Syadvada
Also called: Doctrine of maybe · Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Syādvāda, the "doctrine of maybe", is the Jaina way of making careful, limited statements. Each statement begins with syāt, meaning "perhaps" or "in some way". There are seven such forms. Examples are "in some way it is", "in some way it is not", and "in some way it cannot be described". The method shows that one statement can capture only part of the truth. It is a way of putting anekāntavāda into words.
Example
Think of a pot. In one sense the pot exists, because it is made of clay and is here now. In another sense it does not exist, because it is not made of metal and is not somewhere else. Syādvāda allows both statements, each with its own condition. This is like the well-known story of blind men who each touch a different part of an elephant.
Don't confuse with
- Anekāntavāda: this is the belief that truth has many sides and no single statement can capture it fully. Syādvāda is the seven-step method of speaking that follows from that belief.
Related concepts
- Jainism
- Tirthankara
- Rishabhanatha
- Parshvanatha
- Mahavira
- Kevala jnana
- Ahimsa
- Karma
- Five vows of Jainism
- Aparigraha