Acharya Tulsi

Infobox Person
name=Acharya Tulsi
birth_date= October 20, 1914
birth_place= Ladnun, Rajasthan, India
death_date= June 23, 1997
death_place= Gangashahar, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

Acharya Tulsi (October 20, 1914-June 23, 1997) was a Jainist Acharya (an ascetic). He was the author of 100+ books, and the founder of the Anuvrata and the Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun.Guru Dev Tulsi was magnanimous in life and glorious in death. He lives for ever in the hearts and minds of millions of people for whose mental, emotional, and spiritual upliftment he worked all through his life. Right from his early childhood he exhibited brilliant qualities of head and heart giving indications of his greatness to be and his spiritual inclinations. He renounced the material world at the tender age of 11 years.

Acharya Shri. Tulsi was a great visionary and conceived many innovative programmes and schemes to uplift the mental, moral and emotional status of his disciples and the entire population at large. He had the unique quality to translate his vision into actual practice. During his long career, he has faced a number of challenges. Dr. Radhakrishnan in his "Living with Purpose" included him in the world's 15 great persons.

Brief biography

Acharya shri Tulsi hailed from a devout family of Jain traders in Ladnun. He was born in 1914 at Ladnun (a small town in Nagaur District of Rajasthan).His Father name was Jhumarmal Khated & mother is Vadana ji. He showed early leadership qualities since his school time. The daily routine framed by his mother developed the interest towards spirituality.Destiny knocked when Acharya Kalugani, his family guru, came for a visit to Ladnun. About their meeting, Tulsi later said: "His divine face fascinated my heart and I used to gaze at him for hours." He took his monk's vows at the age of 11 with remarkable dedication, and by the time he was 16, he had already started attracting acolytes. This young talent through his dynamism and sense of purpose, captured the attention of Kalugani who nominated him to be his successor when he was just 22. That was the rare incident in Jainism history that a 22 year young boy has been given the responsibility of Head of Terapanth group. He surpassed all estimates being made about him by the keen observers of the society. He initiated more than 776 monks/nuns. He has been an accomplished poet, author as well as a distinguished religious leader.

Contribution to society

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Anuvrat Movement

"Both peace and war originate in the minds of men," he said in his address to the world conference on peace and nonviolent action held at Ladnun, Rajasthan, in December 1995. "We have paid little or no attention to the question of transforming the human psyche." Acharya Tulsi realized that the independence of our country would be futile unless the national character was developed. Acharya Tulsi showed great dynamism in conceiving and forth-rightly implementing the Anuvrat Movement for moral regeneration of the nation. It was started in on March 2, 1949. The five principles of Anuvrat i.e.Truth, Non Violence, Non Possession, Non-stealing and Celibacy became the five pillars of this movement for transforming the real life of individuals. The ANUVRAT MOVEMENT launched by Late His Holiness Acharya Tulsi on 2 March 1949 has since inspired millions of people to practice purity and self-discipline in personal life. The ultimate aim of the Movement is to create a nonviolent socio-political world order with the help of a world wide network of self-transformed people. This movement made a good headway through the teaching of his disciple saints and still continue under the leadership of Acharya Mahapragya.Anuvrat Movement raised its voice in the following words:
* Dharma is not merely an instrument of ensuring happiness in the hereafter but it is also a means to bring happiness to the present life.
* Who was fails to make his present life better is unlikely to achieve happiness in the hereafter.
* The primary aims of dharma is to purify character. Its ritualistic practices are secondary.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad made great a contribution to the noble cause of the Movement. It was identical with his temperament and ideas. Speaking on, the occasion of the friendship day he marked, "I have supported the Movement since its inception. If you want me to held any office in its organizational set-up, I would like it to be that of an Anuvrat supporter." Commenting on the president of this great country should be an Anuvrati. He should be a symbol of moral uplift."The celebrated Journalist Satyadev Vidyalankar has rightly observed, "In Delhi the people feel that after that Mahatma Gandhi the other Mahatma who was own their hearts in Acharya Tulsi.

Research of Agam

Thirty-four Years ago, while going through the research journal Dharmdoot during one of his travels on foot he got the idea of editing the Jain Agams (Jain Scriptures) by doing research on them. The Agams in the Jain tradition are as significant as the Vedas are in the Hindu tradition and Pitak is in the Buddhistic tradition. The task was as forbidding as it was complex and difficult. But Sant Tulsi's strong resolve bore fruit and the credit for it should go to him and his able successor's strong will-power and irrepressible zeal. It was a herculean task to edit, annotate and comment upon Tirthankar Mahavir's precepts dating back to 2500 years ago. It is exclusively the outcome of the untiring efforts of Anuvrat Anushasta Shree Tulsi, Acharya Mahapragya and their selfless white army of saints and nuns. It was the mind boggling scale of the work which made the literature Jainendra and Shri Dalsukh Bhai Malvaniya remark, the work accomplished by Sant Shree Tulsi in only thirty-four years could not have been done by governmental agencies in a hundred years even after spending crores of rupees.'

