Jaina Gazette 1927

Author(s): J L Jaini, Ajitprasad
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office

Page 12

THE JAINA GAZETTE
VOL. XXIII.) MADRAS
WHOLE No. 1. } JANUARY 1927. ? No. 259.
THE THREE JEWELS. THE Three Jewels of the Jaina faith are Samyak Darsana, right
1 intuition or faith : Samyak Gyana, right knowledge; and Samyak Charitra, right conduct. A combined acquisition of these three leads to Nirvana, the ultimate goal of a true Jaina's spiritual life.
An old Jaina work defines Samyak Darsana as Sradhana, i,e.. intuitive faith, in the Tattvarthas, i.e., in the true significance of the nature of things. It is intricate metaphysics; but for our present purpose it is enough to know that it means a full belief in the reality that underlies all phenomena of nature. This is gained when one realizes the true importance of the seven Talluas as enumerated by the Jains. These are Jiva, Aj. va. Asrava. Bandha, Sanvara, Nirjara and Moksha or Nirvana.
Samyak Gyana is right knowledge of the ultimate reality of things. It comes as a flash of intuition by leading an intensely pure and ascetic life or by a study of Jainism bɔth with regard to its origin and its contents. The pious Jaina believes that the Agama, i.e., the Jaina Siddhanta, the 14 Purvas and the 11 Angas. as propounded by Lord Mahavira and interp'eted to the world by His disciples, is a treasure-house of Truth; and also feels it to be his sacred duty to know the contents of this rich store of occul: and eternal wisdom. The Purvas, and portions of the Angas alsu, are lost to us now; therefore we cannot know all about the jaina doctrines as they were taught us by our last Tirthankara. But still there is enough to exercise our brains, in the books that are extant. The most important of these deal with the Tallvas and