Source Book in Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Devendramuni
Publisher: Tarak Guru Jain Granthalay

Page 11

FOREWORD
The cultural heritage of India is pre-eminently represented by the Brahmanic and Sramanic traditions. Jainism and Buddhism are the chief representatives of the latter tradition. Lord Mahavira is the greatest exponent of Jaina thought.
Among the path-finders to the Supreme Reality, Bhagavan Mahavira stands pre-eminent. Vardhamana, universally known as Mahavira, the last of the twenty four Tirthar karas of the Jainas, represents the ancient Jaina tradition of India, that of ahimsa, renunciation, sacrifice and asceticism. Though Mahavira's teachings are primarily followed by the Jainas, they are in fact applicable mutatis mutandis to the followers of other religious faiths. In essence, Lord Mahavira is a Jagadguru-a World Teacher whose teachings are meant for the entire mankind. Far from being a recluse concerned only with an inner spiritual experience, Lo'd Mahavira also associated himself closely in uplifting the social life of the people. He was instrumental for codifying all unsystematic mass of beliefs into a set of rigid rules of conduct for munis, i. e., monks and shravakas i. e., house-holders. The essence of Lord's teaching is embodied in the three-fold code known as ratna-traya. By following the three-fold path of Right Belief, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct, as ordained by the Jainas, the soul is released from the cycles of birth and rebirth and attains the pure and blissful abode of the liberated souls.
Jainism is uniqe in the history of religious philosophy. Jainism, although usually referred to as a religion, is basically a way of life. The Jainas have always stood for the dignity of man and equality of all, and have preached the elevated ideal of ahimsa which is considered central to the Jaina ethical thought. As rightly observed by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, "The Jainas were first to make ahimsa, non-violence, into a rule of life.
The present book is a classical work on Jaina Philosophy, rendered into English by Dr. T. G. Kalghatgi from the original