The Manual of Reality

Pragyasagarji A learned Jain monk or scholar assisting the Āchārya., and asked him to have a look at the proofs. In the meantime, he very kindly handed over to me several of his recent publications, and two different books on Āchārya A high-ranking monk and spiritual teacher. Kundkund’s Essence of the Self original: "Samaysār," a 2,000-year-old foundational text of Jain philosophy focusing on the nature of the pure soul.. One was a palm-sized book⁴ from which he asked me to reflect upon the following verse –

original Prakrit: "एदम्हि रदो णिच्चं संतुट्ठो होहि णिच्चमेदम्हि । एदेण होहि तित्तो होहिदि तुह उत्तमं सॉक्खं ।।"

[O bhavya! A soul with the potential to attain spiritual liberation.], you must always adore this knowledge (Right Knowledge), in it only you must remain contented, and in it only you must remain immersed; you will thus attain supreme bliss.

How naturally and incessantly the Master was engaged in the process of purging the soul of everyone who came in contact with him from the mire of karmic matter In Jainism, karma is viewed as physical particles that stick to the soul due to passions, weighing it down in the cycle of rebirth., with the pure water of Right Knowledge!

He acquiesced to write the Foreword for the book. The book was now going to have a ‘soul’. His compassion pulled out the emotional sting that was causing me concern. I again touched the pious feet of the Master with my forehead as he went inside.

Dehradun Vijay K. Jain
December, 2010

References

1 In Preface to ‘The Treatise on Liberation, or Aphorisms on the Nature of Reality’ original: "Mokshashāstra arthāt Tattvārthsūtra", originally written in Gujarati by Ramjibhai Manekchand Doshi and translated into Hindi by Pandit Parmeshthidas, (Shri Digambar Jain Swadhyaya Mandir Trust, Songarh, Saurashtra, Fourth Edition, 1971, p. 13).
2 Jain, S.A., ‘Reality: English Translation of Shri Pujyapāda’s The Attainment of All Objectives’ original: "Sarvārthasiddhi", (Vira Sasana Sangha, Calcutta-37, 1960).
3 Ibid. Latin: "In the same place," referring to the previous reference.
4 Pt. Balbhadra Jain (Ed.), Āchārya Kundkund’s Essence of the Self original: "Samaysār", (Kundkund Bharti, 18-B Special Institutional Area, New Delhi-110067, 2006, p. 172).