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“The prime objective of the Anuvrat vows as elucidated in Sravakachara* is the liberation of soul(moksha), whereas the objective of Anuvrat Movement is the purification of soul.”
-Dayananda Bhargava, Sanskrit Professor and Vedanta Scholar (July 18,2012)
*A classic Jain text on the householder’s conduct by an 11th Century Jain Acharya Amitgati.
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“I am not impressed by the fast-increasing numbers. Quantity has its significance, but I am in the quality of Anuvratis.”
-Acharya Tulsi, Karnawat and Karnawat, Anuvrat-Itihas Pratham Khand, Pg. 28.
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“The social movement is not to convert anyone into Jainism or to the Terapanth tradition. From the very beginning, the approach had been nonsectarian. The only purpose of the movement is the purification of character through individual self-effort. The movement clings to the term Anuvrat, which is irrefutably drawn from the Jain tradition because it best represents the spirit of self-control and small vows.”
-Acharya Mahapragya. He was a monk named Nathmal, who later, became Tulsi Ji’s successor in 1995 as the tenth Acharya of the Jain Svetambara Terapanth tradition. Dharma Chakra ka Pravartan, Pg. 14
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“Freedom from fear (abhaya), nonviolence (ahimsa) and non-attachment (asanga) are three essentials of spiritual life. The Anuvrat sangha has established this and is working for the moral improvement of the individual, and therefore, of society.”
-S. Radhakrishnan, philosopher & second President of India
S. L. Gandhi, ed., Anuvrat Movement, 2nd ed. (Ladnun: Jain Vishva Bharati, 1992), Pg. 31.
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“Tulsi created the nonreligious Anuvrat Movement for the implementation of nonviolence and morality in social life.”
-Peter Flugel, Indologist
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“Preksha Meditation, a Jain form of meditation, was introduced in the Anuvrat program to develop willpower among the Anuvratis that would allow them to smoothly follow the vows. A method of inner purification was needed that could give them the requisite strength.”
-Ravi Sharma (May 27, 2012)
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“Mental tension has emerged as a dreadful disease of the age of industrial progress. To remedy it, the Anuvrat Movement has added a new chapter to itself in the form of Preksha Meditation.”
–Yuvacharya Mahapragya, “The Anuvrat Movement in Retrospect,” in Anuvrat Movement,
Editor S. L. Gandhi, 2nd ed. (Ladnun: Jain Vishva Bharati, 1992) Pg. 27.
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“Anuvrat vow means self-control and meditation is the technique for strengthening these vows.”
-Shrikant Verma (May 20, 2012)
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“The Anuvrat vow refrains you from killing innocent creatures. At least by taking this vow, one develops the consciousness of limiting the act of killing insects of one’s house.”
–Meenu Agarawal (June 5, 2012)
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“The ecological movement and the Anuvrat Movement are parallel; both are more about raising conscience than delivering specific results.”
–Christopher Chapple. Jain Scholar and Professor (September 23, 2012)
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“The Anuvrat Movement is like the Yoga Movement; even Yoga had faced many challenges in its initial stages of expansion. Any creative program which is good for humanity will be accepted gradually by the seekers of spirituality.”
-Salish Jain (September 22, 2012)
The first article (The South Asian Times dated December 25-31,2021) extracted from the thesis ‘THE ANUVRAT MOVEMENT: THEORY AND PRACTICE’ submitted by Shivani Bothra at the Florida International University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Religious Studies described how to incorporate spirituality into a secular movement by employing self-restraint which is a philosophical ideal behind the Anuvrat Movement. This is the fifth article from the thesis and the 51st article in the Anuvrat series. You may submit your article to [email protected] Article should be around 500 words.
People Also Ask…
Where is a temple within a temple?
The Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) in Buena Park (a suburb of Los Angeles) is one of the largest Jain centers with more than 1600 families as members. The 75000 square feet temple complex has been constructed using marble, colorful granite, natural stone, and yellow limestone to incorporate salient features of famous Jain temples of Delwada, Ranakpur, and Shatrunjaya Tirth in India.
This is the only temple that has a priceless 118 years old replica carved out of rare teak wood of the Shatrunjaya temple. It was on display during the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair and later ended up in a Las Vegas casino from where it was relocated to JCSC.
