Buddhisagarsuri

Buddhisagarsuri
Buddhisagar Suri
Personal
Born	Bechardas Patel 1874 (1874) Vijapur
Died	1925 (aged 50–51) Vijapur
Religion	Jainism
Sect	Svetambara
Signature

Buddhisagarsuri (1874 – 1925) was a Jain ascetic, philosopher and author from British India. Born in a Hindu family, he was influenced by a Jain monk and later was initiated in asceticism, and later elevated to the title of Acharya. He wrote more than a hundred books.

Biography

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Buddhisagarsuri was born Bechardas Patel in a Hindu family of Shivabhai and Ambaben in 1874 at Vijapur in north Gujarat. He studied till sixth standard. He met Muni Ravisagar, a Jain monk, and became his disciple. He studied at the Yashovijayji Jain Sanskrit Pathshala, a school for religious studies, in Mehsana. He took a job of religious teacher in Ajol. Following the death of Ravisagar in 1898, his spiritual quest intensified. Ravisagar's disciple, Sukhsagar initiated him as a Jain monk in 1901. He was given a new name, Muni Buddhisagar. He was conferred with an informal title of Yoga-nishtha, literally "firm in Yoga". He was elevated to the title of Acharya in 1914 in Mansa.^[1][2][3] He established the Mahudi Jain temple in 1917.^[4] He was invited by the royals of Baroda, Idar and Pethapur to preach there. He died at Vijapur in 1925.^[1][2][3] The Jain temple and a memorial shrine were built where Buddhisagarsuri was later cremated in Vijapur.

Works

He wrote more than a hundred books.^[3][1] He has written about 2,000 poems. He has written a large number of poems about Sabarmati river.^[3] His first book was Jain Dharma Khristi Dharmano Mukablo, a comparison between Jainism and Christianity. He criticised Christianity and its missionary activities in Gujarat.^[1]

He was involved in several debates regarding icon worship during those time. He defended it and authored a booklet Jain Sutroma Murtipuja (Icon Worship in Jain Scriptures). He termed icons as a form of love and devotion.^[1]

Selected works

• Samadhi Shatak, a hundred stanzas on meditation
• Yog Deepak, the guide on yoga
• Dhyan Vichar, a book on meditation
• Adhyatma Shanti, a work on spiritual peace
• Karmayog, a theory of karma
• Adhyatma Geeta
• Atma Shakti Prakash
• Atma Darshan
• Shuddhopayog
• Samya Shatak
• Shishyopanishad
• Atmana Shasan
• Anandghan Pad Bhavarth Sangrah, a collection of hymns of Anandghan, a Jain mystic poet, and its meaning
• Shrimad Devchandraji, a biography of Devchandra
• Kumarapala Charitra, a biography of Chaulukya, ruler of Kumarapala
• Yashovijay Charitra, a biography of Yashovijay
• Adhyatma Bhajan Sangrah 1–14, a collection of songs

References

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