Samaṇ Suttaṁ: Letter To Vinoba From The Munis (Monks)

Auspicious-minded Lover of Religion
Sri Acharya Vinobaji,

Jaina Dharma Sara and its new form Jiṇadhamma have been compiled bearing in mind your timely suggestion based on equanimity of thought. In this task of compila­tion, we have received the co-operation of Sri Jinendra Kumar Varniji and other scholars. An assembly was or­ganised due to the untiring efforts of Radha Krishna Bajaj, for Sarva Seva Sangh. All the Acharyas, monks and scholars who participated in the Assembly endorsed your suggestion and brought out a book entitled Samaṇasuttaṁ acceptable to the entire Jaina commu­nity. It has been regarded as a great achievement dur­ing the 2500th Year of the Nirvana of Bhagavan Mahavira. The Assembly met on the 29th and 30th November 1974 and the text was recited therein. Critical observations, reviews and thoughtful comments were received from the Acharyas, monks and scholars. The responsibility of critical revision was finally entrusted to the monks and the co-operation of Varniji was placed at their disposal. The work was completed within the course of a week after frequent meetings for revision and mature consideration. We are happy over it. We hope that you will pursue the text with seriousness and plan it after the pattern of the Dhammapada. If there be still more suggestions, you may give them. That will please us all. Presidents of the various sessions of the Assembly,