Way of Life Part 1

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 21

DISCOURSE 1 THE HUMILITY OF THE AUTHOR
Please see the humility of the profound scholar and erudite logician. He says, “I have not written this Grantha, Dharmabindu by means of my own imagination or thought, but I have composed this work by collecting gems of thought irom the boundless ocean of sublime knowledge."
This statement is profoundly meaningful and significant.
The author composed his work out of a few drops of Wisdom collected from the Ganga of scriptural wisdom and knowledge, caused to flow by the Tirtankar Paramatma, Mahavir Dev. The ocean of scriptures is profound and boundless. It is impossible to fathom its depths. Men of ordinary intellects cannot dive into it and cannot even get a glimpse of the gems of the purest ray serene in the dark and unfathomed caves of that ocean. The men of ordinary levels of intelligence cannot understand such profoundly meaningful ,terms as Naya, Nikshep, Bhang, Gam Paryay and Hetu. Have you understood them? What is called Naya? What is given the name, Dravya-Gun, Paryay? Can you say? You have neither the intelligence nor the inclination to know it. You cannot understand the Tatvamarg (The way of philosophical theory) but can you get a knowledge of the achar. marg (The way to practise the philosophy) ?
AN OCEAN IN A DROP
The great work Dharmabindu relates to the practical aspect of the Dharma (the way of practice). The author describes the way by which human life can gradually attain higher and higher levels of excellence, loftiness, sublimity and sanctity. The writer took gems from the ocean of scriptures and cast them in the form of simple and easily understandable Sutras or aphorisms. Compared to the boundless ocean of the scriptures, this Grantha contains only drops; but this Grantha is an ocean. The writer has filled an ocean in a drop. You know there are drops of water. These drops of philosophy are like that. In this manner, with omniscience, the great acharya has expounded doctrines in this Grantha.