Istopadesa The Golden Discourse

Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp

Page 13

Learned Acāryas later on started to restore, compile and put into written words the teachings of Lord Mahavira, that were the subject matter of Dvādaśānga. Acārya Dharasen, during the late first century to early second century CE, guided two Acāryas, Acārya Pushpadant and Ācārya Bhutabali, to put these profound tenets in the written form. The two Ācāryas wrote, on palm leaves, Şațkhandāgama – among the oldest known Digambara Jaina texts. Around the same time, Acārya Gunadhar wrote Kaşāyapāhuda.
Since then an enormous amount of magnificent Jaina literature has been created by the most learned Ācāryas. Only a part of this ocean of literature on various aspects of Jaina faith and philosophy may be available today in readable form. We articulate, with utmost reverence, the names of many distinguished Jaina Ācāryas, and read their works with great devotion. Prominent Jaina Acāryas whose works have exerted the greatest influence on the thinkers as well as the practitioners, ascetics and laymen, include Ācārya Kundkund, Ācārya Umasvami, Ācārya Samantabhadra, Acārya Pujyapada, Acārya Amritchandra, Acārya Nemichandra Siddhānta Cakravarti, Ācārya Jinasen, Ācārya Shubhachandra, and Ācārya Amitagati.
Acāryas themselves practise the five-fold observances in regard to faith (darśanācāra), knowledge (jñānācāra), power (vīryācāra), conduct (cāritrācāra), and austerities (tapācāra) and guide disciples to follow these observances. They are worthy of meditation; I bow my head in reverence to them.
All bhavya souls have the potential to attain liberation, the state of infinite knowledge and bliss. It is pertinent, therefore, to acquire the true knowledge about the divine attributes of the perfected souls and also the path that leads to the attainment of such attributes. By the adoration of the supreme attributes of the World Teacher we confess our deficiencies, on the one hand, and proclaim our aspiration to reach the same supreme status, on the other. Study of the sacred Scripture is recommended to attain purity of faith which leads to the belief that all objects other than the pure Self are alien and worth renouncing. A person with right faith believes in sevenfold realities - the soul, the non-soul, influx, bondage, stoppage, gradual dissociation, and liberation – as ascertained in the Scripture.
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