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The Perennial Stream of Wisdom
in that era two thousand and five hundred years ago the mode of transmission of knowledge was by spoken word and that of its reservation by retention in memory Written word was little in vogue Hence memory was variously developed Authorship was also dependent on the faculty of memory In these circumstances aphoristic and laconic style was resorted to while creating scholarly works The purpose was to express succinctly and tersely
The responsibility to propagate the word of Lord Mahavira fell on Indrabhuti and other ganadharas Hence it was incumbent on them to grasp his essentials of metaphysics
Indrabhuti humbly questioned, 'what is the ultimate metaphysical principle, sire?'
'The matter is created'
'If matter be by its nature creatable how shall it be contained in the universe ?'
'The matter is destroyed'
'If the matter be destructible, My Lord, it will be created and destroyed What shall remain then ?'
'The matter is perennial'
'Sire | How shall that which is destructible be perennial ? Are not destructibility and conservation incompatible ?'
'It is not incompatibility it is relativity It was dark in the cottage The lamp was lit and it was light It is put out and again there is dark The light and the dark are modes
