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The Jains through Time
Jain Education International
Acharya, Gurudev has re-invigorated the teachings of Tirthankar Mahavir. Although woman has always been the Muse for poets, artists, writers and scholars and central to the success of their creativity, nevertheless women themselves could never attain these high positions in society as a whole. By chance, if any woman through sheer strength of will, hard-work and fortitude, manages to perform some great deed, all women share in the glory of her achievement. One woman's success becomes proof of the untapped potential of every woman. A woman reaching the peak of success is a great challenge to tradition.
Tirthankar Mahavir founded the fourfold order (chaturvidh sangh), and made Arya Chandana, the head of the order of sadhvis (there were 36,000 at the time). However, in the Middle Ages, due to a male-dominated culture, the position of Acharya was not conferred on any sadhvi. What Gurudev did was epoch-making; not only had he thought about changing the norm, he had also broken with rigid tradition by this courageous act. In 1951, he had taken a
similar step. At the 'Sadadi Conference', when the Shraman-Sangh was being formed, and the code of conduct for sadhus and sadhvis was being drawn up, the sadhvis were not even consulted. In fact they were actually prohibited from joining in the discussion. One of the sadhvijis, Gurumata Shri Sumati Kunwarji Maharaj had raised her voice in protest, saying that sadhvis ought to be involved in discussions which directly affected their way of life. Gurudev listened to her and through his authoritative handling of the situation, sadhvis from then
were allowed to participate in conference discussions, especially on issues concerning them.
on
Gurudev was a reformer, he inspired a revolution. He tore away the veils of blind faith and ignorance and revealed the light of truth. Among the many other innovative steps he took was one of raising the position of women and honouring womankind. He said that in Tirthankar Mahavir's chaturvidhsangh - the fourfold order of sadhus, sadhvis, shravaks and shravikas - all are equal and play equally vital roles. If Tirthankar
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