Acharya Mahapragya: A Journey to Wisdom

The Making of a Monk

Acharya Mahapragya (1920-2010) – the tenth acharya of the Jain Swetambar Terapanth – was a divine presence. One of the most revered Jain thinkers, he was often hailed as a ‘modern Vivekananda’. He delved deep into the inner world and devised Preksha Meditation, a scientifically tested system to know the self. He was also a scholar of Indian and Western philosophy and religion, a prolific writer and the brain behind the Jain Vishva Bharati University.

Born in a village in Rajasthan, he became a monk at the age of ten and received his education under Acharya Tulsi, who launched the Anuvrat Movement in 1949 to rid the world of hatred. Acharya Mahapragya himself undertook the Ahimsa Yatra in 2001, traversing more than 10,000 km on foot. This remarkable feat at the age of eighty-one won him the Communal Harmony Award in 2004.

Acharya Mahapragya: A Journey to Wisdom traces his growth from little Nathmal, who would fly into a rage and refuse to eat, to his asceticism, which earned him the name of Mahapragya – the very embodiment of wisdom and inner peace. It offers insights into his thoughts on science and spirituality, and the philosophy of anekanta. A much-needed examination of a towering figure whose relevance is not confined to the faith he belonged to.