Jain Spirit 2004 10 No 20

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 40

THE WEAVER'S WISDOM
Photo: Atul K Shah. Courtesy of SOAS, University of London
SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI SHARES THE SIMPLE AND PROFOUND VERSES OF TIRUVALLUVAR
Many years ago when I first was in Sri Lanka - that was in 1949 - I made a vow to bring together the best of the East and the best of the West. Living with a traditional Saivite family that informally adopted me in those early days, I was introduced to the Tirukural. I found it to be one of the most important scriptures in all of Asia, so enchanting and so very practical. It contains wondrously no-nonsense insights on life, teaching us how to deal with the various feelings and circumstances that we encounter in our internal life and our interactions with others. In this sense, the Tirukural is the most accessible and relevant sacred text I know, applying to everyday matters and common concerns.
t is a 2,200-year-old South Indian Dravidian classic on ethical living. Not unaware that there are advocates of later dates (from ca 200 BCE down to ca
400 CE), we honour here the prevalent Tamil tradition. Its 1,330 verses were written by a Tamil weaver sage named Tiruvalluvar. I have named his work Weaver's Wisdom. It is called Tirukural in the Tamil language. Tiru means 'holy' or 'sacred' and kural describes a brief verse or literary couplet. This poetic masterpiece is one of the most revered scriptures in South India, where every child learns to recite its verses by heart. Hindus there regard it with the same reverence as Buddhists regard the Buddha's Dhammapada or Christians regard