Anekāntavāda in the context of "Arihant (Jainism)"

Jainism (/ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm, ˈdʒaɪnɪzəm/ JAY-niz-əm, JEYE-niz-əm), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion which teaches a path toward spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined non-violence (ahimsa) to all living creatures. The tradition is spiritually guided by twenty-four tirthankaras (ford-makers), supreme teachers who have conquered the cycle of rebirth and attained omniscience (kevala jnana). The core of Jain philosophy is established on three ethical pillars: ahiṃsā (nonviolence), anekāntavāda (non-absolutism or many-sided reality), and aparigraha (non-possession). While its ultimate spiritual goal is moksha (liberation from karma), these ethical principles have historically fostered a community renowned for its high literacy, trusted role in commerce, and distinct intellectual culture.

Jain philosophy distinguishes itself through the doctrine of anekāntavāda, which asserts that truth and reality are complex and always have multiple aspects; thus, no single viewpoint can claim absolute truth. This framework encourages intellectual humility and conflict resolution, contrasting with the "one-sided" (ekānta) views rejected by the tradition. Ethically, the vow of aparigraha (non-attachment) requires monks to renounce all property, while encouraging laypersons to limit their possessions and voluntarily limit their desires (iccha-parimana). Historically, the application of non-violence drove the Jain community away from agriculture and warfare toward trade and banking, where they became a dominant mercantile force in ancient and medieval India, supporting a vast network of temples, libraries, and charitable institutions.

Jain philosophy or Jaina philosophy refers to the ancient Indian philosophical system of the Jain religion. It comprises all the philosophical investigations and systems of inquiry that developed among the early branches of Jainism in ancient India following the nirvana of Mahāvīra (c. 6th or 5th century BCE). One of the main features of Jain philosophy is its dualistic metaphysics, which holds that there are two distinct categories of existence: the living, conscious, or sentient entities (jīva) and the non-living or material entities (ajīva).

Jain texts discuss numerous philosophical topics such as cosmology, epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, ontology, the philosophy of time, and soteriology. Jain thought is primarily concerned with understanding the nature of living beings, how these beings are bound by the processes of karma (which are seen as fine material particles) and how living beings may be liberated (moksha) from the cycle of death and rebirth (saṃsāra). A peculiarity of Jainism is to essentially associate several renunciatory liberating practices with the imperative of non-violence (ahiṃsā). Jainism and its philosophical system are also notable for the belief in a beginning-less and cyclical universe, which posits a non-theistic understanding of the world and the complete rejection of a hypothetical creator deity. Jain philosophy is also noted for its "realist epistemology" of anekāntavāda ("many-sidedness"), a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality.

Jainism (/ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm, ˈdʒaɪnɪzəm/ JAY-niz-əm, JYE-niz-əm), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion which teaches a path toward spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined non-violence (ahimsa) to all living creatures. The tradition is spiritually guided by twenty-four tirthankaras (ford-makers), supreme teachers who have conquered the cycle of rebirth and attained omniscience (kevala jnana). The core of Jain philosophy is established on three ethical pillars: ahiṃsā (nonviolence), anekāntavāda (non-absolutism or many-sided reality), and aparigraha (non-possession). While its ultimate spiritual goal is moksha (liberation from karma), these ethical principles have historically fostered a community renowned for its high literacy, trusted role in commerce, and distinct intellectual culture.

Jain philosophy distinguishes itself through the doctrine of anekāntavāda, which asserts that truth and reality are complex and always have multiple aspects; thus, no single viewpoint can claim absolute truth. This framework encourages intellectual humility and conflict resolution, contrasting with the "one-sided" (ekānta) views rejected by the tradition. Ethically, the vow of aparigraha (non-attachment) requires monks to renounce all property, while encouraging laypersons to limit their possessions and voluntarily limit their desires (iccha-parimana). Historically, the application of non-violence drove the Jain community away from agriculture and warfare toward trade and banking, where they became a dominant mercantile force in ancient and medieval India, supporting a vast network of temples, libraries, and charitable institutions.