________________ THE AUTHOR Dr. Col. Dalpat Singh Baya 'Sreyas', who comes from a devout Jaina family of Udaipur, was initiated into the realm of Jaina studies by his illustrious father Svanamdhanya Shri Ganeshlalii Baya, himself a renowned exponent of Jainism, and devoted to spreading the gospel. With his inherited dedication to the cause, Dr. Baya took up Jaina studies after his retirement from Military service and did his M.A. in Prakrit and Jainology and Ph.D. subsequently. An erudite scholar and a prolific writer, Dr. Baya has, to date, authored three English/Bilingual commentaries on Jaina canonical works like Uttaradhyayna Sutra, Tatttvartha Sutra and Ashta Pahuda; ten English translations of rare Prakirnakas and three original works besides a large number of well researched papers published in reputed Research Journals. His talent has been well recognized and he has been awarded prestigious awards like Ganesh Lalvani award and Late Shri. Pradeep Kumar Rampuria Award for his notable contribution to Jaina literature. This book, an original contribution of the author, is an outcome of his studious and intensive research for presenting the essential but comprehensive basics of Jainism from the laymen's point of view. With its conceptual clarity, simplicity of expression and lucid style of explanation the book will prove to be highly useful in providing basic understanding of the fundamental tenets of Jainism for the layman as well as the non-Jaina scholars. The author has successfully tried to encompass almost every aspect and dimension of Jain faith including its history, cosmology, ontology, epistemology, ethics and even mythology. The last section "Practical Jainsim" attempts to establish relevance of Jain precepts to the problems faced by our contemporary society and highlights the applied aspect of this universal creed. * Another admirable feature of the work is its attempt to reconcile the beliefs of both Svetambara and Digambara traditions - which is very much noticeable in the section providing the life-sketch of Bhagvana Mahavira. - Prof. Kusum Jain Dean, Arts College, Rajasthan University, Jaipur SOCIETY FOR SCIENTIFIC & ETHICAL LIVING PRAKRIT BHARATI ACADEMY 13-A, Gurunanak Path, Main Malviya Nagar, Jaipur
