Pearls of Jaina Wisdom

SR No.: 001668
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Dulichand Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 368
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Principle, & Religion
File Size: 16 MB

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Pearls of Jaina Wisdom
The Oral Tradition
In ancient India, the oral tradition of rote was prevalent. The disciples used to listen to scriptures from their spiritual masters, memorise them and pass it on to their successors. This went on for a long time. The Vedas, the Āgamas and the Pitakas were preserved in this manner. The Vedas were called 'Śruti' and the Agamas 'Śruta' in the true spirit of their being passed on by oral tradition. According to Jaina tradition, besides the words of Tirthankaras, the words of other perfected souls including Sthaviras were also regarded as Agamas. Sthaviras may either be Śrutake valis (those who have mastered all Agamas) or Daśapūrvīs (those who have mastered the ten Pūrvas).
Compilation of Agamic Literature
History reveals that upto 160 years after the nirvāṇa of Lord Mahāvīra, the oral tradition of Agamas prevailed. However, a severe famine for twelve long years struck Magadha (South Bihar) during the reign of Candragupta Maurya. Due to this, many monks perished and many dispersed to other areas. The Jaina Sangha began to worry about the safety of holy Agamas. After the famine, the first council of monks was held at Paṭaliputra ( modern Patna) under the leadership of Acārya Sthūlibhadra to compile the vast Agamic literature. During this council, eleven Angas were recited, none of the monks present had in their memory the twelfth Anga Dṛstivāda. The only monk who had the knowledge of this was Ācārya Bhadrabahu, the guru of Sthulibhadra, but he had gone to Nepal to conduct Mahāprāṇa Dhyāna (severe yogic activities) for twelve years. The Jaina congregation then decided to send Acarya Sthūlibhadra and his disciple-monks to Nepal to acquire the knowledge of Dṛṣṭivada. Acārya Sthūlibhadra learned the knowledge of ten Purvas from Acarya Bhadrabahu. At that time, he exhibited some special supernatural powers, acquired by him from his guru. When the guru came to know of it, he declined to impart the knowledge of the remaining four Purvas to Sthūlibhadra. After much persuasion