Ganadhara Sudharmaswami, recognized as Mahavira’s principal disciple, is traditionally credited with compiling the Acharanga Sutra. Rooted in the oral teachings delivered by Mahavira himself during the 6th century BCE, these discourses were carefully preserved by Sudharmaswami and fellow monks. Around the time of the Mauryan Empire—likely in the 3rd century BCE at the council held in Pataliputra—the sutra was finally committed to writing, ensuring its survival through thick and thin.

This manuscript stands as one of the oldest Jain canons, laying out a rigorous code of conduct for monks: everything from vow observance to the subtle practices of mindful locomotion. Even today, amidst the buzz of mindfulness apps and modern wellness trends, its guidance still resonates. Scholars often point to linguistic patterns and cross-references in later Jain texts to date its final redaction. While exact years can’t be pinned down like a calendar appointment, the broad scholarly consensus places composition between the 6th and 3rd centuries BCE—making this teaching nearly 2,500 years old and still remarkably fresh at heart.