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Acknowledgement
I express my deep sense of reverence and gratitude to the greatest saint of modern times Anuvrat Anushasta, Acharya Shree Tulsi, who has made unparalleled efforts to revolutionize the Jain precepts and concepts and reformed the Jain society. His Holiness Achary shree has been not only a stalwart of the Jain society but a bulwark too and has established Institutions like Jain Vishva Bharati Institute (Deemed University) which is unique of its kind in India and the world. He was an institution in himself and one of the greatest personalities of modern India who made invaluable and endeavoring contribution to contemporary religious thought and social advancement.
I also express my humble sentiments to Acharya Mahapragya, the able successor of His Holiness Acharya Shree Tulsi and a philosopher of an international stature who has enriched the world of Jainism enormously with his creative contributions. It is the lives of these two great men who provided me the needed inspiration and encouragement to embark upon this rather arduous and uncharted course of study.
I have had the fortune of enjoying the blessings of these two revered Acharys in my research work in Jainology specially their commentary on the Bh.S which helped me a great deal to interpret this encyclopedic work in the light of modern scientific discoveries.
I am equally indebted to the Mahasramani Shree Kanakprabhaji, Head of all the nuns of Terapantha sect for inspiration and blessings which can not be expressed in words.
During the writing of this thesis, my own understanding of Jain mystical thoughts in particular and other philosophical systems in general and of the science like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Psychology and Parapsychology was deepened considerably. For this I feel highly indebted to Prof.