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8.
JAINA ANTIQUARY.
[ Vol. I.
the only fortunate one in whose mind was the desire to impart to others a portion of his own form." (N. B. Herein is the ancient ideal of guru-sishya nyaya defined as "acharyah purva rupam-antacas-y-uttara rupam." 1
And, Secondly. in all such intellectual pursuit of spiritual culture under gurus who are themselves adepts or siddhas, two practical principles played the greatest part viz. diksha or concentration and Siksha or discipline. It will not do to take a vow or pledge; it will have to be made an operative force in the daily round of life; and the constant and unfaltering pursuit of a pledge as an active force in life is siksha or discipline. The Jain faith in ancient times invited the south Indian masses to concentrate on the culture of the spirit; to live the life of the spirit and not of the senses, so that by such culture they may not only sanctify their bodies and minds, but make of themselves centres of radiating spiritual influence. It was not mere theory, nor mere gospel-preaching, not doctrinaire hair-splitting, but downright, real, practical, demonstrable life lived from hour to hour in the eye of the masses, as a living example of a possible ideal. On this head also there is ample evidence in the Sravana-Belgolo Epigraphs. In all religious controversy a stage would arrive when the final appeal would be made from disputations and theories, from raddhantas and Siddhantas to the arbitrament of life. The life is the thing, the most appealing pratyaksha Pramana or occular authority, to catch the conscience of the devotee; to overcome the hesetancy of the novitiate. That is why one of these most ancient Jaina Acaryas and disputants said :
Diksha and Siksha.
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Why vainly strive, O." Jewelcrown of the wanton populace to prove the true Tathagata faith to be false? Escape quickly, for the proverb says-" living shall see gocd' and leave your love of dispute" 2.
And here below are a few characterisations of such ancient Jaina Risis who lived their faith and promulgated it by action even more effectively than by disputation, great as they were at the latter also:
(a) "Unruffled by accusers, of a form like the beautiful placid moon, and a place of fortune, having attained the path of learning and the path of victorysuch was the maha muni Hama sana
91 3
Some great Jaina Siddhanta caryas.
1 Ibid No. 54, dated A. D. 1128.
2 Ibid No. 105, dated 1398 A. D.
3 Ibid No. 54, dated 1128 A. D.
