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Preface
most of us but for the availability of the highly ornate and precise commentary in Sanskrit, called 'Tatparyavṛtti', written by the Most Learned Acarya Padmaprabhamaladhārideva (circa twelfth century Vikrama Samvat).1
'Niyamasara' comprises 187 verses (gāthā), in twelve chapters (adhikāra):
Gianfecht
1.
The Soul
At the outset, Acārya Kundakunda declares that this holy Scripture is based on the teachings of the possessors of the direct (pratyakṣa) perfect knowledge - the kevalī, and the indirect (parokṣa) perfect knowledge – the śrutakevali. Explaining the word 'Niyamasara', he makes it clear that what must be done is the 'niyama'. And the 'niyama' is right faith (samyagdarśana), right knowledge (samyagjñāna), and right conduct (samyakcaritra). To exclude any contrary suggestion, the suffix 'sāra' has been used. The 'niyama' is the way (marga) to attain liberation and the fruit is the supreme liberation (paramanirvāṇa). The Three Jewels (ratnatraya) right faith (samyagdarśana), right knowledge (samyagjñāna), and right conduct (samyakcāritra) are not distinguished from the soul. However, in order to explain these three to the worthy souls treading the path to liberation, from the empirical (vyavahāra) point-of-view, these are separated and described individually with their marks (laksana).
Right faith (samyaktva or samyagdarśana) is to have belief in the sectfounder (apta), the Scripture (agama) and the substances of Reality (tattva). The sect-founder (apta) is the one with supreme qualities, having destroyed all imperfection.
Words emanating from the mouth of the Supreme Lord (apta, paramātmā), free from the fault of inconsistency - contradiction between an earlier and a subsequent statement - and pure, constitute the Scripture (agama).
The Scripture expounds the nature of the substances - tattvārtha.
1- Gregorian Year 2000 CE corresponds to Year 2057 in the Vikrama Samvat (VS) calendar.
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