Atmanandji Jainacharya Janmashatabdi Smarakgranth

Author(s): Mohanlal Dalichand Desai
Publisher: Atmanand Janma Shatabdi Smarak Trust

Page 78

Origin of Chicago-Prashnottar
Raghavji Gaudhi as a represeutative of Jaiu Faith to the Parliament. He added that by his deputation as a delegate to the Parliament of the religions of the world he would be able to give publicity to the religion of the Jains to all those who did not know what Jainism and its tenets were, and that the course was calculated to disseminate the traths of Jainism far and wide. This opinion of the Muniraj was accepted by the gentlemen of Bombay, because they implicitly believed in his words and were convinced that the opinion expressed by Muniraj could never be against their scripture or prejudicial to them in any way, for they well knew that in the modern times there was pone equal to him in the knowledge and scholarship of Jain religious literature. Having thus considered the matter, the Jain Association of Bombay requested Mr. Virchand Gandhi to go as their delegate to Chicago. On this occasion at the request of Mr. Virchand Gandhi as weil as that of Chicago Committee on Religious Congress the Muniraj wrote this work in the form of questions aud answers on Jainism. I venture to publish the work for the benefit of my brethren. As the book was specially written for the Chicago Parliament and contained answers to the questions received from Chicago, it was aptly entitled the Chicago Prashnottar i. e., Questions and Answers on Jainisin for the Chicago Parliament of religions. The name and learning of the author of the book being universally known, it is needless for me to dilate on the merits of his books. Nor can I do justice to the task, even if I were to attempt it. How can I be considered qualified enough to do full justice to the merits of the works of an author about whom occidental scholars and savants have expressed such a high opinion ? The following is an extract in this connection from the English translation of Upasakdasang Sutra by Dr. A. F. Rodolph Hoeruele, Secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
"In a third Appendix ( No. III ) I have put together some additional information, that I have been able to gather since publishing the several fasciculi. For some of this information, I am indebted to Muni Maharaj Atmaramji, Anandvijayji, the well-known and highly respected Sadhu of the Jain Community throughout India, and author of (among others) two very useful works in Hindi, the Jaina TattvaShatabdi Granth ]
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