________________
12
THE SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
All the cultured Jainas who have got Western education uniformly, it has been noticed, desire that all the material pertaining to all the cultural aspects of the Jaina tradition should be made available in English. The desire is no doubt noble. But it has arisen mainly from the blind imitation of others and mental temperament devoid of deep understanding regarding publications in English language.
On the one hand, everywhere is evinced this noble desire for publishing or getting published the works in English, while on the other hand indifference is noticed towards the reading and study of the published English works which are capable of satisfying the thirst for knowledge, not only of the common people but also of the eminent scholars : if this contradiction is found among the business-minded Jaina laymen, there is no special cause of our getting disheartened; but if this defect is seen even among Jaina ascetics who have pledged to devote themselves to the acquisition of knowledge, then we cannot but say that there is something wrong with the order of Jaina monks.
There are four sects of Jaina tradition. We may take consolation in thinking that there is no cause for complaining much against the three sects other than the idol-worshipping Svetämbara one. But it is this idolworshipping Svetāmbara sect that sent Shri Gandhi to America as a representative of the entire Jaina tradition. And about 75 years before, he successfully fulfilled his mission there. Moreover, he wrote such works in English relating to Jaina tradition as is written by no other Indian-especially Jaina-scholar even to this day. But alas ! rarely do we find the deserving English-knowing persons who read and study these works.
Gandhi's works pertaining to the three subjects related tr Jaina tradition have been published before many years; and the standard of these works is so high that no author, as far as I understand, has reached that standard in producing works pertaining to those sub
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
