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JAIN DIGEST.. May 2011
Acharya Kirtiyash Suriji
A seven-year-old Kantilal was having his favorite meal, when a beggar came at his doorstep. The child looked at the beggar then looked at his tasty meal and finally decided to give the whole meal away to this beggar. Confused about the whole situation the child hid in a corner crying for more than an hour. He finally approached his father and asked him the reason why some people had to suffer so much. His father explained to him, jive hinsa results in unhappiness, while jive ahimsa is the source of real happiness. As he started to imbibe the message of Ahimsa, he was attracted towards a lifestyle in which he could live without hurting others. He would learn later that Sadhutava was that lifestyle where one could live without hurting others. At a tender age of thirteen, Kantilal joined his father towards the path of Sadhutava. This caring and compassionate child grew up to be Acharya Kirtiyash Suriji.
Jain Education International
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Acharya Kirtiyash Suriji was born to Jiviben and Gagalbhai in Bhorol, a pilgrim town near Palanpur, Gujarat. Acharyaji took Diksha along with his father at a tender age of thirteen. Acharya Kirtiyash Suriji's father Shri Gagalbhai later known as Acharya Gunayash Suriji became the disciple of great Acharya Ramchandra Surishwarji. Acharya Gunayash Suriji became Acharya Kirtiyash Suriji's Guru; immediate predecessor in the line of succession in Jain Shwetamber Murtipujak Tapagatch tradition. Trained under
Acharya Shri Ramchandra Surishwarji. Acharya Kirtiyash Suriji has wide knowledge on Jain architecture, literature, Agam and rites and rituals of Jainism.
During our meeting with Acharyaji we asked how. one could justify the Jain tradition of Child Diksha. He replied giving his own example. He had fond memories of his parents, specially his mother who was very loving and like every mother would fulfill every desire of the child. His father on the other hand was a disciplinarian. For a child, his mother is his world and if a child is willing to give up mother's tender love, he can give up everything else in the world. It is true that a child may not have the capacity to express all his feelings and some inner thoughts, but a child still has the capacity to understand and perceive the truth. It is the feeling that one senses but cannot express. That bhav (feeling)
is identical in a child and an adult. Giving another example, Acharyaji further added that the bhav resulting from deep sadhana is difficult to be expressed in words. In this case both a child and an adult could have similar experiences and neither of them would be capable of fully expressing their experiences. The bhav that drives one towards sadhutva is internal, and is very independent of what the world understands as adult maturity.
Acharya Kirtiyas Suri Maharaj (Acharyaji did not give specific permission to photograph him neither did he instruct us to not do so. We had to wait for a while to capture an appropriate pose. Photograph was edited to present a proper portrait.)
In our next question, we tried to understand the level of detachment in the life of a great sadhu.
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