JVB London - Acharya Tulsi Death Anniversary on 8th July 2007 - Report

Commemoration Of The Death Anniversary Of His Holiness Acharya Tulsi At JVB London

JVB London commemorated the death anniversary of Acharya Tulsi on 8th July 2007 at Sayer Centre.

The programme started with recitation of Namashkar Mahamantra by the Samanijis.

Hymns in melodious voices sung by Samani Amit Pragya and Samani Mannan Pragya followed this. The hymns were a dedication to Acharya Tulsi who passed away on 23rd June 1997. Acharya Tulsi, the ninth Acharya of Terapanth Dharma Sangh was a man of great charisma endowed with qualities of leadership and vision.

Acharya Tulsi’s dream was to see a world free from violence and hatred. He launched the Anuvrat (little vows) movement in 1949. Monks and nuns took the message of Anuvrat from village to village throughout India. In a few years the whole country was virtually swept away by the tide of Anuvrat.
Acharyashree’s conviction was that if an invidual were transformed, transformation of the society, the nation and the world would follow automatically.

Samani Prasanna Pragya briefed the audience about Acharyashree’s life. Acharya Tulsi was born in Ladnun, a town in Rajasthan known for its Jain temples dating back to the 10th century. Acharya Kalugani the 8th Acharya initiated him at the age of 11 years. He mastered Sanskrit in just 7 years and began thorough study of Jain Agamas and Jain Philosophy. He was only 22 years old when he became acharya in 1936. In 1980 Acharyashree gave shape to new idea when he initiated the first batch of Samanis into the Terapanth Dharma Sangh. It was a revolutionary step.

The audience were astonished to learn from Samani Prasanna Pragya about the meeting His Holiness Acharya Tulsi and Muni Nathamal (present Acharya Mahapragya) had with the first President and the first Prime Minister of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad and Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, respectively. They also met Shree Jai Prakash Narayan, a prominent national leader and the Dalai Lama.

Acharyashree relinquished his post during his lifetime by appointing Mahapragya as Acharya. This was a unique event in the history of Jain religion.

Master Sohan Shah recited Uvasaggaharam Stotra. The girls from the Sunday Pathshala also performed a devotional dance.

Mr Rajiv Shah with the support of power point explained the value of Jainism using the option-pricing model.

Mr Dinesh Shah who conducted the programme quoted the penultimate stanza of the hymn, “Bhav Bheenee Vandanaa”, composed by Acharya Tulsi during his yatra in South India. This stanza urges the devotee to give up the quest for material possessions and instead ignite his or her inner consciousness. As the drops of water can become an ocean, in the same manner a devotee’s soul can attain the state as that of the Tirthankar.