The Essence of Jaina Scriptures Pravachanasara of Kundakunda (With Tattvadipika Commentary)

Pravachanasara by Kundakunda contains the Essence of Divine Discourses or the Jaina Scriptures, which contain the teachings of Lord Mahavira - the last of the 24 Tirthankaras.

This volume discusses the fundamental concepts of Jainism, including the definition of dharma, the nature of the self, equanimity, the pure (shuddha), good (shubha) and evil (ashuba) conscious attentiveness, morality and spirituality, the issue of compassion, the concepts of svaymabhu and omniscience, the relation between soul and knowledge, the principle of knowledge and the principle of the knowable, including jiva, internal and external aspects of conduct, the dual role of moral virtues, non-violence, non possessiveness, the mechanism of bondage, and the path to attain liberation.

Jagdish Prasad Jain is Founder of Jain Mission and Editor of Jain Agam. He was formerly Diplomat/Adviser, Indian Mission to the United Nations, New York; Deputy Director, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; and Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has devoted himself to the study of Jainism for over two decades. He has published numerous articles in national and international journals and has lectured extensively in India and the United States, including Conventions of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) and Jain Center of Northern California.

Acharya Kundakunda, the author of Pravachanasara, is one of the greatest philosophers and foremost spiritual thinkers of the world. Being a multifaceted personality, he was an outstanding thinker, reformer, organizer, philosopher, teacher, poet, saint as well as a living legend. His importance within both Jainism and the Jaina philosophical tradition is incomparable. In fact, in the Digambara sect of Jains, he is revered next only to Lord Mahavira and his apostle Gautam Ganadhara. As the leader of Mula Sangha (basic ascetics), he was indeed the most prominent. The origin of almost all the lineages of the Digambara monks is therefore traced to Kundakunda.

**Contents and Sample Pages**