Philosophy In Jain Agams: Anekānt constituted in Tripadī

The seed of Anekānt is found in the above said tripadī i.e. three-partite concept. Transitoriness (origination and cessation) and eternality (permanence) are two mutually contradictory attributes and this tripadī has established their co-existence. It can be concluded that the radically contradictory attributes such as eternality and transitoriness, finite-infinite, mortal-immortal, one-many and general-particular can co- exist simultaneously in a single substance.^[1] This becomes the foundation of the anekānt (non-absolutism) which stands out as the directive element of Jain ontology.

Conduct is Based on Anekānt

Jain ācāryas expounded in detail that if the concept of substance is not considered as non-absolutist, the concept of karma and fruitions of karma cannot be explained and the structure of ethics and conduct would get dismantled.^[2] Thus, there is a universal concomitance between metaphysics and ethics in Jain philosophy.

Base of Anekānt : Validity of Experience

While deciding the nature of a substance on the basis of Anekānt, we should not resort to apriori logic as the base and miss the real nature of the substance because the eternality and mortality of the substance is the subject of direct perception for one and all. Nonetheless, through validity of direct perception, we must say that the co-existence of multiple contradictory attributes is possible in a substance though from different perspectives.^[3]