Book Title: ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01
Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies
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"Spirituality is the highest wealth, Non-violence, restraint and penance; even the gods revere a mind always set on a spiritual path.3
By quoting this statement Lonkā wants to emphasis that the true religion as preached by the tīrthamkaras consists of ahimsā, samyama and tapa. Roughly speaking the appended 54bolas question practices of religion, which in his opinion go against these three basic principles of Jain religion? Therefore these bolas can be classified into three groups (i) commenting on temple building and idol worship, and all conduct related to it which goes against the principle of ahimsā, (2) The practice of the monks which goes against the principle of self restraint (samyama) and (3) the austerities practiced during his time which were not sanctioned by and found in the scriptures (āgamas).
It can be said on the basis of this classification that he is pointing out those practices which go against the cardinal principles. Thus, his fifty-four bolas can be classified into these three groups, which go against ahimsā, samyama and tapa. (1) the bolas which comment on the temple building etc they raise the issue of nonviolence, (2) issues related to śramaņācāra which goes against the principle of samyama and (3) issues related to austerities which go against the principle of tapa as found in agamas.
Similar classification of the original 58 bolas of Lonka had been done by Pt. Dalsukha Malvania in the following way. The first group discusses views on Himsā, (violence) on the basis of samyaktva and mithyātva. The second group discusses the views on idol- worship. The third group discusses the authenticity of the commentary literature. Lonkā has based his views mainly, or perhaps exclusively on the scriptural authority. This is clear from the quotations he gives in support of his views. He not only quotes from authoritative books like the Jain scriptures and the various Niryuktis, Cūrņis, Tikās and Bhāsyas, etc. but also raises the questions and doubts about the interpretations of the scriptures. He questions the additions and the concessions made by the interpreters to the pure religion preached by tīrthańkaras in order to safeguard the institutionalized religion and the interest of the acāryas. The fact that he has not mentioned Tattvartha-sūtra is understandable in the view of the fact that even now Tattvārtha-sūtra is not much known to the laity among Svetambaras. But the fact that he questions or doubts some of the interpretations of agamas given by Niryuktis
3 Tr. K.C. Lalwani, Dasavaikālika-sútra, 1.1
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
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