Practise Anekantvada(many-sidedness). Anekantvada(many-sidedness) refers to the principles of pluralism and multiplicity of viewpoints, or vantage points, the notion that reality is perceived differently from diverse points of view, and that no single point of view is the complete truth, yet taken together they comprise the complete truth.It is one of the most important and fundamental doctrines of Jainism.

The literal meaning of the word is:
anekanta (“manifoldness”) and vada (“school of thought”)

Jains contrast all attempts to proclaim the sole monopoly on truth with andhagajanyayah, which can be illustrated through the parable of the "blind men and an elephant". In this story, each blind man felt a different part of an elephant (trunk, leg, ear, etc.). All the men claimed to understand and explain the true appearance of the elephant, but could only partly succeed, due to their limited perspectives.This principle is more formally stated by observing that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. (This is the Absolute Truth.) The guiding principle behind the concept of Anekantavada is that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. Every human expresses his views as per circumstances, in relation to his mental condition and experience.

Anekantavada means Non-Absolutism which gives space for accommodating other contradictory views. Anekantavada helps us in understanding others’ point of view with a broad mind. The whole truth, complete in all aspect is only known by Omniscient i.e. Kevali, known in Jain terminology. Rest all can view the things or situation in seven different ways (Neither six nor eight).

These are:

1. syad-asti—in some ways, it is


2. syan-nasti—in some ways, it is not


3. syad-asti-nasti—in some ways, it is, and it is not


4. syad-avaktavya?—in some ways, it is indescribable


5. syad-asti-avaktavya?—in some ways, it is, and it is indescribable


6. syan-nasti-avaktavya?—in some ways, it is not, and it is indescribable


7. syad-asti-nasti-avaktavya?—in some ways, it is, it is not, and it is indescribable

These seven conditional ways are also known as Syadvada. This can be understood with the help of an example:

I am right – can be viewed as:

1. I am right (to someone agreeing with my view)


2. It may not be right (to someone not agreeing with my view)


3. It may be both right and wrong, depending upon certain conditions.


4. Independent of all conditions, my views are indescribable (all knowledge rest on certain conditions)


5. Indescribable in itself, I may be right subject to certain condition (a combination of 1 and 4)


6. Indescribable in itself, I may be wrong, subject to certain conditions (a combination of 2 and 4)


7. Indescribable in itself, I may be right or wrong depending upon certain conditions (a combination of 3 and 4)

Suggested Reading:

Anekantavada: The Most Misunderstood Theory - Learn more here.