13
devotion Homage to a Great Saint – Pujya Shree Atmanandji By Mahendra Khandhar
Mahendra Khandhar was the first president of the Jain Center of Southern California (Los Angeles Jain Sangh) in 1979. He served on the Executive Committee (Board) for over a decade. He was instrumental in the formation of JAINA and its First Convention in LA (1981). He taught Pathshala for 14 years and organized children’s camps. He conducted Swadhyay for 18 years in LA and does it regularly in Koba (Shrimad Rajchandra Adhyatmik Sadhana Kendra, near Ahmedabad), where he spends 6 months in a year. He was the founder president of Jain Social Group (LA) in 1984.
Prologue In the modern materialistic world, sometime a great spiritual saint comes along who gives a message of spirituality by his life & work and provides rare guidance to the aspirants.
One such saint was the founder of Shrimad Rajchandra Adhyatmik Sadhana Kendra in Koba, Pujya Shri Atmanandji, who experienced the spiritual awakening early in his life, no doubt a carry forward (Sanskars) of previous lives. His holy life, broad scriptural knowledge and unparalleled devotion to Tirthankars & Saints, resulted in thousands of aspirants to follow his preaching, living in India and abroad. His dedication to religion & society inspired hundreds to lead divine life. People saw in him, a self-realized saint full of divinity and a spiritual leader on the path of salvation. He contributed immensely by lectures in educational institutions, religious places, spiritual gatherings, youth seminars, pilgrimages and public health service for more than 40 years. As a saint, his vision was impartial with equality towards all religious philosophies. Then-current Indian independence struggle added patriotic color to his thinking. In those youthful days he met many saints & monks. By 1954, Atmanandji met; Shri Ramdas Swami, Shri Shivanad Saraswati, Shri Anand Maiya, Shri Manuvaryaji Maharaj, Shri Nanchandraji Maharaj and others. He studied Hindu scriptures related to Bhakti (devotion), Gnan (spiritual knowledge) and Sadhana (spiritual pursuit). However, he was looking for the purpose of human life and goal of soul. Just then, he came across the wonderful book, “Three Jewels of KundKundacharya” (by Gopaldas Patel) and reading of that functioned as a bridge with his spiritual Sadhana of earlier lives. It awakened him fully, gave him understanding of soul & life. He became clear about his goal: to achieve eternal happiness with peace and bliss of soul. However, it also raised a question about how to achieve it in the context of his householder life. Incidentally & fortunately in 1957, he came across another book, “Shrimad Rajchandra” (Vachanamrutji), the collection of the spiritual writings (letters, poems, preaching, discussions and diary) by the great self-realized YugPurush Shrimad Rajchandraji (Param KrupaluDev). That book answered his questions about how to achieve the goal. It was a perfect combination: the first book said “what” and the second book explained “how”. At this time he was greatly attracted and influenced by Jainism, Jain scriptures and Tirthankars’ preaching.
Family Life Pujya Atmanandji was born as Mukund to the religious parents Virjibhai & Bhagirathiben in a Hindu Soneji family, in Ahmedabad on 2 December in 1931. He completed his MBBS medical study in 1956 at Ahmedabad, married to Dr. Sharmishthaben in 1960, and went to UK in 1961 for post-graduate medical studies, joined by Sharmishthaben later in 1963. After earning advanced medical degrees of MRCP & DTMH by Mukundbhai and D(obst) RCOG by Sharmishthaben, they returned to India in 1966 and established a private hospital in Ahmedabad, now run by their son Dr. Rajeshbhai & his wife Dr. Sheetalben Soneji.
