Philosophy And Exhortation Of Jainism - Excerpts From Jain Agamas (Holy Scriptures)

Published: 11.09.2007
Updated: 30.07.2015

Collected by

Yug Pradhan Acharya Sri Tulsi

Translated by

Muni Sri Mahendra Kumar

  1. All unenlightened persons produce sufferings. Having become deluded, they produce and reproduce sufferings in this endless world. (Uttaradhyayana, 6/1)
  2. Only that science is a great and the best of all science, the study of which frees man from all kinds of miseries. (Isibhasiya, 7/1)
  3. That with the help of which we can know the truth, control the restless mind, and purify the soul is called knowledge in the Jain doctrine. (Mulacara, 5/70).
  4. That which subdues passions, leads to beautitude and fosters friendliness is called knowledge in the Jain doctrine. (Mulacara, 5/71)
  5. The nights that have departed will never return. They have been wasted by those given to adharma (unrighteousness). The nights that have departed will never return. They are profitable for one who is given to dharma (righteousness). (Uttaradhyayana, 14/25)
  6. Those that are ignorant of the supreme purpose of life will never be able to attain nirvana (liberation) in spite of their observance of the vratas (vows) and niyamas (rules) of religious conduct and practice of sila (celibacy) and tapas (penance). (Samayasara, 153)
  7. My soul characterized by knowledge and faith is alone eternal. All other phases of my existence to which I am attached are external occurrences that are transitory. (Niyamasara, 99)
  8. Don’t kill any living beings. Don’t try to rule them. (Acaranga, 4/23)
  9. The essence of all knowledge consists in not committing violence. The doctrine of animas is nothing but the observance of equality i.e. the realization that just as I do not like misery, others also do not like it (knowing this, one should not kill anybody). (Sutrakrtanga, 1/14/10/)
  10. Just as you do not like misery, in the same way others also do not like it. Knowing this, you should do not them what you want them to do unto you. (Bhagavati Aradhana, 780)
  11. To kill any living being amount to killing one self. Compassion to others is compassion to one’s own self. therefore one should avoid violence like poison and thorn (that cause pain). (Bhagavati Aradhana, 797)
  12. Don’t be proud if you gain, nor be sorry if you loss. (Acaranga, 2/4/114,115)
  13. One who cultivates an attitude of equality towards all living beings, mobile and stationery, can attain equanimity. Thus do the kevalis (the enlightened ones) say. (Anuyogadvara, 708,gatha2)
  14. Only the one who has transcended fear can experience equanimity. (Sutrakrtanga, 1/2/2/17)
  15. Let me renounce the bondage of attachment and hatred, pride and meekness, curiosity, fear, sorrow, indulgence and abhorrence (in order to accomplish equanimity).
  16. One who remains equanimous in the midest of pleasure and pains is a sramana, being in the state of pure consciousness. (Pravacanasara, 1/14)
  17. One devoted whole-heartedly to right knowledge, right faith and right conduct equally accomplishes in full the task of the sramana. (Pravacanasara, /42)
  18. O self Practice Truth, and nothing but truth. (Acaranga, 3/3/66)
  19. Truth alone is the essence in the world.(Prasnavyakarana, 2/2)
  20. A truthful man is treated as reliable as the mother, as venerable as as guru (preceptor) and as the one who commands knowledge. (Mulacara, 837)
  21. Truthfulness indeed is tapa (penance). In truthfulness, do reside self- restraint and all other virtues, just as fish can live only in the water, so can all other virtues reside in truthfulness alone. (Bhagavati Aradhana, 842)
  22. One may have a tuft or matted hair on the head or a seven head, remain naked or wear a rag. But if he tells a lie, all this is futile and fruitless. Bhagavati Aradhana, 843)
  23. The monk who is absorbed in meditation achieves victory over attachment and a version, and the senses. his fear vanishes and his passions are shattered.He extirpates his indulgence, abhorrence and delusion.
  24. One can bear all kinds of unbearable pain caused by spikes in expectation of wealth etc. but he alone who tolerates the harsh words spoken to him without any motive of world gain, is venerable. (Dasavaikalika, 9/3/6)
  25. One should not utter displeasing words that arouse ill feelings in others. One should not indulge in speech conducive to the evil. (Dasavaikalika, 8/47)
  26. The Sadhaka (one who practices spiritual discipline) speaks words that are measured and beneficial to all living beings. (Kartikeyanupreksa,334)
  27. The bhiksu (ascetic) should not be angry with one who abuses him. Otherwise he would be like the ignoramus. He should not therefore lose his temper. (Uttaradhyayana, 2/24)
  28. If somebody were to beat a disciplined and restrained ascetic, the latter should not think of avenging himself considering the soul to be imperishable. (Uttaradhyayana, 2/27)
  29. As gold dose not cease to be gold even it is heated in the fire, an enlightened man does not cease to be enlightened on being tortured by the effects of karma. (Samayasara, 184)
  30. A thief feels neither pity nor shame, nor does he posses discipline and faith. There is no evil that he cannot do for wealth. (bhagvati aradhana,862)
  31. On the aggravation of one’s greed, a person fails to distinguish between what should be done and what not be done. He is a daredevil who cannot commit any offence even at the cost of is own life. (Bhagavati Aradhana,857)
