Jain Digest 1991 01

SR No.: 527041
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 1991
Total Pages: 44
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Jain Digest, & USA
File Size: 7 MB

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JAIN DIGEST
welcomed the initiative.
In April 1990, a meeting in Bombay of representatives of all four Jain fircas selected the Tatvarth Sutra as the first Jain text for the ISLT series. Dr. Nathan Tatia, of the Jain Vishva Bharati, who is currently lecturing at Harvard Divinity School, has started work on the translation. A poet or novelist will be appointed to work with him as a 'wordsmith'.
The International Sacred Literature Trust was a direct result of a previous initiative of Prince Philip, the WWF Network on Conservation and Religion. Research on the ecological teachings of different faiths revealed that English translations of many holy books were often incorrect, lacking literary style, difficult to acquire or non-existent. There was a great need for authoritative, well-written and widely available translations for the English-speaking youth of religious communities and for the English-speaking world in general.
This will now happen as the ISLT series continues to grow across the decades. Volumes scheduled for the launch of the series in Spring 1993 include the Tatvartha Sutra, the Gospels of the Orthodox Bible (never before translated), the Muslim Hadith, the first book in a new canon of post-Biblical Jewish classics, selection from the writings of the Baha'l saint Baha'u'llah, and stories from the Warlbiri tribe of Australian Aborigines. It is intended that around four new volumes will be published each year in the series.
Showing copy of the Jain Declaration on Nature. Front row (L to R) Gulabchand Chandalia (Bombay), Dr. L.M. Singhvi (Delhi), Nemu Chandaria (London), and Dr. V. Sanghve (India).
Jain books in series of International Sacred
Literature Trust
Tatavartha Sutra
by Kerry Brown T he International Jain community is participating in a
ISLT Executive Director multifaith publishing venture launched by HRH Prince - Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the United Nations Secretary-General H.E. Perez de Cuellar.
In May 1989, Prince Philip made his first official visit to the UN building in New York to announce the establishment of the International Sacred Literature Trust (ISLT). The ISLT is coordinating English translations of the
y e all know the first book which will be translated by world's religious texts for inclusion in a single publishing VV JSLT for worldwide distribution is a book called the series. The ISLT extends a unique invitation to all faiths to
Tatvartha Sutra. This book is accepted by both sects, select their own scholars and English-language poets or i.e., Shwetambar and Digambar Jains. it is written by novelists to work on new authoritative translations of their
Umaswatiji. Digambaras know him as Umaswamiji as well. key religious stories and teachings.
No exact date of Umaswataji's birth has been recorded but The ISLT series will be printed, promoted and distrib
from the various sources available to historians, it is now uted worldwide by Harper-Collins, the largest publishing widely accepted that he was born between the first and fifth group in the world, which first established itself in religious
centuries AD. Many scholars put this date nearer to the first publishing with the Bible.
century AD. At the launch of the ISLT, Prince Philip said, "I think it
The book, Tatvartha Sutra, is, in fact, a very small book is highly appropriate that this event should be taking place at
consisting of only 344 Sutras (in this case, sentences) divided the headquarters of the United Nations organization
into ten adhyayas or chapters. This means that the whole text This building symbolizes the yearning of all people of good can be printed in a booklet of only 24 pages. However, the will for a more peacefuland cooperative world. This can only
entire content is so deep and carries Jain philosophy in such be achieved when the great political and religious move
a concise form that various writers have explained this ments learn to be more tolerant and understanding of each
philosophy in hundreds of pages. The renowned scholar other.
Pandit Sukhlalji translated the original Sanskrit work into "I believe there is a very real possibility that the Sacred
Gujarati and wrote a detailed 500-page commentary. His is Literature Trust will make a significant contribution to inter
a marvellous work and is proving a great source of guidance faith dialogue and, hopefully, to a better understanding for other translators. Some Hindi and English translations between followers of different religions and beliefs."
are also available but JSLT is attempting to produce a transFollowing the launch, Mr. Ratibhai Shah and Mr. Vi
lation with the help of many scholars and wordsmiths for the nodbhai Udani, presidents of the Oshwal and Navnat Vanik
purpose of publication and worldwide distribution. Associations of the UK, wrote to His Royal Highness request
As regards the content of Tatvartha Sutra, the book ing the Jain scriptures be included in its series. Prince Philip starts with the definite statement: the way to final emancipa
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