Shraman Bhagvana Mahavira Part 1

This document is the first volume of a series titled "Shramana Bhagvan Mahavira: His Life and Teaching" by Muni Ratna-Prabha Vijaya. It aims to provide a comprehensive and authoritative account of Lord Mahavira's life and teachings in English, making this rich treasure of Jainism accessible to a wider audience.

The text includes a foreword and publisher's note, expressing gratitude and highlighting the value of presenting Jain teachings in English. It also features endorsements from prominent figures like Radhakrishnan and Umesh Mishra.

The book delves into the cosmological framework of Jainism, discussing the cyclical nature of time (Utsarpini and Avasarpini kalas) and the progression through various aras (ages) within these cycles. It describes the idyllic conditions of early human existence during the Susama-susama ara, where people lived in a state of innocence and were provided for by wish-fulfilling trees (Kalpa Vrikshas). It then details the gradual decline in human qualities, physical attributes, and lifespan through subsequent aras, leading to the current age of Dusama.

A significant portion of the text is dedicated to establishing the antiquity and independence of Jainism, contrasting it with Buddhism and ancient Hinduism. It emphasizes that Mahavira was a reformer, not a founder, and that the Tirthankara tradition dates back to Rishabha-deva. The text explores the historical and cultural influences on Jainism, its philosophical basis in Syadvada and Anekantavada, and its ethical principles, particularly Ahimsa (non-violence).

The book provides detailed information on:

• Jiva and Ajiva Tattva: The fundamental Jain categories of Soul (Jiva) and Non-soul (Ajiva).
• The Soul (Jiva): Its potential purity, its bondage with karmic matter, its immaterial essence, and its inherent attributes of infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss.
• Karma Theory: The nature of Karma, its classification into eight types, and its role in the soul's transmigration.
• Samsara: The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in various forms of existence (Narakas, Tiryancas, Manusyas, and Devas) based on karmic actions.
• The Fourteen Soul Classes: A detailed classification of souls based on the number of sense organs and stages of development.
• Celestial Beings (Devas): Their classification, abodes, distinguishing marks, colors, age limits, and their relationship with human actions and spiritual stages.
• Tirthankaras: The concept of Tirthankaras as spiritual guides, their attributes, and the process of their attainment of Kevala Jnana and Moksha.
• Previous Lives of Mahavira: Extensive accounts of Mahavira's previous births, tracing his spiritual journey through various states of existence, highlighting the karmic consequences of actions and the gradual development towards omniscience. This includes the stories of Nayasara, Marici, Visvabhuti, Priyamitra, Nandana, Tripristha Vasudeva, and others, illustrating the Jain doctrine of rebirth and karma.
• Ethical Principles: The core ethical principles of Jainism, such as Ahimsa, Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy), and Parigraha-parimana (limitation of possessions), are explained for both householders and ascetics.
• Samyaktva (Right Belief): Its importance as the foundation of spiritual progress, its signs, and the means of acquiring it.
• The Tri-sashthi Salaka Purusa: The sixty-three eminent spiritual personages in each era, including Tirthankaras, Chakravartins, Vasudevas, Baladevas, and Prati-Vasudevas.

The book also touches upon Jain contributions to art, music, poetry, and its emphasis on scientific thought in its philosophical tenets, contrasting it with dogma and myth in other religions. It highlights Jainism's democratic social organization, based on qualification rather than birth, and its unique metaphysical basis.

Overall, "Shramana Bhagvan Mahavira Part 1" (and presumably the subsequent volumes) aims to be a scholarly and accessible resource for understanding the life and teachings of Lord Mahavira and the fundamental principles of Jainism.