Pujya Tai Ma – Our Inspiration
-By Bina Shah
I am humbled that Pujya Sadhvi Shri Shilapiji Maharaj gave me this opportunity to say something about Pujya Tai Ma. I will not do justice to such a magnanimous person and therefore from the outset I seek your forgiveness Micchaami Dukkadam. I am also sorry that I do not speak Hindi so most of what I will say will be in English.
The word ‘Bliss’ resonates with Veerayatan - The place of Mahavira. The place, especially Rajgraha itself is so blissful but bliss cannot be with an organization - it is in the people of that organization and who other better example can we get than Acharya Shri Ji – Pujya Tai Ma. Have you ever seen a frown on Pujya Tai Ma?
She is ever smiling, ever in a state of complete harmony, be it in Netra Jyoti Seva Mandiram amongst the patients helping them, guiding them, talking to them to improve their lives, be it in Kala Mandiram doing her spellbinding craft work so patiently, be it in designing the beautiful covers for Amar Bharti, be it giving thought provoking pravachans (discourses). Her pravachans are par excellence because she would always give a new insight, one which we would never have thought of. Only a person who is in bliss, in peace, in complete harmony, can do this. Only a person filled with bliss can exhibit such a high level of compassion that she has shown throughout her life.
We just admire the phenomenal work she has accomplished in her life of 85 years.
First and foremost to take diksha at such a young age was a calling to work towards glorifying Jain Dharma. This, of course, reflects on her past sadhana that Pujya Tai Ma must have done to purify her soul to such an extent.
Pujya Acharyashriji’s constant questioning of the traditional methods showed her awakened state, her finely honed vision. And the questioning did not come out in a rebellious form but as a means of resolving and making Dharma more vibrant and dynamic. This shows that she had imbibed Anekantvada to the core. We admire Acharyaji’s faith in herself, her determination to bring Mahavira Bhagwan alive in the 21st century.
Which Jain Sadhvi would have taken the trouble to go to Bihar, with so many odds in the way, to establish a Tirth where Mahavira Bhagavan had walked? Only a person coloured to the core with faith, only a person with transcendental wisdom, that is bliss, only a person with determination, with courage, with love, with perseverance, with a passion could do all that. Nothing, and I mean nothing, deters her from what she has decided on. And again I say it, it is a calling. It is a higher energy working through her to achieve the maximum good because she is so pure.
And she has just not kept herself to India. The message of Bhagavan Mahavir has been brought to us – to America, to the UK, to Kenya, to Dubai, to Singapore, to Malaysia, to Australia and many other places around the globe. She has been an inspiration to millions around the globe. And that is how I am able to talk to you about Pujya Tai Ma. We are infinitely indebted to Pujya Tai Ma for exposing us to the message of Bhagavan Mahavir without the trappings of ritual and tradition. She has expounded Jain Dharma in the most modern way with the most practical approach.
At this juncture, I will say she has been an inspiration for the Sadhvi sangh of Veerayatan and the Sadhvijis are totally devoted to the cause and are very active in fulfilling the vision of Pujya Tai Ma.
Because Pujya Tai Ma is so centred within her soul, because she works from an area of bliss, an area of peace, she is so much at home with everyone. When she visited Kenya recently, we had gone to a school with cerebral palsy children and normal children. She was so much at home with these children. Here, whenever there is a visitor, the children would always dance to welcome the visitor. The children started a dance and would you believe it! Acharyashriji just got up and started mingling with the dancers joining in the jig. We were all so amazed that she has no inhibitions whatsoever – a truly remarkable state to be in.
Her beauty is that she expects nothing from anyone. She just keeps on marching ahead, achieving milestones and milestones of selfless work. Despite expecting nothing from others she herself is perfectly meticulous in whatever she undertakes.
Her compassionate nature is what reminds us of who Bhagavan Mahavir must be like. Wherever people are suffering she is there to help them. Seeing that there were so many eye problems in Bihar, she set up an eye hospital. Feeling the oneness of misery with the earthquake affected children and adults, she set up schools and vocational centres for them in Kutch and Nepal. Seeing the sorry plight of children begging when they should be in school to improve their lives and contribute towards a positive growth in society, she initiated the project of wherever there is a Jinalaya there will be a Vidyalaya. In Palitana, she could feel the plight of the renounced Sadvijis not being able to access the scriptures and she started a study program for them.
The recent Covid pandemic has not been easy at all and it has brought suffering to a new level – where people have lost jobs and livelihood. Acharyashriji, feeling this pain, initiated relief measures which have gone a long way in helping people at least till the pandemic wears out.
Her vision to start Shri Chandana Vidyapeeth Jain Schools (SCVP) has given us teachers and students a remarkable opportunity to get to know our beautiful Dharma. I cannot imagine where we would be without SCVP. SCVP is really a home for us.
All that Pujya Tai Ma has done and I have just mentioned a drop of the ocean is truly an outstanding contribution to humanity. She is a great leader, a true Acharya. She is the living embodiment of the motto of Veerayatan – Seva, Shiksha, Sadhana. Her seva is for humanity at large not looking at caste, creed, religion or race. What Mahavir Bhagavan stood for – humanity. Her shiksha is what we are constantly absorbing by being in her vicinity. And does she really need sadhana? I think she has already achieved the ultimate.
Pujya Acharyashriji – Pujya Tai Ma
My koti koti vandan to You. You are a great soul who has made an exceptional contribution to humanity and I wish that I could only be an iota of who You are. I would consider myself truly blessed. Thank you and we pray to the Tirthankaras that they shower infinite blessings on you forever to continue doing the great work that you do and that you achieve whatever you wish for in life.
