Visit to Samanijis

View on courtyard & house of Oswal Panchayat Bhavan where about 100 Samanis were accomodated

Meeting place

It was now the right time to visit the Samanis at Oswal Panchayat Bhawan, which was not far from Terapanth Bhawan where H.H. stayed with the monks. For Guru Darshan in Sri Dungargarh the Samanis had to walk about ten minutes. Munis, Sadhvis, and Samanis as disciples of H.H. have special times for Guru Darshan, either when they attend the lectures H.H. Acharya Mahapragya in spite of being in the ninetieth year of his life or Yuvacharya Mahashraman are giving every afternoon, or when they have appointment for presenting their reports or projects according to the responsibility H.H. had entrusted for a defined period of time to them.

Except for the spiritual duties they had decided once to dedicate their lives there are no permanently fixed responsibilities for them. All tasks are given under the principle of task rotating after some time of practice. Time of practice is not fixed as well. It changes according to what H.H. decides by including view and request of the person concerned. This principle is applied for all Terapanth monks and nuns.

About 100 Samanis were accommodated in groups of 5 in one room. Room means for Samanis a momentary place where at night at 22:00 they untie the card boxes they are sleeping on and where some small space is available to store the very personal belongings as toothbrush and towel. A special training unit under the guidance of an experienced Samani is given to the technique how to store necessary objects in as small travel bags as possible. Necessary are clothes for change, books, and papers.

During the day they mostly are busy somewhere else, in the room they only stay for studying or writing or when they do not feel well. Their day starts at 04:00 in the morning with prayers and other spiritual activities. They follow a straight schedule and therefore most of the time are in a hurry to get things done. Before they are going for Gochari to get their evening meal is a good time to meet and talk to them. Food and the daily necessary quantity of water have to be taken before sunset.

This period of time is also an opportunity for the members of their former, worldly family to meet with their now ordained, former relatives. When we reached Oswal Panchayat Bhavan some of them did so in the courtyard, as it was a warm, sunny day.

Samani Sanmati Pragya

Samani Sanmati Pragya, actually at JVB New Jersey

Samani Sanmati Pragya & Karuna Jain

We hoped for the opportunity to meet again with many of them. And we were lucky. First we met Samani Jin Pragya, and then we had a talk with Samani Sanmati Pragya.

Dr. Samani Chaitanya Pragya

We met Dr. Samani Chaitanya Pragya in the vestibule, and she asked us to visit her upstairs in her room for an extended talk. She was one of the first Samanis we got to know.

Dr. Samani Kusum Pragya

Dr. Samani Kusum Pragya was happy to meet again. We congratulated her for the cheerful contribution she had delivered the day before on Maryada Mahotsav.

(F. l.) Samani Akshay Pragya, Samani Vinay Pragya

Samani Akshay Pragya and Samani Vinay Pragya were on their way to Darshan of H.H. Acharya Mahaprajna.

Dr. Samani Chaitanya Pragya in the room she is sharing with 4 Samanis Dr. Samani Chaitanya Pragya and her in worldly terms sister, now Samani Nirvan Pragya

Dr. Samani Chaitanya Pragya waited for us in the room she shared with 4 other Samanis, among them her in worldly relations sister, Samani Nirvan Pragya. Time for Gochari had come, and so we left.

Samani Niyojika Madhur Pragya & Karuna Jain

To meet Samani Niyojika Madhur Pragya is always my special pleasure, as she was the first Samani I ever met. In my hometown Berlin, 13 years ago, when she was on her way to London. On our way back we said hello to her.

Samani Prasanna Pragya from JVB London & Karuna Jain

Samani Prasanna Pragya from JVB London was happy to be near Gurudev after another year of absence.

Dr. Samani Malli Pragya & Karuna Jain

Samani Malli Pragya and me had met several times, last time in Ladnun two and half years ago when she was head of Mumukshu Training Centre. As noted above, the functions always are given under the principle of rotation, so no position is hold for too long time.

Samani Punya Pragya (r) and Dr. Samani Stith Pragya

Last not least we met with Samani Punya Pragya, head of Mahapragya International School Tamkor and Dr. Samani Stith Pragya whom we had met years ago in Tamkor where she was involved in planning the curriculum of Mahapragya International School. Samani Punya Pragya informed me on the health situation of Samani Pratibha Pragya who hopefully has fully recovered by now.

It was an eventful afternoon, but the day yet did not end here. More impressive encounters were ahead of us.