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Publisher's Note
Dr. Rudi Jansma is an eminent scholar. His study of Jainism is both extensive and deep. Indeed he has been devoted to this subject for almost two decades. His understanding of this religion found expression in his book Jainisme - Een introductie in the Dutch language. In fact this was the first book ever written or published on Jainism in The Netherlands. He has revised and enlarged the original book and translated it into English.
The book is comprehensive and deals with various aspects of Jainism. After an introductory chapter on “Who are the Jains?” he has a chapter on Jain history from the Jains' own point of view. He has also devoted a chapter to "Ahimsā” or nonviolence or non-killing on the passive side, and reverence for life on the positive one. Ahimsā is the heart of Jainism. This concept is applicable to humans as well as all other sentient beings including plant life and the earth. It is to the credit of Jainism that the preservation of all life forms has been dealt with in such minute detail. He has quoted from Acāranga, the first canon of Jains, comparing a man to a plant. According to this canon, which was composed about 2550 years ago, a plant, like a man, also has consciousness and perception. This is remarkable, as science established this fact hardly a hundred years ago. Indeed this canon contains the first formal and detailed proclamation on the environment, which is beyond comparison. The other feature of
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