============================================================================ #6 JAIN BBS and E-MAIL BULLETIN --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Computer-Based Jain Education and Information Service Federation of JAINA and Jain Study Center of North Carolina (Raleigh) 401 Farmstead Dr. Cary, NC 27511-5631 General Editor : Pravin Shah 919-469-0956 Jain E-mail Bulletins and Jain Database on Internet : Mahesh Varia at varia@sunsite.unc.edu Jainism questions, email to : Pravin Shah at enhb34a@prodigy.com Jain BBS direct modem connection : 919-469-0207 (free membership/access) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- GANDHI VR JAIN BBS Email BULLETIN Date: Tue, 14 Jun 1994 > V. R. GANDHI ==================== A Brief Summary of Life and Mission of Shri Virchand Raghavji Gandhi (August 25, 1864 to August 7, 1901) A pioneer in the introduction of JAINISM to the West Compiled by Pravin K. Shah ======================================================================== > It was the memorable day of September 11, 1893. The Columbus Hall of Art > Institute of Chicago was overflowing with more than 3000 delegates of > different nations and religions. It was the opening day of the Parliament > of World Religions Conference, the first such conference ever organized in > the history of mankind. The aim of the conference was to impart to the > world, the knowledge of different religions, and to promote a feeling of > fraternity between followers of diverse religious persuasion, and also to > pave the way for world peace. The conference lasted for 17 days. > > Two young men among them with their Indian costume and turban drew special > attention of the public - one was the world famous Swami Vivekananda, who > represented Hinduism and Shri Virchand Raghavji Gandhi who represented > Jainism. They made such an impact at the Parliament of Religions with > their impressive speeches and personality that both of them were requested > to prolong their stay in the USA and continued to give speeches at > different cities after the conference was over. > > Shri Virchand Gandhi, a young man of twenty-nine, impressed the delegates > not only by his eloquence, but also by the sheer weight of his scholarship. > The impartiality of outlook and the oratorical skill of this man fascinated > the delegates at the conference. An American newspaper wrote, "of all > Eastern scholars, it was this youth whose lecture on Jain faith and conduct > was listened to with the interest engaging the greatest attention." > > Shri Virchand R. Gandhi was born on the August 25, 1864 in Mahuva, near > Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. After primary and secondary education at > Bhavnagar, he joined Elphinstone College in Bombay. He graduated and took > a B.A. degree with honors from the university of Bombay in 1884. He was > probably the first graduate amongst the Jainas at that time. He was also a > student of Buddhism and Vedanta Philosophy and also had knowledge of Yoga > and Occultism. He had acquired knowledge of Christianity and Western > philosophy. He also had made a comparative study of various philosophies > which equipped him for talks on various subjects with confidence. He had > the command of fourteen languages including Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, > English, Prakrit, Sanskrit, and French. > > Shri Gandhi became the first honorary secretary of the Jain Association of > India in 1885 at the age of 21. As a secretary he worked very hard for the > abolition of poll-tax levied on pilgrims to Mt. Satrunjay, the most sacred > place of Jain religion at Palitana, Gujarat, India. In those days to > protest against the ruler was to invite severe punishment and even death. > He prepared a case to compromise. He met Lord Ray, the governor of Bombay, > and Colonel Watson, the political agent and made a strong representation > eventually abolishing the poll-tax in place of a fixed payment of Rs 15,000 > per year to the ruler for looking after the safety of the pilgrims and the > holy place. > > > > In 1891 Mr. Boddam, an English man set up a factory for slaughtering pigs > and making tallow out of them at Mt. Sametshikhar, another holy place of > Jain pilgrimage near Calcutta, in Bihar, India. Shri Virchand Gandhi went > all the way to Calcutta to stop the killing of pigs at the holy place. He > stayed their for six months, learned Bengali, prepared his case against the > factory, and ultimately got this verdict issued: "Sametshikhar is a place > of Jain pilgrimage and nobody else has any right to interfere there." He > got the factory to close. > > Shri Virchand Gandhi was a great social reformist at a very young age. He > had fought against social evils and had succeeded in eradicating some. > When his father died in 1890, he did not allow the primitive practices of > wailing and