Acharya Tulsi

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Acharya Tulsi
Name (official) Acharya Tulsi
Personal Information
Birth name Tulsi
Born 1914, VS. 1971, Kartik Shukla Dwitiya
Ladnun, Rajasthan, India
Died 23 June 1997(1997-06-23),
Gangasahar Rajasthan
Parents Jhoomarmal and Vandana
Initiation
Initiated by Acharya Kalugani
Initiated at Ladnun, Rajasthan, India
Initiated on VS. 1982, Paush Krishna Pachmi,
After Initiation
Works Anuvrat Movement
Preceded by Acharya Kalugani
Succeeded by Acharya Mahapragya
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Acharya Tulsi (October 20, 1914 – June 23, 1997) was a Jain 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.

Contents

Early life [edit]

The son of devout Jain traders, Tulsi was born in 1914 in Ladnun Rajasthan, India to Jhumarmal Khatter and Vadana Ji. He first went to school at the age of eight years.[1] Acharya Kalugani, the 8th Acharya of Terapanth order and also the family guru, greatly influenced Tulsi, later recalling: "His divine face fascinated my heart and I used to gaze at him for hours." Acharya Kalugani came to Ladnun in 1925 (Vikram Samvat 1982). The child Tulsi was 11 years old. His visit to Kalugani aroused in him a strong desire to become a Jain monk. In less than a month young Tulsi got initiated into the Terapanth order by Acharya Kalugani.[2]

Though he was young in age, Acharya Kalugani visualized in him the seeds of genius, manly courage and great fortune. It was in a sudden and dramatic way that both Guru (master) and disciple were seized with a feeling of oneness. His elder brother Muni Champa Lai had become a monk only a year before. His process of education began under his super­vision with the direct patronage of the Acharya himself.[3] He achieved mastery over the Sanskrit language in just seven years. With it began the period of a thorough study of Jain Agama and Jain philosophy. During this period he performed an astounding feat of memory by learning about twenty thousand Sanskrit verses by heart. He also began to write poetry in the Rajasthani language, besides having acquired the knack of delivering discourses.[3]

Acharya Kalugani fell seriously ill during his four months rainy season stay at Gangapur, a town near Bhilwara Rajasthan in 1936 and was nearing his end, he nominated young Tulsi as his successor.[4] It happened only four days before his death. Tulsi was only twenty two years old at that time. He was entrusted with the responsibility of leading a large religious order consisting of 500 monks and nuns and millions of devotees spread all over the country.[5]

Life as Acharya [edit]

After assuming the responsibility as the head of the order, Acharya Tulsi wandered from one place to another only within the erstwhile state of Bikaner for the next eleven years. During this period he concentrated on the education and training of his monks and nuns. He undertook to teach them himself. He encouraged them to develop their skills in writing and speaking. In fact, he had taken to teaching even at an early stage of his monkhood. At seventeen he was already teaching a large number of monks. Prominent among them were Muni Nathmal (later Acharya Mahapragya) Muni Buddmal, Muni Janwarilal, Muni Dulichand. The disciples taught by him emerged as erudite scholars in various streams of knowledge like Sanskrit, Prakrit, philosophy, comparative studies, etc.[5]

Anuvrat Movement [edit]

Anuvrat Slogan – Self constraint is Life

Tulsi realized that the independence of India would be futile unless the national character was developed. He composed a soul-stirring poem on the eve of the first Independence Day entitled 'Let us have real independence.' Real independence to him meant moral elevation. Anuvrat Movement is an experiment in this direction. On March 2, 1949 he launched the Anuvrat Movement to spearhead this idea.[6]

Anuvrat literally means small vows (anu (small), vrat (vow)). With Anuvrat movement, a code of conduct aimed at developing the individual character and morality was drawn up and presented to the people. The five principles (Truth, Nonviolence, Non-possession, Non-stealing and Celibacy) are the foundation of this code of conduct.[7] 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.

Scholarship [edit]

Acharya Tulsi and Acharya Mahapragya during Jain Agamas research

In the 1970s, Tulsi began researching, translating and annotating the Jain Agamas.

Tulsi was the first person who sought to rediscover Jain meditation. His work with Acharya Mahapragya led to the Preksha Meditation.

Institutions [edit]

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 Sadhus and Sadhvis with two exceptions:

  1. They are granted permission to use means of transportation.
  2. 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 [edit]

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 followers are celebrates his Birth centenary in 2012–13 all over the world. He was man of power and wisdom. Dr. Radhakrishnan in his "Living with Purpose" included him in the world's 15 great persons.

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.

Awards and honours [edit]

Postage Stamp [edit]

On 20 October 1998, the vice-president, Krishna Kant, released an Indian commemorative three-rupee postage stamp of Tulsi. Kant said that the Tulsi gave a new and contemporary direction to the high ideals of Jainism.

Shrines [edit]

To keep Tulsi's teachings immortal, followers built a memorial in the village of Todgarh named Mahashila Abhilekh.

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  • Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence By Kurt Titze, Klaus Bruhn
  1. ^ <references/>Mahapragya, Acharya. "Acharya Tulsi - A Peacemaker Par Excellence". Dr. Prem Nath Jain, B Jain Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 29 April 2013. 
  2. ^ <references/>Mahapragya, Acharya. "Acharya Tulsi - A Peacemaker Par Excellence". Dr. Prem Nath Jain, B Jain Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 29 April 2013. 
  3. ^ a b <references/>Mahapragya, Acharya. "Acharya Tulsi - A Peacemaker Par Excellence". Dr. Prem Nath Jain, B Jain Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 30 April 2013. 
  4. ^ Marett, Paul. Jainism Explained (PDF). Jain Samaj Europe Publication. Retrieved 19 June 2009. 
  5. ^ a b <references/>Mahapragya, Acharya. "Acharya Tulsi - A Peacemaker Par Excellence". Dr. Prem Nath Jain, B Jain Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 7May 2013. 
  6. ^ <references/>Mahapragya, Acharya. "Acharya Tulsi - A Peacemaker Par Excellence". Dr. Prem Nath Jain, B Jain Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 17May 2013. 
  7. ^ <references/>Mahapragya, Acharya. "Acharya Tulsi - A Peacemaker Par Excellence". Dr. Prem Nath Jain, B Jain Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 17May 2013. 

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