Mahāprajña

Acharya Mahapragya (14 June 1920 – 9 May 2010), also known as Mahapragyaji and Mahāprajña, was the tenth Acharya, supreme head of the Svetambar Terapanth sect of Jainism.

Quotes

Truth is beyond space and time. One who does not yearn for truth, will be trapped within space and time and become dogged. That man alone can remain free from mulish tendencies, who has the capacity to think across time: in the past, present and the future.

Thought at Sunrise (2007)

Thoughts at Sunrise (2007) is a collection of the thoughts of Acharya Mahapragya, published by Jain Vishva Bharti, Ladnun.

• Truth is beyond space and time. One who does not yearn for truth, will be trapped within space and time and become dogged. That man alone can remain free from mulish tendencies, who has the capacity to think across time: in the past, present and the future. One who draws from the innumerable events of the past, will never be obstinate.

• We should not be obsessed with the present alone, we must heed the past too. Is it fair, for instance, to see only the 25 ft. tall tree and forget the seed that brought it forth? Will the tree accept it if we forget the seed of it all? Is it possible to visualise a future without the seed? We must learn to appraise ourselves of the past if we want a meaningful present. You could call this an act of gratitude or an evaluation of reality.

• Conversations cease when we learn to discover the joys of internalization.

• To search for truth should be the main goal in one's life. This is a very difficult task. Let us begin by asking what is truth? What is untruth? To make this decision itself is difficult. Once the decision has been made, it is even more difficult to understand the limitations possible even in truth: elements of doubt and illusion. The Ultimate Truth is still far away, even if we are anywhere near relative truth, it should be deemed a great achievement. Those who live by truth sometimes become so dogged in their pursuit that even their truth seems a lie. Without control over passions and practicing neutrality, purity and straightforwardness, do we have a right to seek the truth?

• Thinking is good, but excessive thinking is not. Between thoughts if there is a period of thoughtlessness, thoughts will be fresh and pathbreaking. A thinker will be able to cultivate a strain of healthy thoughts only when he pays attention to thoughtlessness also.

• The balance between karma and akarma gives holistic vision..Lots of discussions regarding Karmayoga.No work can be completed without karma.That is the truth.Everybody accepts this truth.Our world is one of incompleteness.Where there is incompleteness, there is relativity.Both karma and akarma are relative.No work is completed without akarma.

• Desire itself is an inspiration.Every man desires to do something in life.Where there is no desire no way would open out.Yet too much of desire creates problems.If we understand where to draw the limits to our ambition then we would experience a constant need to keep our inspiration alive and the desire to make something of one's life would never be ignored.