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The Eternal Message of Jaina Wisdom
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preachings are the voice of the soul, which arise from the soul, touch the soul and inspire it to become one with the soul" ( Mahāvīra Vāṇī, p. 75).
Appealing Message to the Common Man
All the aphorisms of Lord Mahāvīra are authentic, pragmatic and impressive. To select some of them is indeed a herculean task. The aim of this compilation is to inspire the common man to know more about Lord Mahāvīra and his preachings. Hence, only 650 sūtras have been selected from the entire Jaina canonical literature. Care has been taken to select only those aphorisms which are particularly simple, reflective and thought provoking specially appealing to the common man. Aphorisms that are of metaphysical nature have been excluded. In the compilation, we can find a glimpse of that sublime thought which shall inspire mankind to tread the path of righteousness at all times.
About the 'Pearls of Jaina Wisdom'
The present text has been classified into 71 lessons and index of scriptures from which aphorisms have been taken, is given at the end of the book. A glossary of technical terms along with Bibliography is also given. All 71 lessons are divided into following 12 chapters Precepts on 1. the auspicious, 2. the self, 3. the path of liberation, 4. knowledge of fundamentals, 5. conquest of passions, 6. conquest of mind, 7. karma, 8. reflections, 9. path of righteousness, 10. meditation, 11. learning and 12. some other precepts.
Each aphorism selected is unique, distinct, thought-provoking and capable of changing man's life. About the aphorisms of Lord Mahāvīra, the Late Upadhyāya Amarmuni said, "Nothing will be more beneficial that the Pearls of Jaina Wisdom becoming a part of our lives. A person who studies them will experience great joy and vision of divine spiritual light. He will soon find that the darkness of ignorance is disappearing and will realise peace and tranquillity in mind. Such realisation is the aim of the study of scriptures and the fruit of self-study" (Sūkti Triveṇī, p. 12). The introductory
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