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The Path Leading to Nirvana
Within all these texts is to be discerned a harmony, for they complement each other, each one expounding some particular aspect. Finally, the translation of the texts and the introductions there to, being based on the original, take their inspiration from the translations and commentaries of the ācāryas, munis, sadhvis and ǎryikās of today. This is very important, for they know better than anyone the vital intrinsic value of the texts, such as is infinitely beyond the mere words, an thus in their translations and explanations they transmit all that they themselves have assimilated of the commentaries of the sages of the past.
We may remark at this point that the Agamas used by the sadhvis are concerned primarily with rules of life. They do also contain elements of the doctrine, but these are little explained and only rarely sytematised. For this reason, we follow here certain genuine treatises which, though not included in the śruta, are nevertheless recognised as possessing great authority, precisely because their authors had drunk deep of the Agamas. Furthermore, by following systematically certain treatises, by studying them and meditating upon specific texts, we perform our own svādhyāya and thus participate forthwith in the primordial task of the sadhvis ' life, for by means of svadhyāya based on faith in the Scriptures one acquires that right knowledge which moulds one's life.11
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11 This Part sets forth the doctrinal basis and explains how action must be in conformity with it. In Part III we shall see in detail the translation into action of this basis in all its implications, in the life of the sadhvis and āryikās. Everything hangs together.
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