User Friendly Jain Agams For The Twenty First Century

By Dr. Pravin L. Shah, Reading, Peninsula, USA

The word Agam means to come from. In Jainism, the term Agam is used to describe the scriptures composed by Gandharas (disciples of Tirthankar) based on the sermons and teachings of Lord Mahavir, our last and the 24th Tirthankara. It is believed that Shri Gautam Swami composed the twelve Agam Sutras based on the three great mantras he heart from Lord Mahavira which describe the entire universe and the universal cosmos. These three Mantras, known as Tripadi are: Utpad (to create), Vyay (to destroy) and Dhruva (remains constant or never changing). Approximately 2500 years ago, Lord Mahavira's teachings were compiled in Prakrit in 12 parts known as Agams or Dwadashangi.

According to the Shewatamber tradition, only 11 Agam Sutras exit today while the last one, known as Drashtivad, has been lost over time. It is said that the last Agam Sutra, Drashtivad, consisted of 14 Purvas, which do not exist today.

According to the Digambar tradition, all of the twelve Agam Sutras are considered lost. Instead, the writings of Kundkund Acharya (e.g. Samaysar etc.) are considered main Agam scriptures by the Digambar following today.

After Lord Mahavir, over the time span of 2500 years, Jainism has been divided into many sects and sub sects leading to disputes and confusion on the Agam Sutras. Every sect be lives they are right and others are wrong. Furthermore, since the original scriptures were composed in Prakrit, they are very difficult to follow for a layman. Even though many authoritative texts have been composed by various Acharyas and sages during the last 2000 years, most of them were written in Sanskrit or Prakrit which usually present a problem in understanding to an average Jain disciple. As a result we tend to drift away from the basic Agam Sutras and philosophy and mechanical way of worship of Bhakti without understanding the essence of the great sutras or mantras.

Fortunately, in every recorded history of different religions, great seers and saints take birth at a time when there is too much doubt and confusion about the teaching of Lord. In Jain religion, we have been most obliged to such a great seer born in our modern times. A highly self realized and enlightened seer was born about 130 years ago in a small town in Saurashtra called Vavania who is known to Jains of all faiths today as Shrimad Rajchandra.

Shrimad Rajchandra attained Jatismaran (knowledge of previous births) at age of seven and was able to clearly see and describe his past life. In later stage of his life, when Shrimad was visiting mount Edar, he told the king of Idar that on this mountain, he could see and recall clearly the instances where Lord Mahavira and other Tirthankaras were present here. He further stated: Gautam Swami and other disciples of Lord Mahavira attained Moxa at that time, and one of Lord's disciple has taken birth in this time as Shjrimad Rajchandra. 

Shrimad has studied all the Jain and Hindu scriptures before age thirteen and composed his first text, Moxmala in 3 days, which can be used a text to study Jainism at any level. He attained Samyakdarsan at age 23. We find numerous examples of his writing that remind us of the original Agam Sutras. Shrimad was able to recall the teachings of Lord Mahavira that he had heard from the Lord and was able o write them in the original words of Lord Mahavira in a very authentic way similar to the one found in the Agam Sutras.
For example, In the first Agam text, Acharangsutra, there is famous Sutra:

Agnae Dhammo, Agnae Tavo

Shrimad Rajchandra's writings are compiled in text that bear his name as the title which contains more than 955 letters written to four key disciples who all attained self realization. In this book, called Vachanamrut, letter number 194 states as follows: The entire path of spiritual awareness starts with obeying the order of a living master ( Sadguru), and obedience to the master's teachings leads a disciple to self knowledge and Moksha.

We find a beautiful similarity in Shrimad's writings with another text, Utradhyayan Sutra. The Utradhyan Sutra consist of a chapter known as dialogue between Gautam Swami and Keshi Swami. When asked by Keshi Swami, How do you control you mind which always has a tendency to race like a horse? Gautam Swami replied, By confiding our mind in Lord Mahavira's Sutras, I control my mind. On Vachanamrut page 688, such a dialogue is presented by Shrimad. When a disciple asks the Master what is the essence of 12 Agams to control mind by discrimination between soul and matter. One may recall Patanjali's Yogshashtra quoting the definition of Yoga as follows:

Yogah chit vruti nirodhah

Similarly, we find reflections of Shrimad's words in Tatvarthsutra:

Akagrachintanirodha Dhyanam

In Acharang Sutra (first Agam scripture) Lord Mahavira says the following about the importance of the self knowledge and how it leads to Kaval Gyan:

Je Egam Janei So Savvam Janei'
Je Savvam Janei So Egam Janei.

