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________________ GANADHARS AND ACHARYAS 1 Acharya Haribhadra-suri During the sixth century A.D., there lived a learned Brahmin named Haribhadra. He was highly intelligent and proficient in the philosophy of all religions. Among his many talents was the ability to determine the point of his opponent's argument very fast. During that time it was common for scholars to travel and engage others in debate to increase their wealth of knowledge. Therefore, Haribhadra traveled and met many brilliant scholars. He engaged them in debate and succeeded in defeating them all. Other scholars found it difficult to win any discussion with him since his talent allowed him to dominate all conversations. It was not long before he earned a reputation as a formidable opponent. Predictably, scholars avoided entering into a discussion with him. When no one came forward to counter him, he concluded that he had no rival in the entire country. He felt confident of his ability to comprehend anything that anyone would like to discuss. He therefore issued a public challenge that if any one could present a topic that he could not understand he would readily become his/her pupil. One day as he was walking through the village he came across a royal elephant. The elephant was very angry and completely out of control. His keeper was trying his best to bring him under control but the elephant was not responding to his efforts. The elephant was running directly towards Haribhadra and he was in grave danger of being trampled. Haribhadra had to find shelter quickly. He frantically looked around for a safe place and saw a Jain temple. He rushed towards it and entered just in time to avoid being crushed by the charging elephant. He paused inside to regain his breath and then looked around the temple in disrespect. Haribhadra had no regard for Jainism. Because of his prejudice he remained ignorant of Jain philosophy. Brahmins were usually staunch Shaivaites (followers of Lord Shiva in Hinduism) and looked down upon those going to Jain temples. As he entered the temple he saw the white marble idol of Lord Mahavir facing him. Instead of seeing the graceful compassion flowing from the eyes of the Tirthankar's idol, Haribhadra only noticed that the stomach of the idol did not epitomize the slim body of an austere saint. He surmised that Jain Tirthankars must have enjoyed sweet foods. He therefore made the following remarks: "Vapurevatavachashte Spashtam Mishtann-Bhojitamit" "Your stomach clearly indicates that you must enjoy eating sweet foods" When the elephant left the area, Haribhadra stepped outside the temple. On his way back, he passed the Upashray of Jain nuns (Sadhvis). He heard the following verse that was recited by a Sadhvi named Yakini Mahattara: Chakkidugam Haripanagam Panagam Chakki Ya Kesavo Chakki Kesav Chakki Kesav Du Chakki Kesi Ya Chakki Ya Mahattara was explaining the order in which the Chakravartis sovereign emperors) and Vasudevs were born in the current Avasarpini time cycle. Jain philosophy believes in time cycles of very long durations occurring one after another. One half of a cycle is called Utsarpini, or the ascending order marked with 54 JAIN STORY BOOK For Private Pessoal Use Only ansatorernational www.ainerary
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________________ ACHARYA HARIBHADRA-SURI continuing improvements, and the other half is called Avasarpini, or the descending order marked with continuing deterioration. Tradition also holds that 24 Tirthankars, 12 Chakravartis (sovereign emperors), 9 Vasudevs or Narayans, 9 Prativasudev or Prati-Narayans (enemies of Vasudevs) and 9 Balrams are born in every Utsarpini as well as in every Avasarpini time cycle. TE TIITTITTITUTE 1000 Haribhadra-suri accepting monkhood under Acharya Jinbhatta As a student, Haribhadra had studied some Jain philosophy. However, his understanding was very shallow and so he could not comprehend the meaning of what Sadhvi Mahattara was reciting. Haribhadra was 55 JAIN STORY BOOK For Private & Personal use only Jan Education international w alneli yorg
