A Jain nun and luminary, Vaibhav Shri Ji, is freeing the conservative Jain faith of many of its outdated customs and traditions and encouraging the laity to use their discriminating intelligence, says Bhaavin Shah.
I have had a love-hate relationship with Jainism, the religion I was born into. The interpretation of this ancient faith by its torch-bearers, mutely followed by the laity, has reduced its profundity to a prescription of rules, rituals and practices that I could not identify with.
However, when I met the Jain saint Aagamveta Sadhvi Vaibhav Shri Ji Maharaj Saheb or Vaibhav Shri Ji (as she is known), I recognised that the sincere practitioner could always find her way to the heart of the faith, no matter how swaddled it is in empty form. I could see how she and her group of fellow-nuns lived wisely, rebelled righteously, and eloquently upheld the gems of this lofty tradition without getting lost in its rules and regulations. Sitting at her feet and listening to her exposition of Jain ideals was like a whiff of fresh air that reintroduced me to my own religion.
An original thinker and an erudite saint, well-versed in all the Eastern and Western philosophies, she is widely known for reinterpreting ancient scriptures in contemporary style. Having authored 15 spiritual books, she has also delivered hundreds of discourses and workshops that particularly appeal to the youth and the forward-thinking. Inspired by her deeksha (initiation) at the young age of 20, her mother and three of her sisters followed suit. Led by Vaibhav Shri Ji, together they run a movement raising people’s consciousness aptly using modern-day digital platforms like Youtube, Whatsapp and Facebook to take their work forward. They are also currently putting together a spiritual centre at Pali, Rajasthan. One can know more about their mission on www.charammangal.com.
Excerpts from the interview:
What's the essence of Jainism?
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