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THE AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
technical terminologies should break down as a result of a comparative treatment of topics, and the Jaina treasure-house should be enriched through an incorporation of the important principles that have so far been demonstrated and elucidated in the Indian systems of philosophy as also within the body of the western philosophical thought-with these aims in view was an explanation to be supplied to Tattvārtha. In this plan there was no room for the translation or summary of just one commentary belonging to either sect; rather it provided not only for the essentials of the so many commentaries in question but also for a summary of the other important Jaina texts. But when this elaborate plan assumed the form of a moderate performance, then the idea that was at the back of it also got somewhat narrowed down. Even so, while working out the present explanatory style which follows a moderate course I have chiefly kept the following things in mind :
"(1) Not giving the translation or summary of some one text and not following the views of someone sect to write out the explanation making an impartial use of all that has been so far studied or thought out in connection with Jaina philosophy.
“(2) So that it satisfies the curiosity of the students of the universities and colleges and so that it is also liked by the students following the old style of teaching to retain the sectarian technical terminology but to analyse it out by making it simple.
“(3) To the extent that it seems proper and is proper to conduct discussion by adopting the dialogue style while in the remaining part to do so in a simple form and without resorting to the dialogue style.
“(4) In connection with the explanation to accept just one reading of an aphorism and that too the one accepted by the bhāsya; but where an important difference of meaning is noticeable, there also to give the aphorism with a different meaning and to provide meaning in a footnote!.
1. Such footnotes are now supplied in the 'Text-of-Aphorisms.'
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