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________________ GANADHARS AND ACHARYAS at loss about what to do. Finally, he had stumbled upon a subject he did not dominate; however, to seek more knowledge required him to become a pupil of Jain Sadhvi Mahattara. He was perplexed. Despite his arrogance, Haribhadra was also a man of his word. Without further hesitation, he presented himself to the Jain nun Mahattara, explained his pledge, and requested her to accept him as a pupil. Mahattara explained that Jain nuns could not have males as pupils. She advised Haribhadra to go to her Guru Jinabhatta-suri who could explain the meaning of the verse and he could become a pupil of her Guru. Accordingly. Haribhadra went to Acharya Jinabhatta-suri who explained the verse in the proper perspective. The Acharya's explanation of the verse induced Haribhadra to learn more about Jainism. He requested the Acharya to accept him as a pupil. Jinabhatta-suri agreed to accept him only if he got the consent of his family and other close relatives. Haribhadra knew that it would be an ordeal to get their consent to study Jainism. Indeed, his family opposed his decision. His father challenged him, "But you have studied so much to become a Brahmin scholar. Why would you want to give that up now?" His relatives, who had been so proud of his reputation cried, "But you are the best debater. Who will you be now?" Haribhadra persevered in the face of this resistance. He explained to them that his knowledge would remain incomplete without gaining knowledge of Jainism in detail. For that purpose as well as for adhering to his decision, it was necessary for him to be a Jain monk. He ultimately succeeded in gaining the consent of all his family members. Thereupon, he renounced his worldly life and became a disciple of Acharya Jinabhatta-suri. He diligently studied Jain scriptures and other sacred books. His intelligence and perception soon allowed him to achieve mastery of Jain scriptures. The study of the Agams showed him the depth of Jain philosophy in seeking the truth. Once he mastered all the relevant Jain literature and when his Guru Jinabhatta-suri was thoroughly convinced about his true faith, he decided to bestow upon Haribhadra the title of Acharya. Now Haribhadra became Acharya Haribhadra-suri. As an Acharya he managed the Jain order very capably and efficiently. By virtue of his knowledge and intelligence he attracted many people to Jainism. Many of them also renounced worldly life and became his disciples. Jainism gained a newfound popularity under his stewardship. Amongst his many pupils there were two pupils named Hans and Paramhans, who were his sister's sons. They were very intelligent, and Haribhadra-suri had high expectations of them. Once, Hans and Paramhans requested him to allow them to go to a well-known Buddhist monastery in order to study the weak points of Buddhism. Then, they could defeat the Buddhist monks in debate. Haribhadra-suri did not approve. Hans and Paramhans persisted and ultimately they secured his permission. They went to the monastery disguised as Buddhist monks. Unfortunately, their secret was quickly revealed. They decided to leave the monastery in disguise. The Buddhist people were chasing them which ultimately resulted in the loss of their lives. When Haribhadra-suri learned about the tragic fate of his nephews, he was furious and vowed to punish the Buddhist monks for their cruelty. He challenged them to a debate in the royal court with the stipulation that whoever lost would be put to death. Haribhadra-suri's violent reaction to his nephews' deaths saddened Guru Jinabhatta-suri and Sadhvi Mahattara. Haribhadra-suri won the debate but Sadhvi Mahattara convinced him to abandon the idea of killing. Haribhadra-suri also realized that his undue attachment for Hans and Paramhans had led him to indulge in such a violent attitude. He therefore begged for atonement. Guru Jinabhatta-suri advised him to compose verses that would enlighten people to the right faith. This was another major turning point in his life. 56 Jain Excation International JAIN STORY BOOK
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________________ ACHARYA HARIBHADRA-SURI Haribhadra-suri was a prolific writer. He wrote 1444 religious books covering many aspects of Jainism. Unfortunately only about 170 of his books are presently available. The commentaries on Dash Vaikalika-sutra, Tattvartha-sutra, Pancha-sutra, and Avashyaka-sutra are among his well-known compositions. Moreover, he wrote Lalit-vistara, Dharma Sangrahani, Upadeshapad, Shodashtaks, Dharmabindu, and Anekanta Jayapataka. He was probably the first Jain scholar to write on Yoga. Yogabindu, Yoga-vinshika, Yoga-shatak and Yogadrashti Samuchchaya are his compositions on Yoga. He will always be remembered for his valuable contribution to Jain literature. The entire life of Haribhadra-suri depicts his keen desire for learning. Even though he was an established Brahmin scholar, he was humble enough to learn from a simple Jain Sadhvi. This is a great lesson in humility. One should not let pride come in the way of acquiring knowledge. Jain Agams describe the essence of Jainism in a logical and convincing manner. A deep understanding of the Agams will lead one to practice the principles of Jainism with more discipline and faith. The various compositions of Haribhadra-suri are very precious and help us gain a better understanding of this very complex but well-defined and logical religion. 57 Jain Story Book