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The Path Leading to Nirvāņa
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- The Dhyānaśataka the Tattvānuśāsana and the Yogaśāstra 10 for dhyāna, mental concentration.
For numerous references on the various subjects:
- The Sthânănga-sutra, the Sūtrakặtānga-sutra, the Uttarādhyayanasūtra and the Karmagrantha, the Mülācara.
Out of all these texts, certain ones belong to the Digambara tradition, others to the Svetāmbara tradition; thcir origin is of little importance; what interests us is the possibility of apprehending through these Sūtras and treatises the depth and boundless wealth of the sages' teaching, which constitutes a guide for the sadhvis, the āryikās and all those who take interest in religious traditions.
3. Some guidelines for the study
To make the doctrine more easily accessible and the voice of the sādhvis more audible we must follow a certain method, an approach which aims above all at securing ready comprehension. This means that, in order to grasp belter from the inside the nature of a spiritual journey that is guided by an elaborate and sirmly-based body of teaching, there must be some landmarks or points of reference which are of importance for the whole and help to sustain a constant effort of reflection.
Words and notions
The Jaing dharma, despite its originality, has its roots in the Indian soil which has produced a variety of ancient traditions with features in common as well as divergencies. Each of these traditions is based on
9 Sadhvi Rājimati, who is herself the author of studies upon the subject, introduced me to the Dhyānašataka of Acārya Jinabhadra in the course of our discussions at Sri Dūmgaragadha in 1975.
10 The Yogaśästra of Ācārya Hemacandra was composed for King Kumărapăla in the XIIth c. These two treatises, the Dravsam and the Y Sas, which were intended respectively for a minister and for a sovereign, give us the benefit of a clear and complete synthesis of the teaching.
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