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JAINA MYSTICISM
Kamal Chand Sogani In the cultural history of mankind, there have been persons who regard spiritual quest as constituting the essential meaning of life. In spite of the marked environmental differences, their investigations have exhibited remarkable similarity of experience and expression. Such persons are styled mystics and the phenomenon is known as mysticism. Like the mystics of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam etc. Jaina mystics have made abundant contribution to the mystical literature as such, though unfortunately the well known Encyclopaedia of Religron and Ethicsi does not make mention of Jaina mysticism along with Hindu mysticism, Buddhist mysticism, Muslim mysticism, Christian mysticism etc. So far as I know, it is Dr. A. N. Upadhye who has for the first time discussed, though briefly, the nature of Jaina Mysticism.2 It will not be amiss to point out here that the Jaina Acāryas have handled this topic quite systematically and in great detail.
The equivalent expressions in Jainism for the word 'mysticism' are: Suddhopayoga, Arhat+ and Siddha states, Pandita-Pandita
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Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics by J. Hastings (Edinburgh, 4th edition, 1958) Paramātmaprakāśa of Yogindu, Introduction, PP, 39, 40, 41. (Rayacandia Jaina Šāstramālā, Bombay) Pravacana såra of Kundakunda, 1. 14. (Rāyacandra) Dravyasangraha, 50 (Sacred books of the Jainas Vol. 1) Bhagavatı Ārādhanā, 2144 (Digambara Jaina Granthamālā, Sholapur)
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