Acharya Tulsi
Encyclopedia
Acharya Tulsi was a Jainist
Acharya
(an ascetic). He was the founder of the Anuvrata and the Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun
and the author
of over one-hundred books. Dr. Radhakrishnan in his "Living with Purpose" included him in the world's 15 great persons. He was given the title "Yuga-Pradhan" in a function officiated by President V.V. Giri in 1971.
He was influential in the development of Acharya Mahapragya and Sadhvi Kanakprabha
.
to Jhumarmal Khatter and Vadana Ji. Acharya Kalugani, the family guru
, greatly influenced Tulsi, later recalling: "His divine face fascinated my heart and I used to gaze at him for hours."
Tulsi took his monk's vows at age 11 with remarkable dedication, and by the time he was 16, he had already started attracting acolytes. In 1936, Kalugani nominated Tulsi to be his successor, making him head of Terapanth
group. Through his oversight, he initiated more than 776 monks and nuns.
Brief Life History
Date of Birth V. S. 1971. Kartik Shukla Dwitiya
Place of Birth Ladnun Marwad Zilla Nagaur
Father's Name Jhoomarmalji
Mother's Name Vandanaji
Date Of Diksha V. S. 1982 Paush Krishna Pachmi, ladnun
Diksha By A. Shri. Kaluganiji
Appointment as Successor V. S.1993. Bhadravshukla Tritiya,Gangapur
Appointment as Acharya V. S.1993. Bhadra V. Shukla Navmi.Gangapur
Date of Death 23rd June' 1997 at Gangasahar (Rajasthan)
Tenure as Acharya 57 years.
would be futile unless the national character
was developed. On March 2, 1949 he launched the Anuvrat Movement to spearhead this idea (anu (small), vrat (vow)). Conceived in five principles (Truth
, Nonviolence
, Non-possession
, Non-stealing and Celibacy
), the Movement was inspired followers to practice purity and self-discipline in their personal lives. By experiencing self-transformation, citizens could move toward a nonviolent socio-political
world order. The movement also held to the ideas that Dharma
is not merely an instrument of ensuring happiness in the hereafter but is also a means to bring happiness to the present life, that he who was fails to make his present life better is unlikely to achieve happiness in the hereafter, and that the primary aims of Dharma is to purify character (its ritualistic practices are secondary).
The movement continues under the leadership of Acharya Mahapragya.
.
Tulsi was the first person who sought to rediscover Jain meditation
. His work with Acharya Mahapragya led to the Preksha Meditation
.
Tulsi developed the Saman Order around 1980 in an effort to spread the preachings of Jainism worldwide. This order follows the lifestyle of Sadhu
s and Sadhvis with two exceptions:
This order can be termed as the link between the normal households and the Jain monks and nun.
His major marches included:
In the course of these marches, Tulsi had widespread contact with people and preached to Anuvrat-oriented life and abstinence
from alcohol.
of Tulsi. Kant said that the Tulsi gave a new and contemporary direction to the high ideals of Jainism.
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
Acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
(an ascetic). He was the founder of the Anuvrata and the Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun
Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun
Jain Vishva Bharati University, formerly Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, was established in 1991 with inspiration from His Holiness Acharya Tulsi, the Supreme Head of the Jain Terapanth religious sect. He was the first Anushasta of the Institute and Acharya Mahaprajna, his successor, is the present...
and the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of over one-hundred books. Dr. Radhakrishnan in his "Living with Purpose" included him in the world's 15 great persons. He was given the title "Yuga-Pradhan" in a function officiated by President V.V. Giri in 1971.
He was influential in the development of Acharya Mahapragya and Sadhvi Kanakprabha
Sadhvi Kanakprabha
Sadhvi Kanakprabha was born in the old capital of India Calcutta on 22 July 1941.She attended Parmarthik Shikshan Sanstha, Ladnun , at the age of 15. Her decision to lead the life of an ascetic was realised at the age of 19 after finishing her studies in Ladnun...
.