breast-beating during mourning. > > Shri Virchand Gandhi sailed to the USA along with Swami Vivekanand to > attend the Parliament of World Religion Conference in 1883. He stayed in > the USA for about two years after the conference and lectured in cities > such as Chicago, Boston, New York, and Washington. He also visited > England, France, Germany and other places in Europe. In foreign countries > he wore a long and loose kurta, a white shawl on his shoulder, a golden > bordered Kathiwadi turban on his head, and country shoes. This external > appearance bore the imprint of India. He delivered more than 535 lectures > on Jainism, Yoga, Indian systems of philosophy, Indian culture, occultism, > and spiritualism. He qualified as a Barrister in London at one of the Inns > of the Court but did not use this qualification for monetary gain. > > Virchand Gandhi talked about the doctrines of Jainism in such a coherent > manner that some newspapers published the text of his lecture in full. He > had a most effective way of handling the otherwise difficult terminology of > Jainism. He had an extraordinary ability to clarify his statements in a > consistent and logical manner. At the conference, he made a brief but > striking presentation on the fundamentals of the Jain religion. He > expounded the Jain religion in its main aspects namely: Jain philosophy, > Jain way of life, and Jain code of conduct. > > Another special characteristic of Shri Virchand Gandhi's lectures on the > Jain religion was that they did not deal in criticism of other religions. > Free from sectarian preferences and prejudices, his impartial ideology is > an apt expression of the Jain who practices non-violence (Ahimsa) in life > and multiplicity views (Anekanta) in thoughts. His discourses convinced > the elite of America of the fact that the Jain religion has an authentic > and rational religious tradition. His speeches received extensive > publications in several leading newspapers. > > An American gentlemen gave his opinion about Virchand Gandhi in these > words: "In this religious gathering a number of philosophers, preachers, > and scholars came from India and delivered lectures and each one of them > presented a new element so as to convince that their religion ranks high > with great religions of the world. Moreover their oratory and devotion > presented distinct types and were full of wisdom and contemplation. Among > them was an outstanding young man of Jain religion who gave new ideas about > morality and philosophy. Though he is only a house-holder and not a monk > or religious preacher, he can expound so well. Who must then be his Guru? > His simple but striking philosophy of life is worth knowing, worth > understanding." > > > His lectures demonstrated the fact that the study of Sanskrit and Prakrit > languages alone is not enough for a proper understanding and exposition of > Indian philosophy. It is absolutely necessary to assimilate and to > understand India's past culture in its proper context. > > Shri Virchand Gandhi was a great exponent of Indian culture and religion, > besides being a brilliant scholar of Jainism. His speeches at the > parliament echoed the true spirit and culture of India. There prevailed in > America the belief that India was a country of tigers, serpents, magicians, > and kings. Christian missionaries also presented a distorted picture of > the people of India. Virchand Gandhi made a great effort as Swami > Vivekananda did to give to the people abroad the true perspective on India. > Explaining the importance of Indian culture to foreigners, he said, "It is > an astonishing fact that foreigners have been constantly attacking India > and in the face of all those aggressions the soul of India has stood vital > and watchful. Her conduct and religion are safe and the whole world looks > at India with a steady gaze." He also added that "cultural distinctions, > agriculture, art, artistic skill, literature, good conduct, means of > knowledge, science, hospitality, feminism, love, and respect - all these > are found in India in quite a different form. If that culture was > purchasable, England could have purchased it, adopted it. But it has not > happened, it cannot happen." > > Shri Virchand Gandhi was not a dogmatic person. He spoke as a Jain but he > forcefully defended Hinduism from the attack of Westerners at the > Parliament. Above all, he was first Indian then Jain. He was accorded a > warm reception and shown highest appreciation from clubs, literary and > church societies, philosophical branches, and spiritual associations in the > USA and other countries. His lectures also served to educate the Western > society regarding the salient features of Indian culture. > > Five decades before the independence of India, Virchand Gandhi had a > prophetic vision. He said in one of his lectures, "You