ON THE PATH TO SALVATION OF SOUL
MATA GYANMATI JI : a Celibate since birth, is fired with a religious zeal, a passion for the welfare of all living beings. Travelling bare-foot throughout the length and breadth of the country during her fortysix years of saintly life, she has to her credit path-breaking achievements.
With her blessings and under her meticulous guidance, a majestic (and unique too) replica of Jamboo Deep, and integral part of the vast UNIVERSE, has come up in the vast open grounds of the ancient JAIN TIRATH OF HASTINAPUR and this place has haw now become an attractive tourist centre. During her trips, MATAJI has been the stimulating source of inspiration for a large number of constructions and renovations of jain Temples, stupas and centres of learning.
AYODHYA, birth place of JAIN TIRTHANKARAS from times immemorial, has been brought in prominent limelight. MATAJI is depply devoted to the study of various aspects of jain religion and has already penned 200 books in Hindi and Sanskrit scripts, some of which are master-pieces of jain literature.
Universe is self-established
This vast universe is self-established and is indestructible and so is jain dhrama. Jainism is a religion with a difference. No power, supernatural or otherwise, on earth or heaven or elsewhere will give you rewards or punishments for your actions-as you sow so you reap. Jain DOCTRINE is based on the real qualities of SOUL and non-SOUL and the manner in which they function.
As a result of anger, pride, deceit and greed, matter around us capable of transformations as KARMA gets attracted to-wards soul through the channels of thoughts, words and deeds.
These karmas get tagged with soul, resulting in a cycle of births and re-births in vatious lives and abodes in the world, e.g., heavens, hells, animals, plants and humans. RIGHT BELIEF, RIGHT Knowledge and right conduct are the ineerent ingredients of pure soul, which although invisible and untouchable is immortal and has infinite capability of liveration from the BONDAGES of KARMAS.
Enlightenment and upliftment of these three JEWELS, together as one whole, is bound to destroy KARMAS AND TRANSMIT the soul in purest form to TRANSWORLD (SIDDHALYA) for ever eliminating births and rebirths in the world.
Every Human is born naked
Each and every Human is born naked and is destined to die one day all alone and empty-handed. Human life is most precious. Soil may or may not get it ahain. Humans are, happily, endowed with WISDOM and capacity of self-control of five senses and mind. This privelege is not available in other lives. From ancient times, crores of humans, having realised basic TRUTHS of life, detached themselves from WORL + BODY-PLEASURES (संसार—शरीर—भागे) and opted for real nakedness of body and mind (तन मन से दिगम्बर)|
They proceded to lonely places for self study, introspection and meditation, initially removing hairs of their body with their own hands. Jain saints keep with them a pot of water, a peacock feathers broom and scriptures and nothing else. They do not take bath.
Water from the pot is used by them for wash after passing stool or Urine. Broom is used to keep away flies, insects etc. to avoid injury to them. In a standing pose, these MONKS TAKE food (along with reservations from devoted jain HOUSEHOLDERS, very often fasting and giving up tastes.
They walk bare-foot, sleep for short hours and remain absorbed in spiritual meditation and study of scriptures and other religious rituals for most of time. Saints, with mastery of scriptures and other religious books, give lessons to others and are known as UPADHAY. (उपाध्याय)
Teachers, Religious Heads of saints with very fine qualities of knowledge, conduot, maintain day-to-day discipline amongst saints with utter strictness and are worshipped with high reverence ad ACHARYAS (आचार्य). A good number of SADHUS, and they are innumerable, were able to conquer evils of senses and attachments, there-by fully destroying the four veilling karmas (चार घातिया कर्म) .
Having achived supremacy of SOUL with all its infinite virtues, they became OMNISCIENT (सर्वज्ञ). These ARIHANTS (conquerors of karma) enemies) had perfect knowledge of every thing of the Universe, past-present-Future. of these Supremen Lords, twentyfour (24) in a series born in Jamboodeep in various places and ages since anoient times, had preached the right path of salvation of soul to all living beings (भव्य जीव) (including animals) with ability to achieve salvations and they are known as jain Tirthankaras.
All Arihants, as a rule, ultimatly got full and perfect emancipations of their souls, with the end of their ages and they now rest for ever in TRANS-WORLD . NAMOKAR MANTRA is the ritual of bowing with reverence to the five supreme Benefactors and is the most SACRED MANTRA of all times, OM (TB DeesFced) is an abbreviation of Namokar Mantra, which too is equally sacred. If remembered, pronounced with faith and reverence, both bestow happy and peacefull life, nay even MOKSHA .
Pursuit of worldly activities
In the pursuit of worldly activities, house-holders, men and women are apt to commit sins and even vices. Consequently they suffer from miseries and ailments. By nature, water flows downwards and vigorous efforts are necessary to lift it to high altitudes for good use. Jain PHILOSOPHY has shown the path to find peace in the midst of turmoil, light in the midest of darkness, hope in despait.
Basic broad principles of this philisophy are AHIMSA, APARIHGRAH and anekant Living core of jainism is ahimsa (non-violence) live and let live, water, fire, air, earth and plants, although immobile, have life like moving creatures. Humans should cultivate compassion to-wards all living beings-even a stray thought of injury to them is to be avoided. Aparigrah is self-control of sensual desires and negation of unnecessary wealth. It is desirable, even necessary, for householders to offer a part of their hard-earned income in ALMS to Monks NUNS and other pious and deserving persons.
Anekant (SYADVAD) wonderfully solves the manifold aspects of TRUTH. Substances (living and non-living) have several properties), Sometimes even repulsive and opposite. For example, fire when used for cooking, lighting and warming, is good but when it destroys houses, shops, etc. it is bad. Same person Anil is the son of his father and is the father of his sons and daughters. Jainism has prescribed a code of conduct for householders, to be followed by them in letter and spirit. They will not consume honey, meat, wine, fruits, vegetables and other articles, having insects or tiny dreatures.
They will not take meals in night time and will use filtered water for drinking. They are supposed to worship lofd Tirthankaras, study jain scriptures and pay resards to Jain monks and nuns, as daily rituals, prior to performing their worldly pursuits. Ideal householders are expected to restrict their thoughts, words, deeds, movements, wealth and other activities on PIOUS days, e.g.
Ashtmi chaturdashi , Ashtianihaka , Dashlaksham , Salvation dates of Lord TIRTHANKARAS, etc. A very special feature and teaching of Jainism is to welcome DEATH when it is inevitable and to devote all last minutes and hours in religious recitations and discourses and fasting as far as possible. Truth is that jain culture fundamentally gives stress on high ethical values of Renunciations, detachents and control of senses and mind on all fronts peacefull life, peacefull death. That is sure to pay dividends in this life and in the life after. death.
Mata Gyanmanti Ji
Mata Gyanmanti ji is the first child of her parents. Full moon day in the tear 1934 and TIKATNAGRA (District Barabanki U.P.) have the lucky privalege of the birth of Maina (Original name of Mataji).
Significant contribution for Mataji’s glorious life came to MAINA from her own mother MOHINIJI who prompted this child at an early age to read sacred jain scriputure and jain historical stories as well as to attend religious rituals in jain temple. Gradually maina was overwhelmed with pious sentiments and she vowed to remain a bachelor and devote her life for the pious goal of salvation of her soul.
At her age of 18, PUJYA Acharyashri DESHBHUSHAN JI, very happily blessed Maina for pure celibac and soon after for VEERMATI CHULLIKS . As a gem of women, she was endowed by Acharya Shri Veersahar Ji (the first disciple of supreme Acharya Shantisagar Ji) with the honour of ARYIKA in the year 1956.
Aryikas (nuns) keep 16 yards sarees cover their bodies fully and take meals in their palms in a sitting pose, else their day-to-day rituals are the same as of sadhus (MONKS).
Full of vigour and pious knowledge and conduct, Aryika Mata Gyanmati Ji was ever busy in giving lessons to men and women, young and old. As a result of Mata Ji’s inspiration, a number of males and females opted for becoming monks, sadhus, Aryikas and Chullikas. Mata Ji’s own sisters Manovati and Madhuri are presently leading saintly lives as Aryika Abhaymati and Aryika Chandannmati.
Mother Mohiniji of these three sisters, too opted for Aryaka and has breathed her last in the thirthennth year of hersaintly life, cheerfully with high pure sentimesnts for purity of her soul (meuuesKevee). The three sisters and thier brother Ravinder Kumar, all bachelors since birth are now on the glirious path to realise the highest reality on the plane of great ancient jain Dharma. Mataji was made such profound impact on jain samaj that jains have endowed her with titles of jewel of Aryikas , Chandra Chandrika and a number of other high howours.
Jamboodeep is the first circular island of the universe
Jamboodeep is the first circular island of the universe surrounded by the first ocean (LAVAN SAMUDRA). In the south of this Deep is Bharat Kshetra .
The present known world (Asia, America, Russia, Hind, Pacific oceans) etc, etc. is situated in a tiny southern corner of Bharat Kshetra. That is to say, we all live in Aryakhand of Bharat Kshetra of Jamboodeep. In the middle of jamboodeep, highest mountain of the world, SUMERU is twenty crore miles away from AYODHYA.
On the top of sumeru, Lord Tirthankaras, when born, are given a holy bath by gods and their king INDRA of heavens, Humans are destined to take bieth and live in the initial two and a half Islands only and no further, All over Jamboodeep seventy-eight (78) jain Chatyalyas and a number of suspicious hills, reservoirs, rivers etc. very beautifully give us a sense of pride and desire to abandon worldly pleasures and attain MOKSHA. These Chaityalayas are there since times immemorial and will never perish.
Each one of them has 108 sacred idols of Siddhas. However in the replica enacted in Hastinapur, only one idol has been placed and by 136 stairs, tourists and others can go to the top of sumeru and offer their homahe.
Jain Dhrama is Ancient
General Belief is that Mahavir was the Founder of Jain Dharma. The stark truth is that this religioun is very ancient. Amongst 24 Tirthankaras (Supremen Lords) of the present age Rishabhdev was the first and Mahavir was the last and all Tirthankanras. were born in royal places and Renounced all worldly pleasures onw auspicious day.
After penance they became ARTHANTS and then gave sermons, seated in a divine pedestal for the benefit of all living beings. In the year 1982, Mata Ji Gyanmati Ji had given the lead to the chariot going around the country to explain about the Universe and Jamboodeep.
And now two chariots depicting the story and cultural heritage of jainism and showing the samavsaran of Lord Rishabhdev are on the round of the country since 22/03/1998. All this is CHARISMA of Mata Gyanmati Ji, living jewel of this age.
