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The Jains through Time
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The great sage who had seen this divine of non-violence in a positive way. vision was Pujya Gurudev Shri Amar Muniji Maharaj, under whose guiding light Three decades ago it was considered a the mammoth task of incorporating crime to break with tradition or dream traditional truths and values with the needs about the sort of change envisaged by of a fast-changing society began. It was his Sadhvi Shri Chandana Shriji (consecrated as revolutionary insight and understanding of Acharya Shri Chandana Shriji in 1987). But the implications of this vision that finally she challenged the traditionalists and brought about its realisation.
awakened them to the needs of the times.
Her endless questions left them hopelessly At the same time another great soul was confused. She would ask; experiencing the need to revitalise religious Should the city-dwelling sadhu of today values in accordance with a rapidly follow the rules laid down by the forestmodernising society. She was not only a dwelling ascetics of ancient times? fount of knowledge, but also a person of • Why are the numbers of Jains decreasing great holiness. Truly enlightened, this instead of increasing? awakened soul - the embodiment of • Which is more important, following foresight, intelligence, divine radiance and tradition or following Mahavir? other uncommon talents - saw in the depths of the infinite ocean a vision similar to that these pointed questions dismayed the of the sage on the mountain. After she had traditionalists who, unable to answer them, studied the original thoughts of the great resorted to criticism in retaliation. They Tirthankars, she realised that certain maintained that they could not deviate from traditions had lost their spirituality. She had the traditions laid down by their ancestors. the courage to set aside the shackles of "Tradition alone is our religion; in tradition hidebound tradition. Her dream was to rests our honour, our welfare and our propagate Tirthankar Mahavir's philosophy security," they said.
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