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HISTORY OF JAIN SECTS AND SCRIPTURES
Chapter 30 History of Jain Sects and Scriptures
Lord Mahavir's preachings were orally compiled into many texts (scriptures) by his disciples. These scriptures are known as Jain Ägam or Ägam Sutras. The Ägam Sutras teach great reverence for all forms of life, strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, compassion, nonviolence, and opposition to war. In olden times, Jain ascetics believe that the religious books and scriptures are possessions and attachments. Therefore the scriptures were not documented in any form but were memorized by ascetics and passed on by oral tradition to future generations of ascetics. The memorized sutras were divided into two major groups:
Ang Ägam Sutras:
Ang Ägam sutras contain direct preaching of Lord Mahävir. They consist of 12 texts that were originally compiled by immediate disciples of Lord Mahävir known as Ganadhars. Collectively these Sutras are known as Dwädashängi. They were compiled immediately after Lord Mahävir's nirvana (death). The twelfth text is called Drastiwad, which includes 14 Purvas. The foremost of these Angas is Ächäräng Sutra. Other well-known Angas are Sutrakrutang, Samaväyäng, Sthänäng and Vyakhyä Prajnapti or Bhagawati Sutra.
Angbayha Agam Sutras:
Angbayha Agam sutras provide further explanation of Ang Agam sutras. They were originally compiled by Shrut Kevali monks, who possessed total knowledge of the soul by studying 12 Ang Agams. They consist of 14 texts according to the Digambar sect, 34 texts according to the Svetambar Murtipujak sect, and 21 texts according to the Sthänakaväsi and Teräpanthi sects. They were compiled within 160 years after Lord Mahävir's nirvana. They are sub-classified into Upängs, Mul Sutras, Chheda Sutras, Chulikäs, and Prakirnas Sutras. Dashä Vaikälika, Uttarädhyayan and Ävashyaka are the most well known Sutras belonging to this category.
They Ägam literature is composed in Ardhamägadhi, Präkrit language, which was the language understood in the area where Lord Mahävir went about during His life. Also, during the course of time many learned Ächäryas (elder monks) compiled many commentaries on the Ägam literature and independent works on various subjects of Jain philosophy and religion.
In the course of time, it became extremely difficult to keep memorizing the entire Jain literature (Agam sutras scriptures, Commentary literature, and Independent works) compiled by the many scholars.
About 160 years after the Lord's nirvana, when Bhadrabähuswami was the head of the religious order and the Nand dynasty was ruling over Magadh region. Pataliputra, the capital city, became the center of learning and knowledge. At that time, there occurred a twelve years of famine (around 350 BC). During that period of shortage and scarcity, it was hard for Jain monks to observe the code of conduct of religion. Bhadrabähuswami therefore decided to migrate to the south along with many followers. Under such circumstances they could not preserve the entire canonical literature.
A convention was therefore called at Patliputra under the leadership of Ächärya Sthulibhadra, after the famine. That convention prepared uniform version of all the Ägams. In Jain tradition this is known as the first Vächanä of Ägams.
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JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I
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