NIYAMASARA: SALVATION THROUGH SELF-DISCIPLINE

Dear friends,
Jaya Jinendra

NIYAMASARA: SALVATION THROUGH SELF-DISCIPLINE (Prakrit - English)
Original Text in Prakrit
By Acarya Kundakunda
Translation and Introduction in English by J P Jain Sadhak
2005     225 x 140 mm     221 pp
81 7027 242 4     Hardcover     Rs. 300

Kundakunda's works enjoy the status of Agamas in the Digambara community. In the Jain mangalacarana, his name is recited directly after Tirthankara Mahavira's and Ganadhara Gautama's names. His Nataka-trayi enjoys the same importance and reverence amongst Jains as the prasthana-trayi among the Hindus.

Niyamasara is a unique spiritual treatise described by its commentators as the Bhagavat Shastra. It expounds the path of liberation. Kundakunda was the supreme spiritualist who composed 84 pahudas, or short philosophical compositions dealing with a specific subject, for his own contemplation.

Niyamasara deals with the three ethico-spiritual standpoints of understanding Ultimate Reality the Nishcaya naya, the Vyavahara naya and the Shuddha Naya.

Niyamasara effectively removes doubts related to Parayayarthika naya and Dravyarthika nayas and elaborates on Vyavahara caritra. He stresses that Vyavahara caritra is based on samyama (self-restraint) and hence rooted in appropriate psychic disposition. He places great stress on cleansing the soul of vibhavas, internal impurities, through self-discipline.

A unique feature of the Niyamasara is that Kundakunda characterises both Nichcaya caritra and Vyavahara caritra as tapa, or practice of austerity from their respective nayas. This characterization is based on psychological and pragmatic considerations and if put in practice properly it would lead to internal and external purity and annihilation of the four passions. Kundakunda concludes that Vyavahara caritra and Nishcaya caritra together constitute Samyak caritra.

Another unique feature of this marvelous work is its riveting description of parama samadhi, not found elsewhere in Jain literature.

A great book!

The English translation is competent and precise; the introduction is highly informative. I would walk miles to get a copy!

|| parasparopagraho jivanam ||

Manish

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