In Jainism, truth is not judged only by age of an idea. It is judged by pramāṇa and naya — valid knowledge and proper standpoint.

Jains understand truth through a few main means:

1. Direct experience

- What is clearly seen, known, or realized by the self.

1. Reason and consistency

- A teaching must fit logic, non-contradiction, and lived reality.

1. Scripture and the words of the Tirthankars

- Jain texts are respected, but they are understood with careful interpretation, not blind literalism.

1. Anekāntavāda

- Reality is complex and has many sides. - So a statement may be true from one standpoint and incomplete from another.

1. Syādvāda

- “In some respect” or “from a certain viewpoint.” - This protects Jain thought from absolute, one-sided claims.

So if a teaching from thousands of years ago seems to conflict with what people know today, a Jain would usually say:

• the teaching may be symbolic,
• or it may be true only from a specific viewpoint,
• or our understanding of it may be incomplete.

Jainism does not ask you to reject reason. It asks you to test teachings with:

• observation
• logic
• non-violence
• self-discipline
• and many-sided understanding

At the deepest level, Jain truth is not based only on old texts. It is based on the nature of jīva, karma, and reality as understood through right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct.