Acharya Tulsi
The life of an era goes on and on. At a certain turning, it comes to a stop. The atmosphere grows inert or languid. Then, it becomes necessary to charge it with new hopes, longings and ambitions. Otherwise life comes to a standstill. The stagnancy of the age affects its culture, its social organisation, its politics. But what is most affected, is man's life style. That is why every. Individual wants his age to be progressive. And if any kind of stagnation sets in, the enterprising minds of the age force a break-through and fill it with new vigour.
Every day the sun rises in the sky and the whole world is steeped in sunlight. Along with sunlight, the wind blows at its own pace. Every man needs sunlight and air. But have you ever seen air and sunlight knocking at a person's door?
What to speak of one lifetime, even if a man waits for fifty lives for air and light to knock at his door, he shall wait in vain. But if a man, without any waiting, just keeps his door and windows open, light and air would enter his house by themselves.
About 250 years ago, a unique individual took birth on the soil of this country. Before his birth, his mother experience remarkably auspicious omen. In time that wonders manifested itself. That remarkable individual began to walk in a particular direction. There arose a many obstructions in his path. To overcome these, he started a revolution. The fruit of that revolution is the Terapanth Dharam Sangh. The revolutionary who laid the foundation of this Sangh is today known by the name of Acharya Bhikshu. Demolishing the age-old, out-dated beliefs and traditions, Acharya Bhikshu laid a new foundation-stone, on whose strength the Terapanth Dharam Sangh has been progressively rising.
Conduct, decorum, discipline and unity-on the foundation of these four stones firmly stand the Terapanth Dharam Sangh. After completing the long voyage of 228 years, the Sangh enters a new year on 29 July 1988. This full-moon day in the month of Asadh is an important day in the history of the Sangh. It is celebrated in the form of Foundation Day of Terapanth. The celebration of a day becomes meaningful only if there is a definite objective behind it, otherwise the time and energy spent in a mere round of formalities becomes questionable.
There are many factors behind the commemoration of a day or an individual. Besides the preservation of historical records, precious memories and ever-fresh inspiration, the noteworthy point is the actualization in day—to—day living of the doctrine in question. If actual living be devoid of principles, the commemoration of the day has no more value than a mere convention. The Terapanth Foundation Day is no such stereotyped convention; it is a living tradition. Acharya Bhikshu started this tradition at the cost of his life. He knew that his path was strewn with thorns; that even if he swept and cleaned the path, it would be strewn with thorns again.
He realized that not many people would be forthcoming to go along with him on this thorny path. He also knew that he would have to face a good deal of hardship even in the procurement of the basic necessities of life. But he remained undeterred by these apprehensions. Whatever steps he took forward after mature deliberation, he never retraced. He saw a dream and struggled hard all his life to translate it into reality. Every halt in his life-pilgrimage was full of adventure. The foundation of the Sangh-temple under whose canopy we are resting today, was nurtured by Acharya Bhikshu’s will-power, radiant devotion, great patience, and boundless capacity for suffering. To commemorate the Foundation Day means to assimilate all these virtues in one or to move in the direction of such assimilation.
It is our duty to preserve intact the new laws given to our religious organisation by Acharya Bhikshu. The circumstances of the age may force us to give up these at times. But those occasions would be a testing time for us. In the hour of trial we must not allow ourselves to be demoralized; rather we must strengthen our faith all the more.
We do not reject the principle of change, but we may go in only for those changes which do not negate the fundamental laws of our being. What is required is coordination of old doctrine and faiths with new values, to ensure the well being of all mankind. No light, air or great achievement would come to knock at our door. Only a firm determination to keep wide-awake so as to derive benefit from the golden opportunities scattered on the path of life, consecrates the celebration of the Terapanth Foundation Day.
