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JAIN DIGEST .. May 2011
temple to his house played an important role in his life. As a child, he was very different from other kids and would always do selfless things to help others. While growing up, he realized the futility of material comforts and education about physical things (bhautik gyaan). Nothing interested him or could even hold his interest, as he wanted to do something for the betterment of his soul and not his body. Acharya Mahavirkirtiji's chaturmaas in Shedwal, changed Surendra's life forever. Surendra grew closer to the Acharya and realized that renouncing the world would bring him closer to his goal in life. He finally decided to take diksha. When we (JD team) specifically asked him about this same question: "what inspired him towards diksha?" Acharyaji smiled and simply gave us a photograph showing the great Acharya Bhadrabahu inspiring and guiding young disciples towards quest for larger truth. By giving an indirect answer, Acharya Vidyanandji paid homage to his guru, the senior Acharya who first inspired him and the tradition of Jain shashan that change his life for better. In the process, he also instilled some amount of spirituality in our wandering souls. His unwavering decision and determination to take Diksha was obvious when someone questioned him if it was really necessary to give up everything, and he responded with a firm conviction, "Gentleman, my inner inspiration to take diksha is very powerful, so you are adding to your negative karmas by telling me not to take diksha." On July 25, 1963, he took diksha after the Shobha Yatra, a grandeur that no one had witnessed in the history of Delhi. He became the disciple of Acharya Deshbhushanji. He attained the padvi of Upadhyay on December 8, 1974, the same day when the foundation of Mahavir Smarak was laid. He received the Padvi of Acharya on June 28, 1987. In the formative years after diksha, Acharyaji stayed in a state of moun for most of the time. He focused on gaining knowledge by reading and grasping a wide range of Jain scriptures and related religious texts. As he would explain to us the importance of knowledge by quoting the following sloka: णाणेण झाणसिद्धि, झाणादो सव्वकम्मणिज्जाणं। णिज्जरणफलं मोक्खं, णाणब्भासं तदा कुज्जा। ज्ञान से ध्यान सिद्ध होता है, ध्यान से सब कर्मो की निर्जरा होती है, निर्जरा का फल मोक्ष है, इसलिए ज्ञान का अभ्यास करें।
Enlightened knowledge leads to a meditative state, Meditation results in Nirjara (reduction of Karmic bonds); the benefit of Nirjara is Moksha; thus gaining enlightened knowledge is important. Acharyaji who had delved deep to understand the message of Jin, gave his first lecture on the auspicious Sudpanchami day in the city of Jaipur. Thus, from Jaipur the great oratory journey of this scholarly monk began. His popularity and audience grew in leaps and bounds. His depth in understanding the scriptures, overall knowledge, and ability to present the essence of religious message appropriately to the target audience won people's hearts and many of them became his devotees. He did not limit himself his discussion to Jainism but extended it to Vedic culture and other traditional Indian philosophies. He went out of his way to prisons to convince the prisoners of hope if one makes an effort to change one's lifestyle He is one of those saints who is renowned not just as a Jain saint but is famous as national saint who promoted nonviolence to the vast Indian community. His vast knowledge and studies have given him recognition worldwide. His lectures attracted Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Muslims. Muslims at times felt as if he was their Sufi sant. Understanding that bhajans were a very good method to get community participation, he encouraged his devotees to prepare bhajans that would have mass appeal. From his inspiring words Shraman Jain Bhajan Pracharak Sangh was established and gradually they collected and recorded lots of bhajans. This became an initial media to spread the message of Ahimsa to some of the most remote parts of the country, His powerful words had an impact to bring some amount of truce in dispute of control of Sammed Shikharji (Sammet in Shwetamber tradition) between the Digamber and Shwetamber sects. He was able to arbitrate the dispute and help start renovation work at Sammed Shikharji. For a person who many consider to be one the foremost experts in understanding and practice of Ahima, he was humble enough to give credit to Gandhiji for demonstrating the practical and political use of Ahimsa to bring about a fundamental change in the society. Explaining the nuances of Ahimsa he would ask his secular audience to follow Gandhiji's philosophy of truth, love and nonviolence. He believed that society could be transformed by following these principles. Leading by example he would ask his audience to stay
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