We find the reflection of this Sutra in Shrimad's letter number 631 : If you know thyself, you will know the entire universe. The ultimate fruit of knowing the entire universe is to know your divine self.

One can also see also a great deal of similarity in Umasvati's Tatvarthsutra and Shrimad's Mulmarag. When a disciple approached Achary Umasvasti and asked, What is the real and original patha to attain Moksha?, Umaswati composed the first sutra of Tavatrthsutra:

Samyakdarshangnan
Charitrani Mokshamargah

 When Shrimad was in Anand (near Baroda), he asked one of his disciples, where are these people going today?. The disciple said they are all going to the temple to bow to a monk which completed one month of fasting, Shrimad replied. People have forgotten the true path of Lord Mahavira and are following a blind faith. He then composed his famous poem, Mulmarg, on the same day which defines the meaning of the above Sutra in a great detail.

Most poetic and lucid creation of Shrimad is Apurva Avsar which describes 14 stages of self purification. We find a completer condensation of Gomatsar scripture in this work of Shrimad. In fact Mahatma Gandhi who met Shrimad, was so impressed by this poem that it became regular prayer for Bapuji. Gandhiji wrote in his biography about Shrimad : I have learned the lessons of Ahimsa from Shrimad in great detail. Shrimad was like a Jin Vitrag, completely free of any worldly attachment; such Vitragata is only attained after a Yogi has gone through may births. Gandhiji considered Shrimad as his spiritual master.

In letter number 680 Shrimad states: I have attained the highest state of pure consciousness same as Lord Mahavira and Lord Rama in this Pancham Kal. After reaching to the highest state of self realization and eternal bliss Shrimad composed his immortal epic, Atmasiddhishastra, which means self realization. The seventh Purva of the 12th Agam text is called Atampravad. It is said that Srhrimad has condensed not only this Purva but an essence of all the 12 Agams in this epic which can be used as an easy to understand, user friendly Agam in the present time. It is written in Gujrati, and was composed exactly 100 years ago by Shrimad in less than 90 minutes. The 142 stanzas of the Atmasiddhishastra provide a keen disciple a step wise process and methodology to evaluate his own qualification to be a true disciple, and how to recognize true teacher. In fact, here again we find numerous reflections of Agam Sutras in Shrimad's epic. 

In the first three verses of this great epic, Shriamd clearly states that ignorance about one's real self is the root cause of the cycle of birth and death and it can be easily broken and ended if one surrenders to a true Master. He then states that in this modern time, people have forgotten the real and the original path to attain self realization which I will compose in this. Shrimad shows enormous compassion when he witnessed the majority of Jain followers engaged in either ritualistic worship or in abstract knowledge neither of which can lead to self realization. If studied carefully, one finds answers to all the spiritual questions a disciple may have in his life time in this great work of Shrimad.

In Utradhjyayan Sutra, the first chapter is called Vinay meaning respect to teacher as a basic requirement for a disciple. Shrimad describes the importance of reverence and respect in stanza 20 in a very beautiful way. Another important Mantra of Lord Mahavira is cited in the Utadhyayan Sutra as follows:

Upnanen Muni Hoi

We find heart moving definition of a true master in stanza 34 of Atmasiddhi :
Sainthood is there where is true self-knowledge. (34)

In Atmasiddhi, we find ocean of depth if we begin to search. The six steps of Soul are summarized in this epic: Soul exits, it is eternal, it is a doer, it accepts bondage, receives the fruit, it can be free (Stanza 43). In Samatitarka, Acharya Siddasen states that a genuine faith in these six steps of soul leads one to self realization. Shrimad states the entire process of self realization by providing user friendly dialogue between the student and the teacher in this epic.

The essence of the entire Jain philosophy and the condensation of 12 Agam Sutras are truly reflected in three most important stanzas (115, 116,117) of Shrimad Rajchandra's Atmsiddhishastra. In stanza 115, Shrimad states:

Let go the body - infatuation And you will not bondage new:

You will now have deed - fruitation, This is religions secret true. (115)

Acharya Kundkund's third and the fourth chapters of Samaysar explain the essence of the above stanza in greater detail. We also find the reflection of second chapter of Gita in the above stanza. One can find a great deal of summary of the entire scripture Samadhisatak by Achary Pujaypad in the above stanza also.

In fact, in letters 211, 719, 866, 609, 901 and 755, Shrimad writes the greatness and purpose of all the Agam scriptures: The entire Dwadshangi ( 12 Agam Sutras ) are composed by Lord Jaina for only one reason, which is to melt the ego and attain self realization by surrendering to a true teacher. In his most popular stanza of Atmasiddhi (117), Shrimad describes the enlightened state of the pure soul and how to attain it through constant mediation: 
Enlightened, pure, full consciousness, self brilliant, an ocean of happiness you are;
What more to say, meditate on these Mantras and you shall realize this (117).

