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  • list all jain reformers after the 18th century
  • author Posted by
    Jain Follower

    list all jain reformers after the 18th century

    an hour ago 3

    Answer

    It is difficult to give a truly complete list of “all” Jain reformers after the 18th century, because Jain reform movements developed differently in Śvetāmbara, Digambara, Sthānakavāsī, Terāpanth, and other Jain traditions.

    However, the following are some of the well-known Jain reformers, revivalists, and influential modern Jain leaders after the 18th century:

    • Ācārya Bhikṣu — founder of the Śvetāmbara Terāpanth tradition; emphasized strict discipline, non-possession, and a centralized monastic order.
    • Ācārya Tulsi — major Terāpanth reformer; founder of the Anuvrat Movement, which promoted small vows for moral living among all people.
    • Ācārya Mahāprajña — Jain spiritual leader associated with Prekṣā Dhyāna, Anuvrat, and the practical application of Jain ethics in modern life.
    • Śrīmad Rājchandra — highly respected Jain thinker, poet, and spiritual guide; emphasized inner realization, self-purification, and direct spiritual experience.
    • Vīrchand Rāghavjī Gandhi — represented Jain Dharma at the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago; helped present Jain principles internationally.
    • Ācārya Vijay Vallabhsūri — influential Śvetāmbara Mūrtipūjak monk; promoted education, social upliftment, and Jain values.
    • Ācārya Vijayānandsūri / Ātmārāmjī Mahārāj — important Śvetāmbara Jain reformer; worked for scriptural study, monastic discipline, and revival of Jain learning.
    • Ācārya Śāntisāgar — major Digambara monk who helped revive the Digambara muni tradition in modern times.
    • Ācārya Vidyāsāgar — highly revered Digambara ācārya; emphasized austerity, education, Hindi and Indian-language learning, cow protection, and ethical living.
    • Ācārya Deshbhushan — influential Digambara Jain monk and scholar associated with religious revival and education.
    • Ācārya Hastīmaljī Mahārāj — respected Sthānakavāsī Jain monk known for scriptural learning and spiritual teaching.
    • Ācārya Jawaharlalji Mahārāj — important Sthānakavāsī Jain leader associated with discipline, learning, and community guidance.
    • Kanjiswāmī — influential Digambara-oriented lay teacher; emphasized the teachings of Kundakunda and the path of inner self-realization.
    • Paṇḍit Todarmal — influential Jain scholar of the 18th century whose works strongly shaped later Digambara understanding; often considered a major intellectual reformer, though he belongs mainly to the 18th century itself.
    • Jugalkishore Mukhtar — Jain scholar and reform-minded writer associated with modern Jain intellectual and literary activity.
    • Champat Rai Jain — Jain scholar and author who wrote extensively in English and helped explain Jain philosophy to modern readers.

    Explanation

    After the 18th century, Jain reform did not usually mean rejecting Jain Dharma. Rather, Jain reformers generally worked to:

    • revive scriptural study,
    • strengthen monastic discipline,
    • promote ahiṃsā and ethical living,
    • encourage education,
    • remove laxity in religious practice,
    • spread Jain teachings to wider society,
    • adapt Jain values to modern social life without changing core principles.

    Different traditions remember different figures as especially important. For example:

    • Terāpanth gives great importance to Ācārya Bhikṣu, Ācārya Tulsi, and Ācārya Mahāprajña.
    • Digambara tradition gives great importance to Ācārya Śāntisāgar, Ācārya Vidyāsāgar, Kanjiswāmī, and scholars like Paṇḍit Todarmal.
    • Śvetāmbara Mūrtipūjak tradition honors figures such as Ācārya Vijayānandsūri and Ācārya Vijay Vallabhsūri.
    • Sthānakavāsī tradition remembers several ācāryas who emphasized discipline, non-idolatrous worship, scriptural learning, and ethical practice.

    Spiritual Understanding

    In Jain Dharma, true reform is not about changing the eternal principles of the Jinas. It is about returning to them more sincerely.

    The central ideals remain:

    • Ahiṃsā — non-violence
    • Satya — truthfulness
    • Asteya — non-stealing
    • Brahmacharya — celibacy or restraint
    • Aparigraha — non-possessiveness
    • Samyag Darśana, Samyag Jñāna, Samyag Cāritra — right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct

    Takeaway

    A fully exhaustive list is difficult, but major Jain reformers after the 18th century include Ācārya Bhikṣu, Śrīmad Rājchandra, Ācārya Vijayānandsūri, Vīrchand Gandhi, Ācārya Śāntisāgar, Ācārya Tulsi, Ācārya Mahāprajña, Kanjiswāmī, Ācārya Vijay Vallabhsūri, and Ācārya Vidyāsāgar.

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