Prof. N.V. Vaidya
Ferguson College, Poona
The words flowing from the mouth of a great and true teacher produce real enlightenment, dispel evil disposition, destroy false beliefs, produce a religious bent of mind, foster the (twin) feelings of a keen craving for liberation and a loathsome feeling for the mundane existence, annihilate the passions like attachment and hatred, encourage to pursue the Right Path (correct course of conduct), and eliminate all wrong and misleading tracks. In short, a real preceptor can do everything. It is the very source and fountainhead of everything that is really good for this life as well as for the life hereafter.
I realised the true import of these lines only when I listened to the discourse delivered by Acharya Tulsi at Rajgrih some years back. There are some people who leave an indelible impression on one's mind at the very first meeting. His Holiness Acharya Shree is undoubtedly such an eminent personality. The present pontiff of the Jain Shwetambar Terapanth with his magnetic charm and dynamic personality can easily be regarded as a Yuga-pradhana, a great man of the country, or a Shatakapurusha (a towering personality or a superman). It was indeed my great fortune that I came into contact with him. I shall always cherish the sweet and vivid memories of my association with him. Due to good deeds only one gets the company of a saint. The UTTARADHYAYAN (ch. III-I) mentions four requisites as being of permanent value in the following verse:
Chattari parmangani dullhanih jantuno
Manusattam sui saddha sanjamammiya veeriyam
'Four things of paramount value are difficult to obtain for any living being. They are human birth, knowledge of religion, belief in it, and strength for self-control'. And further it tells us
And though they be born with a human body, it will be difficult for them to hear the Law.
Chapter X, namely Dumpattayam also dwells upon the same theme:
Though he may possess all the five organs of senses, still it is a rare chance to be instructed in the best law.
It is, thus, a very rare fortune for a person to come into contact with a great Guru, a true Path-Finder, who preaches the true tenets of a universal religion. The most important thing is that he also practises what he preaches. One immediately realises the magnetic charm, the sincere faith and the irresistible appeal of the noble and lofty teachings of Acharya Tulsi. There is not the slightest trace of bigotry or narrow and sectarian outlook about him. On the other hand, he radiates an atmosphere of catholicity, universalism and perfect broad-mindedness all around. When thousands of people listen to him with rapt attention, they forget, at least for the time being, their daily cares and worries, the toil and turmoil of their everyday struggles for material interests, and shedding their narrow and parochial outlook, they are transported, as if by a magic wand, to a higher, noble, and lofty plain.
