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The Jain Vishva Bharati Institute (Deemed University) is a tranquil haven of knowledge and spirituality in the semi-arid desert of central Rajasthan. At the headquarters of the Terapanth Jains in Ladnu, Rajasthan, the only building that vaguely resembles a temple serves as the administrative wing of the Jain ishva Bharati Institute (Deemed University). In many ways the Institute, established in 1972 by the late Acharya Tulsi, is a manifestation of the spirit and beliefs of a sect which does not believe in, yet does not condemn, building temples. The religious beliefs of the order are expressed through the graduate and post graduate programmes offered by the Institute: Jainology, Comparative Religion & Philosophy, Non-violence & Peace Studies, Science of Living, Social Work. All its courses, while rooted in the bedrock of ancient scriptures, strive to be relevant to modern realities. And where the Institute is uniquely different from educational institutes around the world is that the spiritual development of its students is as important as imparting knowledge and sharpening their intellect. The prospectus of the Institute sums up the essence of its approach: Without moral and spiritual education, no amount of material advancement can bring about peace in individual, family, community or international relations. War are the product of the mind and peace will also have to be found in the mind. Indeed, the words of Lord Mahavir: Nanassa Saram Ayaro (Right conduct is the essence of knowledge ) is the motto and guiding light of the Institute. It is around this temple of knowledge that the 60-acre campus, an oasis of green tranquility in the semi-arid desert of central Rajasthan, revolves. Facilities here include a library stocked with over 40,000 books and 5,000 rare manuscripts, an art gallery, a 60-room meditation and yoga centre, separate hostels for boys and girls, an English medium secondary school, computer centre, as well as a bank, printing press, canteen and an Ayurvedic centre. The university community, apart from the administrative staff, comprises a faculty of 22 and 60 students and only 10 percent of them are Jains. Regardless of their origins, all are required to follow a strict code of conduct: abstinence from smoking, drinking and violence, pure vegetarianism, participation in morning prayers meditation and yoga, love and respect for all living things oath on and off the campus. "We are not in the numbers game and are well aware that these requirements, combined with the fact that most of the degree courses are not exactly job oriented, may result in low enrollment. However, what we are attempting to achieve here is very relevant as it becomes increasingly important that we do not lose sight of man's spiritual destiny in today's world of modern technology and growing materialism," say S. Bengani, the Kulpati or Chancellor of the Institute. In addition to its graduate and postgraduate studies, the Institute also conducts a 3-month residential course in meditation and yoge. Students who undertake this raining course are accommodated in the 60-rooms meditation centre and are expected to follow a stringent daily routine which starts with them waking at 4 am and following a strict Jain vegetarian diet that included total fasting between sunset and sunrise. Alternatively, visitors and tourists may opt for the less stringent 15-day or 7-day course while residing in the three guesthouses (with attached kitchens that prepare simple yet wholesome Jain vegetarian meals), that overlook a garden built around the samadhi of Acharya Tulsi who died in 1998 at the age of 86. Acharya Tulsi was the spiritual head of the community for some 60 years and was instrumental in leading it into the modern era. He was the inspiration behind the establishment of the Jain Vishva Bharati Institute. In a radical break from convention, he established in the early 1980s, the Saman order of sadhvis who, unlike traditional Jain munis and sadhvis for whom the only any of getting from one place to another was on foot, were allowed to use modern means of transportation to spread the message of peace across the world. Today, one Samani heads the computer department of the Jain Vishva Bharati Institute. More importantly, Acharya Tulsi initiated the on going process of reinterpreting the scriptures to make them more relevant to a generation driven by modern technology. Indeed, within the campus is an audio-visual centre that records all the official discourses of the Acharya. At sunset, a peaceful calm settles over the Jain Vishva Bharati Institute complex. Jets of water from a musical fountain within the garden dance to the soothing rhythm of melodic bhajans. But for a local family that has come to relax in this peaceful setting and take group photographs in front of the fountain, the place is deserted. The Samanis are in their quarters meditating and the other munis and sadhvis are out on the road following the footsteps of the spiritual leader as he trudges across the land. Yes, modern technology may be creeping into the physical headquarters of Jainism at Ladnun, but tradition still rules supreme around the spiritual beacon that is Acharya Mahapragya and his following of munis and sadhvis as they walk across the land; never anchoring for too long in one spot but leaving behind a little divinity before moving on. --------------------------------------------------
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