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Guru Acharya Sushil Kumar Ji Maharaj (15 June 1926-22 April 1994) was a Jain teacher and educator, founder of the Jain International Mission. and later an Acharya. Sushil Kumarji was the honorary president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, founder of the World Fellowship of Religions (1950), and a founding member of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (1964). Kumarji's primary ashram is Siddhachalam, located in Blairstown, New Jersey, and was established in 1983. He was among the founding fathers of American Jainism.

He was born in Sikhopur, India and, at the age of seven, went to live with Shri Chotelalji Maharaj (who became his guru). Kumarji claimed that the spirit of Shri Roop Chandji Maharaj had inspired him to become a monk—he became a monk at the age of 15.

Although he was ordained in the Sthanakvasi tradition, he regarded himself to be non-sectarian.

Early life

Kumar was born into the Brahmin caste, and entered monastic life aged seven. Initiated into the priesthood at 15, he studied classical Indian an yogic philosophies.

Mission work

In 1975 Kumar began an evangelical international tour. This caused some controversy in the Jain community, as it involved air travel, flouting the law that Jain monks could only travel on foot. However, it enabled Kumar to disseminate his message on an international scale and led to his founding of the Jain International Mission and the World Fellowship of Religions. It also enabled him to found an ashram in New Jersey, the first tirtha (site of pilgrimage) outside India.

Kumar was known as a negotiator, having encouraged Tara Singh Malhotra to enter into dialogue with the Indian Government, helped Rajiv Gandhi negotiate with Punjabi separatists in 1986, and promoted dialogue between Muslim and Hindu factions during the Ayodhya dispute.

References

1. Religion and Peacebuilding, Suny Series in Religious Studies, Harold G. Coward, Gordon S. Smith, SUNY Press, 2004, p. 22
2. A Jainist Monk Brings Ascetic Ways Here, KENNETH A. BRIGGS, New York Times, August 28, 1975
3. Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence, Kurt Titze, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1998, p. 241
4. Titze, K. and Bruhn, K. (1998). Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 241. ISBN 9788120815346.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. Jeffery D. Long. "JAINISM". Retrieved 1 February 2013.
6. Queen, E.L. and Prothero, S.R. and Shattuck, G.H. (2009). Encyclopedia of American Religious History. ISBN 9780816066605.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. Pravin K. Shah. "Acharya Sushil Kumarji Maharaj (Guruji)". Retrieved 3 April 2012.
8. Ryan, James; Jones, Constance (2007). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. pp. 250–251. ISBN 9780816075645.
9. "The World Honors You, Acharya Sushil Kumar Ji". Hinduism Today. Retrieved 3rd Apriil 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

• Jain acharyas