know my brothers > and sisters, that we are not an independent nation, we are subjects of Her > Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria the 'defender of the faith', but if we are > a nation in all that name implies with our own government and our own > rulers, with our laws and institutions controlled by us free and > independent, I affirm that we should seek to establish and for ever > maintain peaceful relations with all the nations of the world." > > Virchand Gandhi was not only a philosophical thinker but he also had the > welfare of the nation at heart. He collected a ship load of grain and > about Rs. 40,000 cash for famine relief in India in 1896 while he was in > the USA. > > In America Virchand Gandhi founded various societies, such as, The Gandhi > Philosophical Society, The School of Oriental Philosophy, and The Society > for the Education of Women of India. The secretary of the later > institution was Mrs. Howard who had adopted pure vegetarianism, practiced > Samayik daily, and other codes of conduct of Jainism. In England he > founded the Jain Literature Society and taught Jainism there. Mr. Herbert > Warren, a religious enthusiast, abandoned non-vegetarianism and adopted the > Jain religion. He summarized Virchand Gandhi's lectures and published a > book known as 'Herbert Warren's Jainism.' > > > > The following literature was published by Shri Virchand R. Gandhi or > complied from his speeches and writings by various authors: > > Title Year Language Pages > > Essay - Radva Kutvani Hanikarak Chal 1886 Gujarati 37 > The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ 1894 English 128 > Savirya Dhyan 1902/ 1989 Gujarati 158 > Jaina Philosophy 1907 English 375 > Karma Philosophy 1913 English 221 > Yoga Philosophy 1912/ 1993 English 309 > Herbert Warren's Jainism 1961/ 1983 English 164 > Selected speeches of V. R. Gandhi 1963 English 85 > The Systems of Indian Philosophy 1970/ 1993 English 188 > Religion and Philosophy of Jainas 1993 English 264 > > Shri Virchand Gandhi received a Silver medal as a 'Token of Esteem and > Unity - The Occident to the Orient' by the spiritualist of Cassadaga Camp, > USA on August 25, 1894. He also received a Gold medal as a 'Starter of > Jainism' by Kutchhi Dasha Oswal Jain Community, Bombay, on August 19, 1896. > > While he was in England, his health suddenly took a turn for the worse. He > returned to India, but a few weeks later Shri Virchand Gandhi passed away > at the very young age of 37 in Bombay on August 7, 1901. He rendered an > excellent service to India and Jainism by interpreting Indian culture and > religion in its true spirit to the western world. He was a brilliant > promising young man, full of hopes and aspirations of service to his > religion and community. His name will continue to be remembered as a great > champion of Jain religion and of Indian culture. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Complied by Pravin K. Shah > Jain Study Center of NC (Raleigh) > 401 Farmstaed Drive Cary, NC 27511-5631 > Phone and Fax 919-469-0956 > Jain BBS 919-469-0207 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Shri Virchand R. Gandhi's Published Literature > > Title Pages Year Language > > 1. Jaina Philosophy - (16+359) 1907 English > 2. Karma Philosophy - (30+191) 1913 English > 3. Yoga Philosophy - (29+280) 1912 English > Speeches and Writings of Virchand R. Gandhi > Collected by Bhagu F. Karbhari > Publisher - Shri Agamodaya Samiti Bombay > > 4. The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ 128 1894 English > Publisher - Shri Virchand R. Gandhi from an ancient > manuscript. This book was published while he was > in Chicago. > > 5. Essay - Radva Kutvani Hanikarak Chal (37) 1886 Gujarati > Author and Publisher - Shri Virchand R. Gandhi > > 6. The Systems of Indian Philosophy (44+148) 1970 English > Speeches and Writings of Shri Virchand R. Gandhi > Editor - Dr. K. K. Dixit > Publisher - Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Bombay > > 7. Savirya-Dhyan first published 1902 Gujarati > second edition (24+134) 1989 Gujarati > Author - Acharya Shri Shubhachandradev > Translator - Shri Virchand R. Gandhi > Commentary - Anandnandan Lalan > Complied - Shri Pannalal R. Shah > Publisher - The Jain Association of India Bombay > > 8. Selected speeches of V. R. Gandhi 1964 English > Selected speeches taken from books 1, 2, and 3. > Publisher - Vallabh Smarak Nidhi, Bombay > > Awards received by Virchand R. Gandhi > ===================================== > > 1. Silver Medal > A token of Esteem and Unity "The Occident to the Orient" > from the spiritualist of Cassadaga Camp. (USA) > > Awarded to - Virchand R. Gandhi. > August 25, 1894 > > 2. Gold Medal > Awarded by - Kutchhi Dasha Oswal Jain Community, Bombay > > Awarded to - Virchand Raghavji Gandhi, B.A. MRAS > Starter of Jainism > August 19, 1896. > > >