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A N U V R A T-A Constructive Endeavour Towards A Nonviolent
Multicultural Society. |
By:
ACHARYA MAHAPRAGYA |
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The Anuvrat Movement has been engaged in the noble task of
uplifting human life and revitalizing the rapidly crumbling
moral and spiritual values among the people of the world
irrespective of casts, creed and colour for the last three and a
half decades.
Launched on March 1, 1949 by Acharya Shree Tulsi the head of a
Jain sect and a leading visionary of India the Movement has
since grown steadily in size and stature. Though it does not lay
claim to any spectacular success or acheivement, there is no
gains saving the fact that its universal appeal for gains saving
the fact that its universal appeal for self-awakening has
created a great impact on the outlook and behaviour of many
people. It was hailed and patronised by eminent people like the
late Dr. Rajendra Prasad. C Rajgopalachari, Pt. Jawarhalal
Nehru, Dr S. Radhakrishnan and Jai Prakash Narayan. It has been
striving to infuse with new life people degenerating fast into
what T.S. Elliot aptly calls "automatications or living shadows
inhibiting the great wasteland".
While many western celebrities like Bertrand Russell and Martin
Luther King were organising huge peace rallies exhorting the
people to raise their voice against the senseless genocide
caused by the nuclear holocaust in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by a
strange coincidence, as it were, a relatively unknown religious
preceptor of the East heading a Jain sect, seated far away in a
relatively unknown religious preceptor of the East heading a
Jain sect, seated far away in a remote town of Thar desert of
Rajasthan, was engaged in an identical mission, though in a
small way, lof rousing the masses against violence and moral
torpor. He heard the inner call that commanded him to throw off
the yoke of sectrism dogmatism and launched a crusade against
caste, untouchability, subjection of women and religious
intolerance. His response to the call resulted in the birth of
Anuvrat movement. It was in this very way that Simon and Andrew
responded when Jesus walking the sea of Galilee called to them.
The only difference was that the call Acharya Tulsi heard came
from within, not unlike the one as in the case of Saint Joan had
heard for centuries before in France. But unlike as in her case
the inner voice directed the Acharya to launch a movement for
liberating the individual from a bigoted sectarian outlook,
fanaticism and an unethical apprch, thereby automatically
ensuring the emancipation of mankind.
The root of the malady lies in the individual. The Acharya
realised that society cannot be purged without an inner
transformation of man. Instinctively motivated by the maxim:
In small proportion we just beauties see;
And in short measures, life may be perfect be.
Acharya Tulsi began his mission by carefully drawing up a code
of conduct for all individuals in society. The code consisted of
atomic or small vows (anuvrats). He launched what came to be
known as the Anuvrat Monement urging the individuals to pledge
themselves willingly to observe the anuvrats. The movement
embodied a vision and that of Tagore's heaven of freedom as
pictured by him in his immortal work Geetanjali.
The most important thing about the Anuvrat Movement is that it
strives after the middle path steering clear of the two extremes
of absolute ascetism (mahavrats) and unbridled materialism
resulting in moral torpor and acedia. The Anuvrat Movement aims
at ushering in an era of self-awakening the anthesis of the
Automic age.
The Acharya carried his message on far and wide covering
thousands of miles on foot, enjoying on the people the
discipline of Anuvrats.
The voice of the Movement has by now permeated the masses
focussing their attention on the impotance of self-restraint.
The phenomenal rise in incidents is growing multicultural
societies mushrooming all over the world giving rise to frenzied
massacres like the ones the world watched helplessly in Sri
Lanka, Lebanon and South Africa makes it imperative for everyone
to carry the movement across the seas to ensure amity and
reconciliation between different groups and cultures.
Acharya Shree realized in the wake of his experiment of
enjoining the disciple of anuvrats on the individuals that a
radical attitudinal change in man was not possible merely
through the advocacy of the anuvrat code of conduct. It must be
accompanied by another effective tool that can gradually induce
him to introspect. Mahapragya Yuvacharyaji came up with a bright
idea of a unique technique of meditation called Prekshya Dhyan
as a means to bring about a mass psychological transformation.
Acharya Shree added Preksha Meditation to his programme of
reconstruction of moral and spiritual values. Fortified with
this potent means of an attitudinal change in man, the Anuvrat
Movement has added a new and important dimension. A follower of
the Anuvrat code has to follow Preksha Meditation everyday,
which inclines him naturally to imbibe the Anuvrat principle. It
ultimately becomes an integral part of his character.
The ideational phase of the Movement is over. It is time we gave
it a programmatic and practical shape. Let us transform the
Movement into a fitting instrument of constructive activities a
veritable laboratory for testing our belief in the anuvrat
philosophy. Acharya Shree has launched a new scheme of Jivan
Vigyan for educating youngster in the doctrine of anuvrats so
that they may grow up as disciplined, broad-minded and
responsible citizens free from the narrow prejudices of caste,
colour, creed and sect. He pins his hope of transforming mankind
into on family on this young generation. As head of a religious
sect he has set the pace for other religious leaders. If they
take their cue from him, the world that lis steeped in communal
and etnic violence today is certain to awake into a 'heaven of
freedom'.
In conclusion, we might remember Neil Armstrong's spontaenous
utterance on first stepping on the soil of the moon,'One small
step for a man but one giant leep for mankind'. Who knows
Acharya Shree's step (anuvrats or atomic vows) may eventually
turn out to be a giant leap for mankind?
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Article: A N U V R A T-A constructive Endeavour Towards A Nonviolent
Multicultural Society.
Author: ACHARYA MAHAPRAGYA
Total Views: 74
Word Count: 904
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