Notes on Modern Jainism

Author(s): Mrs Sinclair Stevenson
Publisher: Oxford

Page 25

JAINA SECTS.
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presidency of Devarddhi Ksamās'ramaņa, forty-five Shāstras were written down, which took thirteen years to accomplish. The Svetāmbara believe that originally there had been eighty four scriptures but that thirty nine had been lost.
The remaining forty five were first written and published in Valā (Gohelvād Prānt,) Kāthiāvād. All the sects believe that at this time certain of Mahāvira’s precepts which were no longer suited to society were omitted.
The Scriptures were written in Arddha Māgadhi, commentaries on them have been written in Sanskrit, and there are also Gujarāti translations of the text. The Svetāmbara do not allow laymen or women to read their Scriptures; these may only read certain small books of extracts which have been made from them.
Monks are allowed to read the Sacred books, and so are nuns, though it is very unusual for the latter to be sufficiently educated to be able to do so.
There is however a branch of the Svetāmbara Jaina who permit the laity to read their Sacred books. These
are the Dhundhia (2241) or, as they Dhundhia or prefer to be called, the Sthānakavāsi Sthanakavasi.
(2414591711) Jaina. They give the following account of their origin. About five hundred years ago
writing. A certain monk was ill and needed ginger as a remedy for his sickness. By their rule the monks were allowed to beg for any necessary medicine, but the unused portion must be returned by night fall. The monks failed to return the unused ginger, and when their guru saw how forgetful they had become, he felt it was no longer safe to trust the Scriptures to their memories.