  32. By practising celibacy one can fulfill all other vows - chastity tapas (penance), vinaya (humility), samyama (self –restrain), forgiveness, self protection and detachment. (Prasnavatikarana9/3)
  33. Knowing that pleasing sound, beauty, fragrance, pleasant taste and soothing touch are transitory transformation of matter the celibate should not be enamoured of them. (dasavaikalika, 8/58)
  34. The soul is the Brahman Brahmacarya is therefore nothing but spiritual conduct of the ascetic concerning the soul, who has snapped out of relationship with alien body. (bhagavati aradhana, 889)
  35. An amorous person, falling to achieve his desired objects, becomes frantic and even ready to commit suicide by any means. (bhagavati aradhana, 889)
  36. The sun scorches only during the day, but cupid scorches in the day as well as the night. One can protect oneself from the sun but can not from cupid. (bhagvati aradhana)
  37. The more you get,the more you want, the greed increasing with the gain. What could be accomplished by twomasas (a micro measure) of gold could not be done by ten millions. (Uttaradhyayana, 8/17)
  38. Knowing that the earth with its crops of rice and barley, With its gold and cattle, and all this put together will not satisfy the desires of one single man should practice penance. (Uttaradhyayana, 9/49)
  39. Just as fire is not quenched by the fuel and the ocean by thousands of rivers, similarly no living being is satisfied even with all the wealth of all the three worlds. (Bhagavati Aradhana,1143)
  40. One who being swayed by wishful thinking, becomes a victim of passions at every step and dose not ward off the desires.cannot practise asceticism. (Dasavaikalika, 2/1)
  41. External renunciation is meaningless if the soul remains fettered by internal shackles. (Bhava-Pahuda,13)
  42. One who is constantly in his deportment is like the lily in the pond, untarnished by mud. (Pravacanasara, 3/18)
  43. Objects of the senses pollute knowledge if it is not protected by discipline. (Sila-pahuda,2)
  44. Discipline is the means of achieving liberation. (Sila - pahuda,20)
  45. Just as every body keeps away from a burning fire, so do the evils remains away from an enlightened person. (Isibhasiym,35/23)
  46. Keep yourself always awake. One who keeps awake increases his wisdom. He who keeps falls asleep is wretched. Blessed is he who keeps awake. (Brhattkalpa-bhasya,3382)
  47. Birth is the attended by death, youth by decay and fortune by misfortune. Thus everything in this world is momentary. (Kartikeyanupreksa,5)
  48. The courageous as well as the cowardly must die. When death is inevitable for both, why should not one welcome death smilingly and with fortitude? (Mulacara, 2/100)
  49. There is nothing as fearful as death, and there is no suffering as great as birth be free from the fear of both birth and death by doing away with attachment to the body. (Mulacara, 2/119)
  50. Do not be in dread of the dreadful, the illness, the disease, the old age, and even the death or any other object of fear. (Prasnavyakarna, 7/20)
  51. The non-vigilant has from all directions. The vigilant has none from any. (Acaranga,3/75)
  52. One who entertains fear finds himself lonely (and helpless). (Prasnavyakarna,7/20)
  53. As a tortoise withdraws his limbs within his own body, even so does the valiant withdraw his mind within himself from all sins. He also withdraws his hands, legs, mind, sense-organs, sinful moods, evil wards, pride, and deceitfulness, this indeed is the valour of the valiant. (Sutrakrtanga, 1/8/16-18)
  54. The enlightened would contemplate that this soul is endowed with boundless energy. (Niyamasara,96)
  55. One who knows the spiritual (self) known the external (world) too. He, who knows the external world, knows the self also. (Acaranga,1/7/147)
  56. If one’s vision is capable of expelling the darkness, he would not need of lamp. Likewise the soul itself being blissful, there is no need of external object for bliss. (Pravachansara, 1/67)
  57. I condemn what is the worthy of condemnation. I censure what is the worthy of censure. I atone for all the outer and inner encroachments on the soul. (Mulacara,2/55)
    May the state of arhats (the enlightened ones), the sidhas (the liberated ones) and the vitaragas (winners of deluding karamas) be my goal. (Mulacara, 2/107)
  58. As the fire quickly consumed dry wood, even so an adept whose soul is equipoised and unattached causes the accumulated karma-structrure to disintegrate. (Acaranga, 4/3/33)
  59. Those who hanker after pleasure, those who are attached to or seized by passions and are obstinate like a miser, cannot know the of samadhi (Self-concentration). (Sutrakrtanga,1/2/58)
  60. A monk engrossed in meditation renounces all evils. Meditation is therefore the best way of regression from all transgressions. (Niyamasara,63)
  61. One who meditates on the soul attains the supreme samadhi. (Niyamasara,129)
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Page glossary
Some texts contain  footnotes  and  glossary  entries. To distinguish between them, the links have different colors.
  1. Acaranga
  2. Acharya
  3. Adharma
  4. Aradhana
  5. Arhats
  6. Bhiksu
  7. Body
  8. Brahmacarya
  9. Brahman
  10. Celibacy
  11. Consciousness
  12. Dharma
  13. Discipline
  14. Equanimity
  15. Fear
  16. Greed
  17. Guru
  18. Karma
  19. Kevalis
  20. Meditation
  21. Muni
  22. Nirvana
  23. Niyamasara
  24. Pride
  25. Sadhaka
  26. Samadhi
  27. Samayasara
  28. Samyama
  29. Science
  30. Soul
  31. Sramana
  32. Tapa
  33. Tapas
  34. Tulsi
  35. Uttaradhyayana
  36. Vinaya
  37. Violence
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