Rank Acharya Initiated on 25 July 1963 Name Shri Ji | Initiated at Delhi Initiated by Acharya Deshbhushan | |
Name (official) Acharya Vidyananda Ji Maharaj Born 22 April 1925Shedbal, Karnataka ( 1925-04-22 ) | ||
Birth name Shri Surendra Kumar Ji | ||
Integral yoga stress management be attitudes swami vidyananda
Acharya Vidyanand ji (Hindi: आचार्य विद्यानंद) (Born 22 April 1925) is one of the senior most principal thinker, philosopher, writer, composer, editor, curator and a versatile Jain monk who has dedicated his entire life in preaching and practicing the noble concept of nonviolence (Ahimsa) through Jainism. He is the disciple of Acharya Deshbhushan. He has written may books and articles. He is now about 90 years old. He has spent his past four chaturmas (4 months stay during the rainy season) in Delhi. Several institutions like D.J. Muni Vidyanand Shodhpith, Baraut, Uttar Pradesh are named after him. He has many monk disciples like Muni and lay disciples like Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, Dr. Jay Kumarji Upadhye, a renowned Jain Scholar. Ahinsa Sthal in Delhi was established at the initiative of Acharya Vidyanandji on the land granted by the late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Vidyanand was a notable figure in voicing the opinions of Digambara in the Bahubali affair. There have been several distinguished Jain monks with the same name in history. One of whom is commentator of Tattvartha Sutra and Aptmimamsa, lived during 800 CE.
Contents
- Integral yoga stress management be attitudes swami vidyananda
- Early life
- Initiation as Kshullaka
- Initiation as Muni
- Shwet Pichchhachary Vidyananda ji 2010
- Acharya Vidyananda 1987
- Siddhant Chakravarti Acharya Vidyananda 1979
- Elachary Vidyananda 1978
- Upadhyay Vidyanada 1974
- Muni Vidyanad 1964
- Kshullak Parshvakirti 1946
- Chaturmas Varshayog
- Panch Kalyanaka Pratishtha Mahotsava
- Achievements
- Books and Articles
- References
Early life
Born and brought up in a Jain family at Shedbal village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. His Primary education was in Marathi medium at Dhanwad Maharashtra and Higher education was in Kannada medium at Shedbal Karnataka but later he decided to Join Shanti Sagar Chatra Ashram in Shedbal for his higher studies in mastering multiple languages. After completing his initial education he got placed in Ordnance Factory in Pune by his uncles reference. After few months he finds it uncomfortable to contribute in manufacturing of any kind of weapons. So he quit that job and joined a Biscuit manufacturing factory in Pune. Unlike most of the youth in those days Surendera was also a strong believer that India's National freedom can only be achieved by Non-Violent movement and get inclined towards Nobel path of Ahimsa.This was the time when he had decided to dedicate his life towards spreading the concept in its root form as practiced in Jainism.
Initiation as Kshullaka
In the year 1945 at the age of 21, he came in touch with Acharya Mahavirkirti while he was practicing his annual Chaturmas at Shedbal. During this time he made a formal request to join his Jain Acharya Sangha. After a year of observation in the year 1946, Acharya Mahavirkirti initiated him as Kshulak Parshvakirti.
Starting from Kundapur in the year 1946 till 1962 at Shimoga he completed 17 chaturmas before being finally initiated as Muni Vidyanand by Acharya Deshbhushan in 1963. He had become so popular for his lectures and briefings on the Jain scriptures that his 15th Chaturmas in Belgam was celebrated with great enthusiasm and his followers sedan him in a palanquin on their shoulders and took him around the city to introduce him to the public in the year 1960.
Initiation as Muni
After strict practicing and following Jain Acharya Sangh's discipline for 17 years, He decided to get more intense with his course of becoming Jain monk by removing his worldly clothing symbolizing detachment and preserve the real soul for preaching the Noble concept of Ahimsa as the foundation of Jainism.
On 10 July 1963, he approached Acharya Deshbhushan ji at Chandni Chowk in Delhi who was heading the Jain Acharya Sangh at that time and made a formal request to initiate him as a Digambara monk or "Sky Clad Jain Monk". After several rounds of discussion he made his final request on 22 July 1963 and Acharya Deshbhushan ji announced that he will initiate him as Muni Vidyanand on 25 July 1963 and requested his sangh to make the necessary arrangements.
