There is no gainsaying the fact that an old and decrepit structure needs to be repaired; otherwise it poses a grave threat. The same applies to men. Therefore, it makes a pleasant sense to conceive of a new type of a man. The new man will automatically result in a new world. But it is futile to think that the new man will emerge from reform and transformation. He will have to be created anew. This thought has made people curious to know as to what new man would be like.
Acharya Vijay Vallabh Surishwarji presented a model of the new man in his own life. Vallabh Smarak is a worthy attempt, as it opens up new directions in accordance with the model of new man, the new world presented by Acharya Vijay Vallabh Surishwarji. Vallabh Smarak works tirelessly and determinedly towards eradicating social evils, reforming social customs, building national character and educating the masses on the principles of non-violence, universal peace and brotherhood propounded by Bhagwan Mahavir.
The question concerning when the process of transformation should begin is both serious and important. A student can lead a successful life if he comes by the formula of transformation of cultivating right traits and rooting out wrong traits. The experiment of Vallabh Smarak began as a result of above notion. Assertions like vidya dadhatee vinayam (education imparts humanity) and saa vidya yaa vimuktaye (education is that which liberates) are fast turning into relics of history. It is the target of Vallabh Smarak to understand the present-day relevance.
Vallabh Smarak is an endeavour in the direction of putting into practice and to promote and propagate the high ideals of Anekanta (non-absolutist outlook), Ahimsa (non-violence), tolerance and peaceful co-existence for the whole of mankind.
Vallabh Smarak is spread over twenty acres of prime land at 20th km point on National Highway No. 1, G.T. Karnal Road, Delhi. A number of cultural, educational, research and service projects has been successfully working.
In the rear portion of the complex, two schools for elementary, primary and senior secondary education have been set up since 1993. The institution is inculcating qualities of vinay, vivek and vishwas amongst the upcoming generation. Affiliated to CBSE both the schools are considered to be the best in the area having more than 1400 students on their rolls. The school covers largely rural students in the vicinity.
The complex has a unique centre engaged in research on various ideological subjects. National and international seminars and workshops are also held from time to time. Besides, publication of rare literature, books and research work are published since its inception in 1984. The institution has the honour of conducting a number of prestigious projects and assignments including digitalisation of rare manuscripts and books for safe storage for the posterity.
All-India level classes for teaching Prakrit language and Jain Darshan is an important annual feature of B.L. institute. In fact this is the only organization in India which has been conducting this programme uninterrupted since 1986.
Its grantha bhandar and library is a repository of knowledge with a huge collection of handwritten old manuscripts and 26,000 published volume on Jain, Buddha and Vedic streams and other Indological literature in multi-disciplines and various languages (English, Hindi, Gujarati, Prakrit and Sanskrit). The library also has a rare honour of being home to the invaluable gyan bhandar, legacy of our revered Acharya Shrimad Vijayanand Surishwarji.
The Vallabh Smarak has a museum of Jain art and culture which has a rich collection of artifact, e.g. murties, murals, parikars, illustrated granths, scrolls, Vigyaptipatras, photos of caves, temples and other remnant of past heritage and culture. The museum has attracted many a renowned visitors. Gachadipati Shri Vijay Nityanand Surishwer Ji has been responsible for locating many a rare artifacts and getting them shifted to this museum, some of which dating back to the 8th and 11th centuries are prize possessions.
According to Raj Kumar Jain, secretary-general, Vallabh Smarak, apart from the above-mentioned activities the institution comprises of Bhagwan Shree Vasupujya Temple and Mata Padmavati Temple.
Gani Rajendra Vijay is the backbone of Vallabh Smarak. To preserve the sanctity of the old religion and culture, Gani Rajendra Vijay organised various lectures, seminars and meetings at various places. Under the guidance of his mentor, he is doing service to the society in the arenas of education, management, organisation and health by carrying out in constructive activities and has never deviated from his path and aim in life. Following in the footsteps of Shrimad Vijay Vallabh Surishwarji Maharaj, he has donned Khadi throughout his life by a pledge. On the auspicious days of those saint'sbirth and deaths, he donates blood and encourages others too to do the same. He also makes people aware and motivates them into social service and charity for the underprivileged, helpless and speechless human beings and animals.
The concept of spiritual-cum-scientific personality was the principle motto of Vallabh Guru'slife. We got an occasion to seriously deliberate on it. If the spiritualist keeps sitting silently in his cave and the scientist keeps manufacturing the nuclear bomb, the nuclear radiations are bound to reach the cave too. Therefore, the need of the hour is that every student should become a scientist, not an ordinary one but a spiritual-cum-scientist. Our times demand that everyone entering a religious order or institution needs not become exclusively spiritual. He must have a scientific outlook. A combination of the two alone can offer an answer to the present-day problems and it is this combination that makes the point of departure as far as Vallabh Smarak is concerned.
(The writer is a Secretary, Sukhi Parivar Foundation.)
(Gani Rajendra Vijay, Vallav Smarak, 21, Milestone, G.T. Karnal Road, Delhi, Mobile: 9811051133.)
