Ratnakarandaka Shravakachar

Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp Printers

Page 51

Verse 9
can never be ranked with those other creeds whose teaching inculcates, directly or indirectly, the taking of life for sacrifice or food. Thus, at every stage of its activity, Jainism always tends to protect and advance the interests of all kinds of living beings.
The last great characteristic of the Holy Scripture is that it is by itself capable of destroying falsehood. This is only natural, for it is a peculiarity of the scientific method which, being commendable to the most exacting and critical intellect, cannot but destroy all forms of error, doubt and ignorance, the three constituents of falsehood. It will be seen that Jainism proceeds by describing the nature of existing substances, dealing fully, in so far as is necessary for the purposes of religion, with the
lities or attributes which arise from their interaction in the course of evolution. It has nothing in common with dogmatism - "thou shalt do this,” and “thou shalt not do that,” etc., - nor with mystic mythology which says one thing and means quite another.
Jain, Champat Rai (1917), "Ratnakarnda-śrāvakāchāra (or The Householder's Dharma)”, p. 4-6.
Ācārya Kundakunda in Pravacanasāra states that the scriptures are the true sources of direct and indirect knowledge: जिणसत्थादो अढे पच्चक्खादीहिं बुज्झदो णियमा ।
carefa Halaget et frei Hufergoo II -ce II He who assimilates the reality of substances through the Jaina scriptures, which contain valid knowledge (pramāņa), direct and other, certainly exhausts the heap of delusion and, therefore, the scriptures should be studied regularly.
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