Jain Muni Acharya Vidyasagar Ji in Bilaspur Chhattisgarh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jain_Dharma
Acharya Vidyasagar (
Kannada:ಆಚಾರ್ಯ ವಿದ್ಯಾಸಾಗರ್, Sanskrit:
आचार्य विद्यासागर) is one of the best known modern
Jain Acharya.[1] He is known both for his scholarship and tapasya.[2]
Biography[edit]
He was born as Vidyadhar on
10 October 1946 on sharad
Purnima in
Sadalga,
District Belgaum,
Karnataka. His father was
Shri Mallappa, who later became
Muni Mallisagar. His mother Shrimati later became Aryika Samayamati.
He was initiated as a monk at the age of twenty-two by
Acharya Gyansagar, who belonged to the lineage of
Acharya Shantisagar, at
Ajmer in
1968. He was elevated to the Acharya status in
1972.[2]
Acharya
Vidyasagara is an expert in Sanskrit, Prakrit and several modern languages such as Hindi,
Marathi and Kannada. He has been a prolific author in Hindi and Sanskrit. Several researchers have studied his works for masters and doctoral degrees.[3] His works include
Niranjana Shataka,
Bhavana Shataka, Parishah
Jaya Shataka, Suniti Shataka and Shramana Shataka. He authored the hindi epic poem Mukamati.[2][3] This has been also included in the syllabus of MA Hindi in various institutions.[4]
Acharya Vidyasagar has been a source of inspiration to the people for starting institutions for the welfare of living beings at different places.[2]
Acharya Vidyasagar has been a source of inspiration for religious functions. He has initiated more than 125 monks,[5][6] a number unmatched in the past nine centuries. Several
Panch kalyanak and Gajrath Mahotsava have been organized at different places of the country in his presence like Drongiri, Chattarpur (
M.P),
Bina Baraha
Sagar (M.P),
Morena (M.P), Madanganj
Kishangarh Ajmer Raj, khajurahro, kundalgri, koniji,
Jabalpur Padmanabhpur -
Durg (CG) etc.
Acharya Vidyasagar has been a source of inspiration for the construction, development and renovation of
Jain temples and images all over
India.[
2][2] He has always inspired to invite scholars of eminence to have discourses on different subjects. He has also taken classes to teach his disciples different Granthas.
His tradition[edit]
He belongs to the tradition established by Acharya Shantisagar. Acharya Shantisagar initiated Acharya Virsagar. He was then succeeded by Acharya Shivsagar, Acharya Gyansagar and finally Acharya Vidyasagara. Two of his brothers, Muni Yogasagarji and Muni Samaysagarji also followed him and were initiated as muni (monks) by Acharya Vidyasagar. Some of his disciples are well known scholars of their own right.
As of 2001, about 21% of all the digambar monks were under Acharya Vidyasagara.[7][8]
Jainism
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Jainism
In-jain
.svg
Jain
Flag
Jain Prateek Chihna.svg
The
symbol of Jainism
Total population
about 5 million
Founder
Adinatha
Regions with significant populations
India,
Belgium,
Canada,
Hong Kong,
Japan,
Singapore,
United States
Scriptures
Agama
Languages
Prakrit, Sanskrit, Kannada,
Tamil,
Gujarati, Hindi
Jainism /ˈdʒeɪnɪz(ə)m/, traditionally known as
Jaina dharma (Sanskrit:
जैन धर्म),[1] is an
Indian religion that prescribes a path of ahimsa - nonviolence - towards all living beings, and emphasizes spiritual independence and equality between all forms of life. Practitioners believe that nonviolence and self-control are the means by which they can obtain liberation.
Currently Jainism is divided into two major sects, Digambara and Śvētāmbara.
The word Jainism is derived from the
Sanskrit verb root jin ("to conquer"). It refers to a battle with the passions and bodily pleasures that the
Jain ascetics undertake. Those who win this battle are termed as Jina (conqueror). The term Jaina is therefore used to refer to laymen and ascetics of this tradition alike.
Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world.[2] Jains traditionally trace their history through a succession of twenty-four propagators of their faith known as tirthankaras with
Rishabha as the first and
Mahāvīra as the last of the current era.
For long periods of time, Jainism was the state religion of
Indian kingdoms and widely adopted in the
Indian subcontinent.
The religion has been in decline since the
8th century CE due to the growth of, and oppression by the followers of Hinduism[3] and
Islam.[4]
Jainism is a religious minority in India, with 4.2 million adherents, and there are small but notable immigrant communities in Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the United States.[5] Jains have the highest degree of literacy of any religious community in India (94.
1 percent),[6] and their manuscript libraries are the oldest in the country.[7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jain_Dharma