Mahavir Foundation 1997 11 London 10th Anniversary

Author(s): Mahavir Foundation
Publisher: Mahavir Foundation

Page 63

શ્રી મન્મસિધ્ધી, શાસ્ત્રનું સ્વપ્ન સર્જા
શ્રી ચંદ૮૪ ૨૪૭, નરી
COMPOSITION OF ATMA-SIDDHI
(Self-Realization)
This text which is meant to sum-up Shrimad's teachings and his insights on the right means for Spiritual liberation was composed at the suggestion and request of Sri Sobhagyabhai (Background) at a single sitting in Nadiad in the gathering darkness of the night when Sri Ambalal stood with a lantern in his hand
On August 22, 1896
Atma-Siddhi-Shastra, is the quintessence of Shrimad's teachings. The details of the actual composition of this work are of particular interest. This text which is meant to sum up Shrimad's teachings and his insights on the right means for spiritual liberation, was composed at a single sitting on August 22, 1896 in Nadiad. It is in verse and it runs into 142 couplets. Shrimad speaks here of the main obstacles in the way of salvation of the importance of a proper guide (satguru), of the six central tenets, and of the need for spiritual endeavour on the part of the individual.
The prose version by the name 'A letter about six fundamental truths' could not be easily memorised by the aspirants and hence, Sri Sobhagyabhai's request to Shrimad to put the matter in verse. This succinct and accurate composition is a masterpiece in philosophical literature. The author has, in a simple form of question and answer, explained the gist of Jainism and of all true religion namely the six fundamental truths, that the soul exists, that it is eternal, that it is the author of its activities, that therefore, it is responsible for the results of its activities, that it aspires for liberation and that this is achieved by following a right kind of Religion.
Shrimad instructed Sri Ambalalbhai to make out four copies of the manuscript and give one copy each, to his close and deserving disciples namely, to Sri Sobhagyabhai, Sri Ambalalbhai himself, Sri Lalluji Maharaj and lastly to Zaveri Maneklal Ghelabhai.
This is how Laghuraj Swamiji describes the impact that Atma-Siddhi-Shastra made on him: 'On reading it, even on remembering some of its verses, my heart overflowed with gladness, with joy. I realized that each and every verse of it was charged with such a richness of meaning.
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