About Marasaeb Detail

Acharya Tulsi (20 October 1914 – 23 June 1997) was a prominent Jain religious leader.He was the founder of the Anuvrata movement  and the Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun, and the author of over one hundred books.

Acharya Mahapragya, Acharya Mahashraman and Sadhvipramukha Kanakprabha were his disciples.

Biography:

Acharya Tulsi was born on 20 October 1914 in Ladnun, in present Nagaur district of Rajasthan, to Vadana and Jhumarmal Khater.Acharya Kalugani, then the leader of the Svetambar Terapanth Sangh, greatly influenced Tulsi. Tulsi was initiated into monkhood at age 11 in 1925. In 1936, Kalugani nominated Tulsi to be his successor in Gangapur at Rang Bhawan-the house of Ranglal Hiran, making him the ninth Acharya of the Terapanth Sangha. During his leadership of the Sangha, he initiated more than 776 monks and nuns.

Scholarship:

In the 1970s, Acharya Tulsi began researching, compiling translations and commentaries on the Jain Agamas. Acharya Tulsi, along with Yuvacharya Mahapragya, sought to rediscover Jain meditation and termed it preksha dhyan.

Anuvrat Movement:

In 1949 he launched the Anuvrat movement(anu = small, vrat=vow, Anuvratas are the limited version of the Mahavratas for the monks), based on the five Jain principles Truth, Nonviolence, Non possession, Non-stealing and Celibacy as applied in their limited version for the lay people. The movement encouraged people to apply the Anuvratas in their personal lives, even when dealing with non-religious aspects of the society. The movement also held that dharma is not for ensuring happiness in the future lives but also for achieving happiness in the present life.

The movement has continued under the leadership of his disciple Yuvacharya Mahapragya. He was raised to the rank of the acharya by Acharya Tulsi himself.

Institutions:

In 1948 Tulsi established the Parmarthik Shikshan Sanstha, a spiritual training centre for female aspirants who wanted to lead the Jain monastic lifestyle. Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, an education and research institute was established in 1991 with inspiration from Acharya Tulsi.

Traditionally Jain monks have been prohibited from travelling overseas. Tulsi developed the Saman Order around 1980 in an effort to spread the preachings of Jainism worldwide. This order follows the lifestyle of sadhus and sadhvis with two exceptions: They are granted permission to use means of transportation. They are allowed to take food which is prepared for them. This order can be termed as the link between the normal households and the Jain monks and nun.