Bhikshu (Jain monk)
| Acharya Bhikshu | |
|---|---|
| Religion | Jainism |
| Sect | Svetambara |
| Personal | |
| Born |
1 July 1726 Kantaliya, Rajasthan |
| Died | August 1803 Siriyari Rajasthan |
Acharya Bhikshu (1726–1803) was the founder and first spiritual head of the Svetambar Terapanth sect of Jainism.
He was a disciple of Mahavira. In the initial phase of his spiritual revolution, he moved out from the group of Sthanakvasi Acharya Raghunath. That time he had 13 saints, 13 followers and 13 the basic rules. This coincidence results in the name of "Terapanth" (Thirteen Path).
The various beliefs and teachings of the religious orders of those times greatly influenced his thinking. He studied and analysed the various disciplines of the Jain religion and on this basis he compiled his own ideologies and principles of the Jain way of life. Based on the doctrines propagated, Acharya Bhikshu rigorously followed the principles. It was this way of life that was demonstrated by Acharya Bhikshu which became the foundation principle of Terapanth. The Letter of Conduct was written by him is still followed in the same manner with due respect with slight changes as per the time & situation. The original copy of letter written in Rajasthani language is still available. His followers piously referred to this monk as 'Swamiji'.
Acharya Bhikshu visualised a systematic, well established and orderly religious sect and saw it taking shape through Terapanth. To organise and stabilise this religious order he propagated the ideology of one guru and brought to an end the concept of self discipleship. In this way his ideology of one Acharya, one principle, one thought and similar thinking became the ideal for other religious sects. Acharya Bhikshu said the common man should understand and practise true religion which would take him to the path of salvation.
Acarya Bhiksu (aka Bhikhanji) was born in Marwar in Rajasthan in 1726. He belonged to a merchant class named Bisa Oswal. He was initiated as a monk by a Sthanakvasi Acarya Ragunathji in 1751. He broke away from Sthanakvasi sect after receiving complaints from numerous lay followers in 1759. Upon reading the scriptures, he found that the order of monks have wandered away from true teachings of Jainism; Ragunathji seconded the same but was unwilling to bring the same in the sect as they were hard to follow by the other monks.
In the middle of the 18th century, Acharya Bhikshu led a reformist movement. A philosopher, writer, poet and social reformer, he wrote 38,000 "shlokas", now compiled in two volumes as "Bhikshu Granth Ratnakar". His "Nav Padarth Sadbhav", which advocated a society free from exploitation, and is regarded as a significant philosophical composition that deals exhaustively with the nine gems of Jain philosophy.
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