The Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories (An Old and Rare Book)

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About The Book Kathakosa or the Treasury of Stories true to its name, illustrates, the tenets and practice of Jainism. The Jain theologians have made use of these genuine fragments of Indian folk-lore for the edification of the votaries of their religion. These stories also delineates the essence of the religious outlook of the Jains that they could possibly not be satisfied with anything less than absolute salvation from the miseries of existence as their ultimate object, the blessings of wealth and sovereignty were not absolutely despised by the writers of these works, but regarded as the reward of virtue in a previous life. This is one of the concessions to human frailty found in the Jain system. It is also evident from a perusal of the stories of the Kathakosa that the Jains do actually worship gods many and lords many. There is occasional mention made of nunneries and of the honour paid to holy women. Difference of opinion, regarding nuns between the Svetambaras and the Digambaras have also been painted in detail.

These Jain stories were carried by the Buddhists to far distant countries in view of the fact that Jainism has been almost entirely limited to India. These Jain tales will be welcome addition to the store- house of the folklorists as a contribution to their science.

About the Author Charles Henry Tawney: Born 1837: Son of Rev. Richard Tawney: educated at Rugby and Trinity College, Cambridge: Scholar: Senior Classic, 1860: Fellow of Trinity College, 1860: for many years Professor and President of the Presidency College, Calcutta, and Registrar of the Calcutta University: officiated thrice as Director of Public Instruction, Bengal: author of several translations from the Sanskrit: C.I.E.: Librarian of the India Office: retired 1903.

Preface THE stories contained in the Kathakoça are, in their present form, at any rate, intended to illustrate the tenets and practice of Jainism. In other words, though they are genuine fragments of Indian folk-lore, they have been edited by some Jain theologian for the purpose of the edification of the votaries of that religion. It seems, accordingly, desirable to give a short account of Jainism, in order to render these tales intelligible.

The religion of the Jains, called in Sanskrit Jainas, or Árhatas, the followers of the Jina or Arhat, i.e., 'the conqueror of the world,' or 'the holy one,' arose in the same part of India, and about the same time, as Buddhism, but it has not, like that religion, become extinct in India proper. On the contrary, it still numbers among its adherents many wealthy and influential men. It ought to appeal to the sympathy of Europeans, as it claims to be, like Buddhism, a universal religion. As Hofrath Buhler points out, it opens its arms even to the despised foreigner or *I may as well at once acknowledge my obligation to the following scholars: Hofrath Bühler, and Professors Cowell, Gough, Hoernle, Jacobi, Leumann, and Weber. I shall have, in the course of the following pages, frequently to refer to their works. Hofrath Bühler's Vortrag Ueber die Indische Secte der Jaina’ contains an excellent summary of Jainism, to which I am largely indebted. I regret that it has not been translated into English. But Jainism does not seem to be popular in this country. At least, I have never heard of Esoteric Jainism."

There are, of course, Buddhists in the districts of Chittagong and Darjiling.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages