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Pravachanasara by Kundakunda contains the Essence of Divine Discourses or the Jaina Scriptures, which contain the teachings of Lord Mahavira - the last of the 24 Tirthankaras. This volume discusses the fundamental concepts of Jainism, including the definition of dharma, the nature of the self, equanimity, the pure (shuddha), good (shubha) and evil (ashuba) conscious attentiveness, morality and spirituality, the issue of compassion, the concepts of svaymabhu and omniscience, the relation between soul and knowledge, the principle of knowledge and the principle of the knowable, including jiva, internal and external aspects of conduct, the dual role of moral virtues, non-violence, nonpossessiveness, the mechanism of bondage, and the path to attain liberation. The extensive introduction presents and clarifies these concepts in their proper perspective and dispels misperceptions and misrepresentations of both Indian and foreign scholars, including Kanjipanthi and W.J. Johnson as well as Amrtachandra and Jayasena — the two Sanskrit commentators of Pravachanasara. The book will be useful to scholars and students of Indian philosophy and religion, particularly Jainism.