Biography
The son of devout Jain traders, Tulsi was born in 1914 in Ladnun, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Jhumarmal Khatter and Vadana Ji. Acharya Kalugani, the family guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
, greatly influenced Tulsi, later recalling: "His divine face fascinated my heart and I used to gaze at him for hours."
Tulsi took his monk's vows at age 11 with remarkable dedication, and by the time he was 16, he had already started attracting acolytes. In 1936, Kalugani nominated Tulsi to be his successor, making him head of Terapanth
Terapanth
Terapanth or Tera Panth may refer to:* Digambar Terapanth, a sect of the Digambara tradition of Jainism* Svetambar Terapanth, a sect of Svetambara Jainism-See also:Taran Panth, also a Digambar Jain sect, should not be confused with Terapanth...
group. Through his oversight, he initiated more than 776 monks and nuns.
Brief Life History
Date of Birth V. S. 1971. Kartik Shukla Dwitiya
Place of Birth Ladnun Marwad Zilla Nagaur
Father's Name Jhoomarmalji
Mother's Name Vandanaji
Date Of Diksha V. S. 1982 Paush Krishna Pachmi, ladnun
Diksha By A. Shri. Kaluganiji
Appointment as Successor V. S.1993. Bhadravshukla Tritiya,Gangapur
Appointment as Acharya V. S.1993. Bhadra V. Shukla Navmi.Gangapur
Date of Death 23rd June' 1997 at Gangasahar (Rajasthan)
Tenure as Acharya 57 years.
Anuvrat Movement
Tulsi realized that the independence of IndiaIndian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
would be futile unless the national character
National Character Studies
National character studies refers to a set of anthropological studies conducted during and directly after World War II that arose from the Culture and Personality School within psychological anthropology....
was developed. On March 2, 1949 he launched the Anuvrat Movement to spearhead this idea (anu (small), vrat (vow)). Conceived in five principles (Truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
, Nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
, Non-possession
Non-possession
Non-possession is a philosophy that holds that no one or anything possesses anything. It is one of the principles of Satyagraha, a philosophical system based on various religious and philosophical traditions originating in India and Asia Minor, and put into practice as part of his nonviolent...
, Non-stealing and Celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
), the Movement was inspired followers to practice purity and self-discipline in their personal lives. By experiencing self-transformation, citizens could move toward a nonviolent socio-political
Political sociology
Contemporary political sociology involves much more than the study of the relations between state and society . Where a typical research question in political sociology might have been: "Why do so few American citizens choose to vote?" or even, "What difference does it make if women get elected?" ...
world order. The movement also held to the ideas that Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
is not merely an instrument of ensuring happiness in the hereafter but is also a means to bring happiness to the present life, that he who was fails to make his present life better is unlikely to achieve happiness in the hereafter, and that the primary aims of Dharma is to purify character (its ritualistic practices are secondary).
The movement continues under the leadership of Acharya Mahapragya.
Scholarship
In the 1970s, Tulsi began researching, translating and annotating the Jain AgamasJain Agamas
Agamas are canonical texts of Jainism based on Mahavira’s teachings. Mahavira’s preaching were orally compiled by his disciples into various Sutras which were collectively called Jain canonical or Agamic literature. Traditionally these sutras were orally passed on from teachers to the disciples...
.
Tulsi was the first person who sought to rediscover Jain meditation
Jain Meditation
Jain meditation has been the central practice of spirituality in Jainism along with the Three Jewels. Meditation in Jainism aims at realizing the self, attain salvation, take the soul to complete freedom. It aims to reach and to remain in the pure state of soul which is believed to be pure...
. His work with Acharya Mahapragya led to the Preksha Meditation
Preksha meditation
Preksha meditation [Preksha Dhyana] is a popular meditation technique of Jainism . It was formulated by the tenth Spiritual head of Terapanth Shvetambara Jain Acharya Mahaprajna in the middle of the 20th century on the guidance of Acharya Tulsi...
.
