Sadhvi Vishrut Vibha
Some years ago, a scandal left the parliamentary meeting deadlocked. It was followed by a boycott against a Joint Parliamentary Committee report on a stock scam. Acharya Tulsi, the most high profile Jain guru in India, was asked to arbitrate this conflict which - if left unresolved -could have potentially brought the government down. He approached this impasse, using a unique technique of anekantavada. This is the Jain doctrine of non-absolutism, which holds that all human judgments and perceptions of truth are relative, depending on the perspective from which the issue is approached. This relativity necessitates that one must respect and more importantly, take into account the ideas and views of others. He began the arbitration with this strategy as his working methodology.
When asked to expound upon the doctrine of anekantavada, he picked up a clock on a table in his room and while holding it high in the air, asked rhetorically: "Is it good?" The answer lies within what is relative to other clocks; it is superior to many clocks and inferior to many others. The point he was trying to make was that it is also made of plastic and glass; further, basically, it is an arrangement of electrons and protons, etc. Therefore, a story does not have just two sides, it has many, and all of them may be relatively true or false or both in degrees. In this way he convinced them both psychologically and logically to accept and respect others in this matter. This rational beginning calmed down the situation.
Acharya Tulsi was keenly aware of the relevance of the doctrine of non-absolutism and radical pacifism in today's pluralistic world. He also believed that despite the immense efforts of people working for peace, human greed and economic imperialism would continue to unleash their fair share in violence on the world. Still he would always apply the Jain principles for national and global peace.
