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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision
Nathamalaji's) illuminous creation of original thoughtprovoking literature inspiring the conception of soul, is specially noteworthy. Seeing all this one feels that Terapantha has undergone a complete transformation. What is special about Acharya Tulsi is that he made a revolution together with his sect rather than abandon it. He promoted the study of nuns and made them learned. Between nuns and laywomen (Shravikas) he set up a new category of samani's which is a strong base of asceticism.
On examining religious activities of the last hundred years, one feels that the stream of donation has not flowed so much to education or social welfare as to temples and religious festivities and the spirit of public service has not fully developed. Massive Jain literature still lies hidden in libraries and manuscripts. Greater efforts for its study research and publication are needed. It is also an alarming fact that the stream of study of the Prakrit language and literature flows slimmer.
This religion preaches anekanta (the Jain doctirne that the knowledge of a thing is derived differently according to its various facets.) and yet disputes about places of pilgrimage and dates, which incite a narrow outlook and bigotry are still going on. People today hunger to know basic conceptions along with religions rites and the youth today wants to understand and examine the truths of this religion with reference to the present world.
The world is fast changing today. People of different nations, religions and colours are coming closer. As a result of scientific progress, the world is becoming smaller and smaller.
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Activities of Jain Religion in the Last Century
But at the same time the big arrogant nations, hungering for power and wealth and datermined to defeat one another, are challenging one another. One, therefore, feels that the world is on the brink of total ruin. Today when man, instead of being shut in by narrow outlook, superficial conduct or aversion to other religions, craves to extract from religion such thoughts or conceptions that would inspire human welfare and to understand and expound them for the awakening of the whole of human race, the high ideals preached by the Jain religion such as non-harming, self-restraint, austerities, anekantavada, universal friendship and tolerance can help the modern man's march towards universal love and world peace. Precisely this is the essence of the Jain religion in the present context and perhaps at all times.
If we think of the Jain Institution and its activities, we find that research began with the Arrah publication of 'The Sacred Book of Jains'. The Jain Sahityika Sanshodhak Mandal of Pune published the research works of Muni Jinavijayji. Similarly, Nathuram Premi, the founder of Hindi Grantha Ratnakar and Jugalkishore Mukhatyar of the Vir Seva Mandir conducted. important research work in this field. After having published as many as forty books the Jain Cultural Research Society wound up its activities. The Prakrit Text Society was founded in Delhi in 1954. This institution was shifted from Delhi to Banaras and from Banaras to Ahmedabad. It published translations of several useful Prakrit works. The editing of the book 'Sanmati Tarka' is a memorable work of Puratattva Mandir of Ahmedabad. It also gave us Gopaldas Patel's translation of important Agamic Texts. The Gomateshvar Shodh Sansthanak, The Todarmal Shodh Sansthan in Jaipur and the
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