Within the Jain tradition, the Āgamas are understood as teachings meant for all beings capable of spiritual understanding, rather than as a secret corpus reserved for a narrow group. There is no doctrinal rule that only renunciants may hear or read these scriptures, and lay followers are in fact encouraged to listen to, read, and contemplate them. At the same time, the depth and subtlety of the texts, as well as their original composition in Ardhamāgadhī Prakrit and related languages, have naturally meant that serious study has often been the domain of those with the requisite training. Historically, this has placed monks, nuns, and learned teachers at the center of scriptural preservation and instruction.

A distinction is therefore often made between the freedom to approach the texts and the responsibility to interpret them authoritatively. While anyone may study the Āgamas in the sense of reading or hearing them, the traditional role of providing binding interpretation, systematic commentary, and formal teaching has rested with properly initiated ascetics and scholars. Commentarial literature produced by such figures has guided how the community at large understands the scriptures, shaping both doctrine and practice. In this way, access is open, but interpretive authority is carefully stewarded.

In more recent times, translations and explanatory works in various languages have broadened practical access to these teachings for lay practitioners. Editions of Agamic literature are published for general study, and organized instruction is available through teachers and institutions grounded in the Jain scholarly tradition. Yet even with this wider availability, meaningful comprehension typically benefits from prior grounding in Jain principles and terminology, as well as guidance from knowledgeable expositors. The path that emerges is one in which sincere seekers from any background may turn toward the Āgamas, while recognizing that their deeper layers unfold most fully under disciplined study and qualified instruction.