Jaina World of Non Living

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 12

The Jaina world of Non-living
category of Jaina literature for the non-Jaina general and scholarly world covering intellectual and logical sides of Jaina precepts. There have been some attempts in this direction in the past, but the literature could not reach the people who required it most. One could also not distribute it because of lack of proper informations.
Times have changed during the last half of the century. We have listings of scholars writing chapters or books on religion and many publishers involved in these types of publication. Not only they, but others also require the middle level Jaina literature. The Jaina community abroad feels its duty to fulfill this task.
The U.S.A. has a sizable Jaina community spread over all the areas of this country. They have established nearly five dozen Jaina Centers including many Jaina temples with JAINA as their composite organisation. The Jaina Society of North Texas, Dallas, is one of the prominent centers. It has a temple in its center. It celebrates Prayūṣana and other Jaina festivals (ii) it runs local Jaina pāthasala (school) for children of different age-groups. (iv) It publishes many informative circulars and bulletins. Many Bhattarakas, Sadhus and scholars visit us regularly. As an active member of the centre, I had an idea of publishing middle level intellectual literature on Jainism. It was fortunate to learn that Dr. N.L.Jain of Jaina Kendra, Rewa (M.P., India) is involved in translating the middle and academic level sanskệta Jaina texts. or their commentaries like Dhavalā (Şat-khanda-āgama) and Rāja-vārtika (commentary of Tattvārthasūtra by Akalanka of eighth century) in English. His translation involves supplementary notes also for comparative studies in current times. I felt pleasure in encouraging Dr. Jain's effort and in sponsoring the publication of at least one chapter of Rājavārtika - the fifth chapter dealing with the second reality of Nonliving (Ajiva) of the Jainas. We selected this text as Tattvārthasūtra (Treatise on Reals) is the first aphorismic text of 3-4th century C.E. which is accepted by all the sections of the Jaina Church and it gives the Jaina tenets in the most organised way. It has also been translated in many languages. However, its commentaries, specially of Akalanka has not been translated in English so far. It is the crest of commentaries