Jains Through Time

Author(s): Shilapi Sadhvi
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 22

The Jains through Time
am Time. I have neither beginning nor end; nature has set no limits for me and my fathomless depths can only be plumbed by the Kevalis
(omniscient). I am what has passed, I am what is now, I am what will come to be. You, wise readers, are aware that nothing big or small can escape my scrutiny or remain untouched by the changes I bring. Today Veerayatan, one of the greatest achievements of Jainism, is celebrating its Silver Jubilee, and as this special occasion is history in the making, I am pleased to say I find myself feeling very ‘auspicious' indeed. To mark this great event, I would like to take the opportunity of selecting some choice gems of Jain history from my treasure chest of memories and, in appreciation of the real soul of Jainism, present them for your delectation.
I am aware that there is still some debate in Jain philosophical circles about my existence at all. The great thinker Acharya Umasvati, in his timeless work "Tattvartha Sutra', has used the phrase kālaścētyēkē ' - 'According to some, Time is also a substance' - to explore the various beliefs and tenets regarding my being. Only the Tirthankars (ford-makers; the omniscient spiritual teachers of the Jains), able to see the past, present and future, can tell you whether I am one of the six substances, and the catalyst for change in the form of things, or whether indeed I am an inevitable part of existence. All I know is that everyone appreciates and experiences me on a practical level. As the 'universal archivist', I have an intimate knowledge of Jain history and am the only true witness of the course of its events as they occur in my endless avsarpini (regressive) and utsarpini (progressive) cycles.
Tartartha Sutra, Acharya Umasvati, 5,38