In the middle of the 18th Century, Acharya Bhikshu led a reformist movement in a society griped in fundamentalist religious beliefs and blind faith. A philosopher, writer, poet and social reformer, the Jain leader wrote 38,000 "shlokas", now compiled in two volumes as "Bhikshu Granth Ratnakar". His "Nav Padarth Sadbhav", which advocated a society free from exploitation, is regarded as a significant philosophical composition that deals exhaustively with the nine gems of Jain philosophy.
Acharya Bhikshu was a staunch spiritual practitioner as well as a deep philosopher. He was a revolutionary thinker in the fields of dharma.His views on dharma in brief are summed up as follows. There arebasically two kinds of dharma : 1. Laukika Dharma — Concerningwordly or mundane field. 2. Lokottara Dharma — Concerning spiritualupliftment or leading to Moksha (salvation). Those activities whichnourish self-restraint and encourage the observance of the vows of abstinenceare lokottara dharma and those which are only of social benefit butencourage the sensual indulgence or leading to bondage of inauspicious karma
fall under "laukika dharma." Social duty and lokottara dharma are not identical. Duty is adjudged according to social norms and values,whereas lokottara dharma is based on spiritual principles. Duty isconcerned with social utility and may get changed with time, place andcircumstances, but lokottara dharma is the ultimate source of freedom
from all bondage and hence, it is eternal. Wherever there is a scope ofdevelopment of self-restraint, detachment from worldly things and purity ofinner consciousness, there exists the lokottara dharma; wherever there
is lack of self-restraint, augmentation of attachment with the worldly thingsand absence of purity of the inner consciousness, there is no place forlokottara dharma.
Swamiji was an ideal of tolerance, non-violence, generosity and equality and at every instance of his life he strived to stand against what was immoral and wrong in society fearlessly. The life of Bikhshu sets out an example for human to follow of a life of the positive human traits. We hope that this presentation of the life of swamiji will be an inspiration to all to lead a life of simplicity and self discipline.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
SHREE ACHARYA BHIKSHU THE FOUNDER OF TERAPANTH
In the middle of the 18th Century, Acharya Bhikshu led a reformist movement in a society griped in fundamentalist religious beliefs and blind faith. A philosopher, writer, poet and social reformer, the Jain leader wrote 38,000 "shlokas", now compiled in two volumes as "Bhikshu Granth Ratnakar". His "Nav Padarth Sadbhav", which advocated a society free from exploitation, is regarded as a significant philosophical composition that deals exhaustively with the nine gems of Jain philosophy.
Acharya Bhikshu was a staunch spiritual practitioner as well as a deep philosopher. He was a revolutionary thinker in the fields of dharma.His views on dharma in brief are summed up as follows. There arebasically two kinds of dharma : 1. Laukika Dharma — Concerningwordly or mundane field. 2. Lokottara Dharma — Concerning spiritualupliftment or leading to Moksha (salvation). Those activities whichnourish self-restraint and encourage the observance of the vows of abstinenceare lokottara dharma and those which are only of social benefit butencourage the sensual indulgence or leading to bondage of inauspicious karma
fall under "laukika dharma." Social duty and lokottara dharma are not identical. Duty is adjudged according to social norms and values,whereas lokottara dharma is based on spiritual principles. Duty isconcerned with social utility and may get changed with time, place andcircumstances, but lokottara dharma is the ultimate source of freedom
from all bondage and hence, it is eternal. Wherever there is a scope ofdevelopment of self-restraint, detachment from worldly things and purity ofinner consciousness, there exists the lokottara dharma; wherever there
is lack of self-restraint, augmentation of attachment with the worldly thingsand absence of purity of the inner consciousness, there is no place forlokottara dharma.
Swamiji was an ideal of tolerance, non-violence, generosity and equality and at every instance of his life he strived to stand against what was immoral and wrong in society fearlessly. The life of Bikhshu sets out an example for human to follow of a life of the positive human traits. We hope that this presentation of the life of swamiji will be an inspiration to all to lead a life of simplicity and self discipline.
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