Preksha Meditation

Acharya Tulsi was the first person who thought to rediscover the Jain meditation practise. He discussed same with muni Nathmal(Now Acharya Mahapragya). This discussion results in the Preksha Meditation.

aman Order

This Order is proving the boon for spreading the preachings of Jainism world wide. Acharya Shri Tulsi's revolutionary thinking have given the birth to saman category in 1980. This order follows the lifestyle of Jain Sadhus and Sadhvis with two exceptions:

1.They are granted permission to use means of transportations.2.They are allowed to take food which is prepared for them.

This order can be termed as the link between the normal household and the Jain monks & nun.

piritual Guidance

A large number of institutions are working under the spiritual leadership of the Anvrat Anushasta, among which are the Akhil Bharatiya Anuvrat Samiti, Anuvmt Vishva Bhamti, Jai Tulsi Foundation. Jain Vishva Bharati, Tempanth Mahasabha, Adarsh Sahitya Sangh, Akhil Bharatiya Terapanth Yuvak Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Terapanth Mahila Mandal. They are dedicated to upholding the Anuvrat Anushasta's message of love, non-violence and peace and undertaking activities related thereto. Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun - inspired and sustained by Shree Tulsi - was given the status of a Deemed University in 1991 by the Government of India. This University is on the way of fulfilling the dream seen by its Founder

A Great Wandering Ascetic

The Jain Monks and nuns remain under a vow of moving on foot all their life. Acharya Tulsi given it a new dimension. He has broken all record in barefoot marches. He has already covered more than seventy thousand Kilometers in the course of his long marches throughout the length and breadth of the country. Let us have a look at the unique of his marches given below:

Year 1949 : From the erstwhile Bikaner State to Jaipur, Delhi, Harayana, Punjab and back to Rajasthan.

Year 1955 : From Rajasthan to Gujarat, Bombay Khandesh (Maharastra), Madhya Pradesh and back to Rajasthan.

Year 1958 : From Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, again Bihar, Uttar pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and back to Rajasthan.

Year 1966 : From Rajasthan to Gujarat, Maharastra, Tamilnadu, Pondicherry, Kerala, Karnataka, Andra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and back to Rajasthan.

Year 1974 : From Rajasthan to Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, and back to Rajasthan.

Year 1981 : From Rajasthan to Haryana, Delhi and back to Rajasthan.

Year 1987 : From Rajasthan to Haryana and Delhi and is expected to be back in Rajasthan.

In the course of these marches, widespread mass contact, propagation of Anuvrat-oriented life and abstinence from alcoholic drinks went on.

This step widened the area of their movement and took them to the remote areas of the country, including Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Utter Pradesh, Sikkim and Tripura. Some of them visited Nepal and Bhutan also. This dedicated band of monks and nuns has carried the message of Anuvrat to multitudes of People.

The celebrated Journalist Satyadev Vidyalankar has rightly observed, "In Delhi the people feel that after that Mahatma Gandhi the other Mahatma who was own their hearts in Acharya Tulsi. In simple language he talks about the need of purify in social life with remarkable candour and utmost sincerity. His mellifluous voice, Which has in it a natural fascination for all, leaves a magical effect on his audience. He is doing everything for his own spiritual uplift. Nevertheless, what he has been able to do for the people is impossible to be achieved by those who say that their life is solely dedicated to the well-being of the people."

Awards and honours

*Title of Yug Pradhan in 1971 by the immediate President of India Shri V V Giri
*Bharat Jyoti Award
*Vakpati Award
*The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in 1993

Postage Stamp

On 20 October 1998, the Vice-President, Mr Krishna Kant, released an Indian commemorative three-rupee postage stamp on Acharya Tulsi on his 84th birthday anniversary. Acharya Tulsi was a famed social reformer. Paying tribute to the Acharya, Mr Kant said that the spiritual leader gave a new and contemporary direction to the high ideals of Jainism. At eleven, he was initiated into asceticism and at twenty-two was ordained and appointed head of the Swetamber Terapanth order. Acharya was a philosopher, writer of more than 50 books, poet, singer, scholar, orator and advocate for women's rights.

Books

*Anuvrat Gati Pragati { Hindi }

*Anaitikta ki dhoop: Anuvrat ki chhatri { Hindi)

*Anuvrat ke alok mein { Hindi }

*Anuvrat : A shield against immorality

*Contemporary Problems

Quotes

* "A non-violent [person should not] discriminate between rich and poor. Non-violence is the best guarantee of humanity's survival."

ee also

*Acharya Mahaprajna
*Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun
*Acharya Bhikshu
*List of Jains

References

Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence By Kurt Titze, Klaus Bruhn

External links

* http://www.terapanthonline.com/terapanth/acharaya/viewontulsiji.htm
* http://www.dd-b.net/~raphael/jain-list/msg01306.html
* [http://www.anuvart.org/impressions/anumov_05.htm Dr. S Radhakrishna view on importance & necessity of Anuvrat movement started by Achary Tulsi]
*http://www.lifepositive.com/spirit/world-religions/jainism/acharyatulsi.asp
*http://www.acharyatulsi.com/