Thursday, July 25, 1963, A huge tent was erected at the Parade ground in Delhi with a center Stage to accommodate thousands of followers gathered to witness the historic event of Initiation of Muni Vidyananda. Soon after the introductory speech Acharya Deshbhushan ji initiated the ceremony and requested Khulak Parshvakirti to follow the instructions along with the holy chants. Parshvakirti followed the instructions and removed all the clothes and ornaments and threw them at the crowd to symbolize his detachment from the worldly matters and materials and initialize his journey as Digambara Muni Vidyananda.
Shwet-Pichchhachary Vidyananda ji, 2010
He received eminence as Shwet-Pichchhachary after his international followers gifted him feathers of white peacock or Peafowl as soon as Government lifted the Ban on use of Peacock feather on July 24, 2010.
Acharya Vidyananda, 1987
28 June 1987 Delhi under Acharya Deshbhushan ji
Siddhant-Chakravarti Acharya Vidyananda, 1979
17 November 1979 Indore by (चतुः संघ) sangh
Elachary Vidyananda, 1978
17 November 1978 Delhi under Acharya Deshbhushan ji
Upadhyay Vidyanada, 1974
8 December 1974 Delhi under Acharya Deshbhushan ji
Muni Vidyanad, 1964
22 July 1963 Delhi under Acharya Deshbhushan ji
Kshullak Parshvakirti, 1946
15 April 1946 Tamadaddi, Karnataka under Acharya Mahavir Kirti ji
Chaturmas / Varshayog
As Kshulak Parshvakirti
- Konnur, Karnataka 1946
- Humcha, Karnataka 1947
- kumbhoj, Maharashtra 1948
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1949
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1950
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1951
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1952
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1953
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1954
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1955
- Shedbal, Karnataka 1956
- Humcha, Karnataka 1957
- Sujangarh, Rajasthan 1958
- Sujangarh, Rajasthan 1959
- Belgaum, Karnataka 1960
- Kundadri, Karnataka 1961
- Shimoga, Karnataka 1962
As Muni Vidyanand
- Lal Mandir, Delhi 1963
- Jaipur, Rajasthan 1964
- Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh 1965
- Samantbhadra Vidyalaya, Delhi 1966
- Meerut, Uttar Pradesh 1967
- Baraut, Uttar Pradesh 1968
- Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh 1969
- Srinagar, Uttarakhand 1970
- Indore, Madhya Pradesh 1971
- Shri Mahavirji, Rajasthan 1972
- Meerut, Uttar Pradesh 1973
- Jain Balashram, Delhi 1974
As Upadhyay Vidyanada
- Jagadhri, Haryana 1975
- Chandni Chowk, Delhi 1976
- Baraut, Uttar Pradesh 1977
- Pahari Dhiraj, Delhi 1978
As Elachary Vidyananda
- Indore, Madhya Pradesh 1979
- Shravanabelagola, Karnataka 1980
- Shravanabelagola, Karnataka 1981
- Kothli Shantigiri, Karnataka 1982
- Bahubali Kumbhoj, Maharashtra 1983
- Teen Murti, Borivali, Mumbai 1984
- GommatGiri, Indore 1985
- Kund Kund Bharti, New Delhi 1986
As Acharya Vidyananda
- Kund Kund Bharti, New Delhi 1987
- Kothli Shantigiri, Karnataka 1988
- Kothli Shantigiri, Karnataka 1989
- Baramati, Maharashtra 1990
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 1991
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 1992
- Greenpark, New Delhi 1993
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 1994
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 1995
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 1996
- Jaipur, Rajasthan 1997
- New Rohtak Rd, Delhi 1998
- Greenpark, New Delhi 1999
- Jain Balashram, Delhi 2000
- Ahinsa Sthal, New Delhi 2001
- RK Puram, New Delhi 2002
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2003
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2004
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2005
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2006
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2007
- Rishabh Vihar, New Delhi 2008
- Greenpark, New Delhi 2009
- Greenpark, New Delhi 2010
- Greenpark, New Delhi 2011
- Greenpark, New Delhi 2012
- Greenpark, New Delhi 2013
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2014
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2015
- KundKund Bharti, New Delhi 2016
Panch Kalyanaka Pratishtha Mahotsava
Achievements
Books and Articles
Most of the books, articles and editorials written by Acharya Vidyanand ji are in simplified Hindi though some of them use typical ancient Prakrit and Sanskrit shloka and sutra for references as mentioned in vedas and puranas. He is also mentoring scholars in their advance language studies with his translation skills.