Institutions
In 1948 Tulsi established the Parmarthik Shikshan Sanstha, a spiritual training centre for female aspirants who wanted to lead the Jain monastic lifestyle.Tulsi developed the Saman Order around 1980 in an effort to spread the preachings of Jainism worldwide. This order follows the lifestyle of Sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
s and Sadhvis with two exceptions:
- They are granted permission to use means of transportation.
- They are allowed to take food which is prepared for them.
This order can be termed as the link between the normal households and the Jain monks and nun.
A Great Wandering Ascetic
Jain Monks and nuns remain under a vow of moving on foot all their life. In Tulsi's lifetime he covered more than 70,000 km.His major marches included:
- 1949 : From Bikaner to JaipurJaipurJaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, HaryanaHaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, PunjabPunjab (India)Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and back to RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. - 1955 : From RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
to Gujarat, Maharastra, Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and back to Rajasthan. - 1958 : From RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
to Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, BengalBengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, again Bihar, Uttar pradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, HaryanaHaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
and back to Rajasthan. - 1966 : From RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
to Gujarat, Maharastra, Tamilnadu, Pondicherry, KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Andra Pradesh, OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and back to Rajasthan. - 1974 : From Rajasthan to Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, and back to Rajasthan.
- 1981 : From Rajasthan to Haryana, Delhi and back to Rajasthan.
- 1987 : From Rajasthan to Haryana and Delhi and back to Rajasthan.
In the course of these marches, Tulsi had widespread contact with people and preached to Anuvrat-oriented life and abstinence
Abstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
from alcohol.
Awards and honours
- Title of Yug Pradhan in 1971 by the president of India V. V. GiriV. V. GiriVarahagiri Venkata Giri , commonly known as V. V. Giri, was the fourth President of the Republic of India from 24 August 1969 to 23 August 1974.-Early life:...
- Bharat Jyoti Award
- Vakpati Award
- The Indira Gandhi Award for National IntegrationIndira Gandhi Award for National IntegrationThe Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration is the prestigious award accorded by the Indian National Congress. This Award is given annually starting from 1985 to distinguished persons/institutions for promoting national integration and understanding and fellowship amongst religious groups,...
in 1993
Postage Stamp
On 20 October 1998, the vice-president, Krishna Kant, released an Indian commemorative three-rupee postage stampPostage stamps and postal history of India
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of India.Indian postal systems for efficient military and governmental communications had developed long before the arrival of Europeans. When the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish and British displaced the Mughals, their postal systems...
of Tulsi. Kant said that the Tulsi gave a new and contemporary direction to the high ideals of Jainism.
Shrines
To keep Tulsi's teachings immortal, followers built a memorial in the village of Todgarh named Mahashila Abhilekh.Internal Link
- List of religious leaders in 2007
- List of Jains
- TerapanthTerapanthTerapanth or Tera Panth may refer to:* Digambar Terapanth, a sect of the Digambara tradition of Jainism* Svetambar Terapanth, a sect of Svetambara Jainism-See also:Taran Panth, also a Digambar Jain sect, should not be confused with Terapanth...
- Acharya BhikshuAcharya BhikshuAcharya Bhikshu was one of the great revolutionary saints and reformer of Jainism. He was the founder and first spiritual head of the Svetambar Terapanth sect of Jainism....
- Acharya Mahapragya
- Sadhvi KanakprabhaSadhvi KanakprabhaSadhvi Kanakprabha was born in the old capital of India Calcutta on 22 July 1941.She attended Parmarthik Shikshan Sanstha, Ladnun , at the age of 15. Her decision to lead the life of an ascetic was realised at the age of 19 after finishing her studies in Ladnun...
- Parmarthik Shikshan Sanstha
- Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, LadnunJain Vishva Bharti Institute, LadnunJain Vishva Bharati University, formerly Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, was established in 1991 with inspiration from His Holiness Acharya Tulsi, the Supreme Head of the Jain Terapanth religious sect. He was the first Anushasta of the Institute and Acharya Mahaprajna, his successor, is the present...