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Appendix XI
Pearls of Jaina Wisdom - II*
Kim tattam - "What is the essence of all beings?" - was the question to Lord Mahāvīra by Indrabhūti Gautama, the first and foremost Gaṇadhara.
Uppannei vā, vigamei vā, dhuvei vā -‘All beings take birth, all perish, and yet, all are permanent!' was Lord Mahāvīra's reply to the above question; and hailed as; Tripadi, the three-fold enunciation based on which the twelve essential scriptures of Jainism, the Angas have been formulated.
Jainism is one of the most ancient religious traditions of the world, possibly dating back to 5000 years. It cannot be denied by anyone that the contribution of Jainism to Indian thought and ways of life has been especially meaningful.
The Jaina philosophy centres on compassion and harmlessness (ahiṁsā). Lord Mahāvīra (6th century B.C.), the 24th
Tīrthankara revealed countless truths to the world from which the vast Jaina canonical literature was founded.
Shri Dulichand Jain, a city based industrialist and Secretary, Research Foundation of Jainology, Madras, an acknowledged and much respected scholar of Jaina literature has written a book titled Pearls of Jaina Wisdom, which incorporates a well-chosen collection of inspiring sūtras (aphorisms) from the various Jaina canonical texts. The compilation has been grouped under various headings consistent with the spirit of the Jaina tradition. The translation (from Hindi to English) is also quite simple and lucid without sacrificing intellectual objectivity and the essence of the aphorisms.
The Indian Express, 10 April 1998
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