When we see the depth of the spiritual knowledge in the above verse, we can state that in the last chapter of Samaysar, Achary Kundkund has merely expanded this verse to fully understand the metaphysics of the pure consciousness. Similarly, the entire text Adhyatmasar of Yashovijayji seems to proved a detailed treatment of the above verse of Shrimad.

Shrimad clearly states that the ignorance about ones self can never be destroyed by ritual or self control only. One must find the true master ( Sadguru) and follow his Mantras as cites in the above stanza to attain self realization. If we study and Jain Agam Sutras or the texts of eminent Jain master, we find enormous emphasis on this matter that Shrimad has condensed in this epic. It is said that one can write a million stanza to expand each of the original stanzas of Shrimad's Atmasiddishatra. one needs to look no further to find such simple and easy to understand process to attain self realization as provided in this great and immortal epic by Shrimad. By composing this epic, Shrimad has made a new revolution in our time to bring back the original values and importance of true Bhakti, the need of a true teacher to pursue the spiritual path of self realization, and the metaphysics of soul and matter.

Many of us often wonder if the philosophy of Jainism is real or not and can it be scientifically reasoned and applied in this age of internet. As a professional archeologist, I find the basic philosophy of soul and matter described in Shrimad's Atmasiddhi as scientific as water being composed of hydrogen and oxygen. When we drink a glass of water, we hardly ever think of it as hydrogen and oxygen molecules because we do not see it that way. The metaphysics of soul and matter is also very scientific. Pure soul is considered inert, formless and self knowing, while the body and the karma are known as organic in nature having physical for. Body and soul coexist due to the bondage of karma due to our ignorance of its true science. In this epic separate soul from the body and the karm in a scientific way. He first succeeded in attaining his own self realization and then described the process for the benefit of al human beings. In other words, this epic can the called universal science of 21st century for self realization.

When we study any of Shrmad's writings we at once feel that he is just quoting the exact words of lord Mahavira as if he just heard the Lord's words right now. in letter number 166, Shrimad writes, Each word of a great seer is a summary of infinite Agams. In Shrmad's Moksha mala, when we study the third verse of lesson no. 67 which states:

Who am I? Where did I come from?
and what is my real form?

Similar question is raised by Lord Mahavir in the 4th Agam text Samvayant Sutra and also in the Dasvaikalik Sutra:

What is Atam? What is karma? Who is the doer? What is Karma's metaphysics?

We feel more and more convinced that Shrimad's teachings are exactly the same as those of Lord mahavira in the Agam Sutras. In fact, Shrimad states in letter no. 322: In the modern times, if any one can understand the true essence of lord Tirthankara, it is definitely me. Because the result of my higher state of self realzation is Vitragata. In letter no. 170, he writes I do not want to be a Tirthankara has said.

Since most of us are not capable of understanding or finding time to study the original Agam Sutras, we can use the writings of Shrimad Rajchandra as user friendly use the writing of Shrimad Rajchandra as use friendly Agams for the modern time. In fact, the Atmsiddhishtra alone is sufficient for a keep disciple to use it as a complete Agam text to determine if one has the right qualification to be a mumuxu, how to search for the true master, and to follow the stepwise process to unfold the higher state of consciousness. This epic has been translated in English along with the letter no. 491 which is known as the letter of six steps of soul. 

It is interesting to not that when Muni Valmiki wrote wrote the Ramyan in Sanskrit, only a few sages and scholars followed it to benefit from it. However, when Tulsidasji composed Ram Charita Manas in Hindi, it became so popular to the masses. The reason is that the later is written in native mother tongue and hence its appeal to the masses. I feel Shrimad's Atmasiddhi aned other epic works offer similar use friendly text to the readers and hence their popularity and appeal to all sects of Jains is overwhelming. Shrimad has indeed condensed the ocean of knowledge from Lord Mahvir's Agam Surtra into a golden cup that we all can enjoy and digest easily. Jains and non Jains all will benefit tremendously by studying the writings of Shrimad Rajhchandra by developing reverence toward this great master who has blessed us with user friendly Jain Agams for he 21st century.

Shrimand Rajchandra has made a monumental contribution to Jainism by providing simple and fluid texts on difficult topics simplified for a layman. He also Jains of all beliefs into a unity as Lord mahavira's students as he wrote in his famous letter no. 37:

Forget about the faith of different sects and sectors; only follow the teachings of true living master. I do not belong o any religious sect; I only reside in Atma. Go within your self and you self and you will find the eternal bliss and peace.

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