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THE KEY TO THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
APPLICATION
ANCIENT SCRIPTURES
The Jains divide their scriptures into two main types, - those within the classical Canon and those outside it.10
The basis for these subdivisions is the stage of development of those who wrote the scriptures:
1 - the tirthankaras, who taught from the state of omniscience, 2 - their immediate disciples (sruta kevalis) and 3 - the subsequent teachers and leaders of the groups disseminat
ing this knowledge. Of the wealth of ancient scriptures listed in earlier manuscripts, many have been lost during the last two millennia. Yet still a considerable number reached our present times intact. Unfortunately only
10 The classical Canon is divided into twelve parts: Acara, Sutrakrita,
Sthana, Samavaya, Vyakhyaprajnapti, Jnatridharmakatha, Upasakadhyayana, Antakriddasa, Anuttaraupadikadasa, Prasnavyakarana, Vipakasutra and Dristivada.
Dristivada has five subparts: Parikarma, Sutra, Prathamanuyoga, Purvagata and Culika.
Purvagata is divided into 14 parts: Utpadapurva, Agrayaniya, Viryanupravada, Astinastipravada, Jnanapravada, Satyapravadă, Atmaprăvada, Karınapravada, Pratyakhyananamadheya, Vidyanupravada, Kalyariana-inadheya, 'Pranavaya, Křiyavisala and Lokabindusara.
Outside this canon there exist many works, e.g. Dasavaikalika, Uttaradhyayana etc.
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