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Letter 4
27
The Different Methods of Interpreting Jain Scriptures
Letter 4
August 15, 1993. Dear Reena & Mona,
Blessings & Best Wishes. I am pleased to learn that you eagerly await my letters and at the same time you are preserving them too ! This will definitely help you a lot, because when you will go over them again and again you will extract deeper meaning each time you read them.
In the beginning the new words and terminologies may confuse you but you will soon get familiar with them. Just as in our routine life, when we watch new T.V serial, we don't know what is happening, in the first few episodes. But then, gradually we get familiar with the characters, and it becomes interesting. Isn't it?
In my previous letter, I had pointed out that the knowledge of Jain philosophy is extremely essential for each one of us. Now the next question that comes to our mind is, how should one learn Jain philosophy ? There are numerous Jain scriptures and when we read them by ourselves, we don't seem to understand anything. This is true of all other subjects also.
Though there are various books available on medical and engineering subjects, you have to go to a college and study under the guidance of the professors to be a doctor or an engineer. To gain knowledge of any subject one has to study under the person who is specialised in that subject.
The proper and perfect meaning of the Jain philosophy can be found out and told by the Guru T6 or leamed man who has attained Atmadyan
CHFIFA. Persons who have attained Veetaragata alone know the deeper meaning of the words in philosophy.
In order to grasp the knowledge of the scriptures only the knowledge of the literal meaning of the words is not sufficient. We ought to know the literal meaning i.e. Shabdartha ( en ) along with the meaning implied or the intension behind the meaning (or the message conveyed) i.e. Bhavartha (rare).
In context to whichever scripture it pertains to is Agamartha ( 1470 ) and then examine it from different view points ( or various aspects ) is Nayartha ( Tapet). And when we consider all these points with a comparative study of the other doctrines, in relation to Jain philosophy it is Matartha ( Harret ).
