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The Anuvrata Movement
THE Aņuvrata movement, started by the great Jaipa saint Ācārya
1 Tulasi in Rajasthan in 1949 is a positive evidence to the vitality of the Jaina religion as also to the presence of the life and world affirming elements in it. It contains, therefore, the vows and beliefs traditional to Jainism but the presentation itself reflected the corruption of man and society that had come about at the time the movement was thought of and launched (which still continues) and the immediate necessity of re-building of character that was felt at the time. Ācārya Tulasi believes that the aim of Jainism (from an empirical standpoint) is the development of the individual' scharacter.
He emphasizes that the ills of society automatically get cured by means of the process of self-purification and self-control. From this point of view he maintains that the view sometimes expressed, viz., that the function of religion is the control of society is incorrect. By developing the character of the individual the level of social morality is made to go up but the latter is not the main aim of religion. Explaining his point of view regarding religion in general and Jainism in particular, he writes : “A devotee at the time of initiation takes a holy vow that for the good of self he accepts five mahāvratas as his discipline throughout life. The end of a vrata is freedom from bondage. Its incidental result is also the control of society, but this is not the main consequence of it.”'l Accordingly
1 Ācārya Tulāsi, Can Intellect Comprehend Religion ? (Churu : Adarsh Sahitya Sangh, 1969), p. 18
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