The Golden Book of Jainism: Humanity's Oldest Religion of Non-violence

by Hermann Jacobi

The Golden Books series of Indian religions is specially planned and designed for the general educated reader in India and abroad, who in the 21st century of the Third Millennium, wants to know about them to contribute his lot to the fast growing globalization of world cultures. It includes Vedic, Upanishad, Buddhist and Jain religions, the mainstay of Indian culture, which have made their mark in various way in Asia and the West since olden times. In terror-stricken modern times also, they are trying to play their role in setting things right and devising a new, eclectic ways of life. Indian religions have lots of philosophy and hundreds of scriptures with commentaries and commentaries on commentaries, which present a highly complicated picture especially in comparison to one-book religion-cultures. 

The Golden Books select the most important and the best of them, translated into simple, easy and understandable English, by learned scholars and present them in capsule from for wider use and benefit. Jainism is a most interesting religious-cultural group, comparable to Buddhism, which holds immediate attention by the unique customs and practices of its white-clad and unclad- 'clad-by-air'- mendicants. But it is much older to Buddhism, and much stricter in matters of non-killing, the special theory of India, brought over by Gandhi to modern times and used in an unexpected context. Its philosophy is also much more fundamental as well as elaborate, and more convincing in comparison to the six Hindu as well as many Buddhist philosophies. 

The Syadavada/Anekantavada is a gem, to say the least. The scriptures are very many, which extended to poetry, drama, etc. Here is a selection of the most pertinent and the best of these, which succeed in presenting a comprehensive picture of ties concepts, practices of the holy order and laity, and life in general. The reader will find parts of the work quite interesting and enlightening.