Sadhutva Ke Adarsh Pratiman Acharya Hastimalji - Book Summary

Here is a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, focusing on the essence of the teachings about Acharya Hastimalji and Jain asceticism:

Book Title: Sadhutva ke Adarsh Pratiman Acharya Hastimalji (Acharya Hastimalji: The Ideal Archetype of Asceticism) Author: Dr. Mahavirmal Lodha Publisher: Z_Jinvani_Acharya_Hastimalji_Vyaktitva_evam_Krutitva_Visheshank_003843.pdf Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/229929/1

This document presents a tribute to Acharya Hastimalji, portraying him as the ideal archetype of asceticism (Sadhutva) in the current era. The author, Dr. Mahavirmal Lodha, expresses his profound respect for Acharya Hastimalji, considering him a prime inspiration for samayik (equanimity) and swadhyay (self-study).

The text begins by referencing Lord Mahavir's definition of a sadhu (ascetic). Lord Mahavir described a sadhu as being:

Courageous like a lion
Proud like an elephant
Gentle like a bull
Simple like a deer
Detached like the wind
Radiant like the sun
Profound like the ocean
Steadfast like Mount Meru
Cool like the moon
Self-reliant like the sky

The author asserts that Acharya Hastimalji fully embodied these qualities, reaching the pinnacle of asceticism and setting an ideal for future generations. Acharya Hastimalji was characterized by a "triveni" (confluence of three streams) of karma (action), jnana (knowledge), and bhakti (devotion).

A central theme is that true asceticism is not merely external:

Simply shaving one's head does not make someone a shraman (ascetic).
Chanting "Om" does not make someone a brahmin (a spiritual practitioner).
Wearing coarse saffron robes does not make someone a tapasvi (one who performs austerities).

Instead, true asceticism is defined by equanimity (samata), true austerity is achieved through penance (tapa), and one becomes a true sadhu through virtues (guno).

Acharya Hastimalji's life demonstrated that a true sadhu maintains equanimity in all situations:

In profit and loss
In happiness and sorrow
In life and death
In condemnation and praise
In honor and dishonor

He was also described as someone free from attachment to the body and other possessions, completely liberated from passions like pride, and deeply engrossed in the soul.

The text further extols Acharya Hastimalji as a luminous sun of the Jain world, a great wish-fulfilling tree of ascetic culture, a greatly wise and perceptive personality, a man of history, a rare and epoch-making personality, a ** Siddha Purush (accomplished soul)**, an ocean of non-violence, compassion, and mercy, a peak of knowledge, a summit of spiritual practice, and a visionary and creator of epochs.

The latter part of the text presents a collection of aphorisms attributed to Acharya Hastimalji, offering profound insights into Jain principles:

Non-violence (Ahimsa) is action done for the welfare of all.
To promote non-violence in the country, self-control (sanyam) is essential.
A soul in self-control is a friend; a soul in lack of self-control is an enemy.
Laziness is an obstacle to spiritual attainment and is humanity's greatest enemy.
True happiness lies not in attachment to material objects, but in their renunciation.
When desires are reduced, one is freed from the slavery of wealth.
One is called a tapasvi if there is equanimity in their mind.
Charity is not true charity until the feeling of possessiveness is relinquished.
Family lineage is not relevant in the practice of Dharma; the mind is.
A family can be happy if it has Dharma, even without wealth.
Auspicious inclinations of mind, speech, and body constitute punya (merit).
Actions performed without inner feeling do not yield results; feeling is the lifeblood of action.
The prudence of the lay community (shravak-samaj) is crucial for maintaining the purity of the vows of ascetics (sadhu-sadhvi).
Improving one's death is improving one's life, and improving one's life is improving one's death.

In essence, the text is a heartfelt tribute to Acharya Hastimalji, highlighting his exemplary life as the embodiment of Jain ascetic ideals and encapsulating his wisdom through impactful quotes on self-discipline, detachment, equanimity, and the true nature of spiritual practice.