{{short description|Leader and prominent figure in American Jainism}} {{for|the 16th century mathematician|Chitrabhanu (mathematician)}} {{Citation style|date=October 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Chitrabhanu | image = File:JAINAChitrabhanu.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Book Release on Chitrabhanu, JAINA 2017 at Edison NJ | birth_name = Rup–Rajendra Shah | birth_date = {{birth date|1922|07|26}} | birth_place = Rajasthan, India | death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|04|19|1922|07|26}} | death_place = Mumbai, India | other_names = monk as Chandraprabha Sagar | education = Degree in Psychology | alma_mater = college at Bangalore | occupation = Jain Spiritual leader, Jain philosopher, author | years_active = | employer = | organization = Jain Meditation International Center in Manhattan, New York City | agent = | known_for = First Jain Spiritual Leader travelled to US | notable_works = Gujarati composition "Maitri Bhavanu Pavitra Jharanu", The Jain Path to Freedom | awards = | website = {{URL|www.jainmeditation.org}} /www.chitrabhanuji.com | footnotes = }} '''Gurudev Shree''' '''Chitrabhanu''' (July 26, 1922 – April 19, 2019) was a prominent figure<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tobias |first=Michael Charles |title=A Jain Leader Addresses the World |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltobias/2012/09/18/a-jain-leader-addresses-the-world/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> in American Jainism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schneider |first=Carrie |title=American Yoga: The Paths and Practices of America's Greatest Yoga Masters |publisher=Barnes & Noble |isbn=9780760745588 |pages=39}}</ref><ref>Chitrabhanu: Man of the Millennium, Dilip Shah, June 21, 2017</ref> He was one of the co-founders of JAINA.<ref name="Death"/>
==Personal life== He was born as Rup-Rajendra Shah to parents Chhogala and Chunibai on July 26, 1922, in a small town Takhatgarh in Pali district of Rajasthan, India. His father had a cloth business in Tumkur, Mysore where Rup-Rajendra and his sister Magi were raised.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rosenfield |first=Clare |title=Chitrabhanu Man with Vision |publisher=Jain Meditation International Centre New York |pages=21 |language=English}}</ref> When he was four years old his mother suddenly died and when he was 11 years old, his sister Magi died due to smallpox.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rosenfield |first=Clare |title=Chitrabhanu Man with Vision |publisher=Jain Meditation International Centre New York |pages=28 |language=English}}</ref>
He studied psychology at Bangalore.<ref name="jl">{{cite web|title=Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji – Life and Works|url=http://www.jainlibrary.org/chitrabhanu/Life_and_Works_of_Gurudev_Shri_Chitrabhanuji_2002.pdf|work=www.jainlibrary.org|accessdate=October 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211714/http://www.jainlibrary.org/chitrabhanu/Life_and_Works_of_Gurudev_Shri_Chitrabhanuji_2002.pdf|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> He found Acharya Sagaranandsuri of Tapa Gaccha a sub sect of Śvetāmbara sect of Jainism as his Guru.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosenfield |first=Clare |title=Chitrabhanu Man with Vision |url=https://jainqq.org/explore/001808/98 |website=jainqq.org/ |language=English}}</ref> He became a Jain monk on February 6, 1942, at the age of 20 at Palitana and was named Muni Chandraprabha Sagar for 29 years.<ref name="jl" />
In 1970 he was invited to attend The Second Spiritual Summit Conference to be held in April in Geneva, Switzerland.<ref name=jl /> Jain monks are traditionally not permitted to travel overseas.<ref>Iconoclastic Jain Leader Is Likened to Pope John, New York Times, GEORGE DUGAN, December 18, 1973,</ref> He gave up monkhood in 1970 to attend the Summit, and became an ordinary shravaka. He also married Pramoda Shah in 1971. He has two sons, Rajeev Chitrabhanu and Darshan Chitrabhanu.<ref name="Staff Writer">{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |title=Jain community mourns loss of major spiritual leader who made U.S. his home {{!}} News India Times |date=May 14, 2019 |url=https://www.newsindiatimes.com/jain-community-mourns-loss-of-major-spiritual-leader-who-made-u-s-his-home/ |access-date=2022-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref>
He died in his Mumbai residence surrounded by family members on April 19, 2019.<ref name="Death">{{cite news |title=Jain community mourns loss of major spiritual leader who made U.S. his home {{!}} News India Times |url=https://www.newsindiatimes.com/jain-community-mourns-loss-of-major-spiritual-leader-who-made-u-s-his-home/ |accessdate=June 7, 2019 |work=News India Times |date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
== In Europe == After attending the conference in Geneva, Chitrabhanu travelled to France and the UK.
== In USA == After spending some time in Africa and Europe, he came to the US in 1971 to attend the Third Spiritual Summit at the Harvard Divinity School.<ref name=jl /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanu: On Achieving Omega Consciousness {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1979/4/30/gurudev-shree-chitrabhanu-on-achieving-omega/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}</ref><ref name="Staff Writer"/> His speech at the Third Spiritual Summit received good recognition and was dubbed as "Hit Speaker of the Day" by a local Boston newspaper.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |title=Jain community mourns loss of major spiritual leader who made U.S. his home {{!}} News India Times |date=May 14, 2019 |url=https://www.newsindiatimes.com/jain-community-mourns-loss-of-major-spiritual-leader-who-made-u-s-his-home/ |access-date=2023-03-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> This resulted in many invitations across the east coast including churches, universities, and seminars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Jain Legend Passes Away – Institute of Jainology |url=https://www.jainology.org/a-jain-legend-passes-away/ |access-date=2023-03-05 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 1973, he founded the Jain Meditation International Center in Manhattan, New York City.<ref name="jl" /> A small marble statue Shri Mahavir Swami was installed and this became the first Jain place of worship in the US.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |title=Jain community mourns loss of major spiritual leader who made U.S. his home {{!}} News India Times |date=May 14, 2019 |url=https://www.newsindiatimes.com/jain-community-mourns-loss-of-major-spiritual-leader-who-made-u-s-his-home/ |access-date=2023-03-20 |language=en-US}}</ref> He claimed to attain enlightenment in 1981 by the ocean at San Diego.<ref name="jl" /> In 1975 he met Jain Muni Sushil Kumarji to USA, the first practicing Jain monk on his visit to USA.<ref name="jl" /> Since being in the USA he has inspired the growth of 70 Jain centers in US and Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CHITRABHANU – Man of the Millennium by Dilip Shah – Jainavenue |date=October 15, 2021 |url=https://jainavenue.org/chitrabhanu-man-of-the-millennium/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |language=en-US}}</ref>
He was among the early promoters of Yoga in USA. His disciple Beryl Bender Birch developed her own style of yoga.<ref>American Yoga: The Paths and Practices of America's Greatest Yoga Masters, Carrie Schneider, Sterling Publishing Company, 2003, p.39</ref>
== Establishment of JAINA == With his guidance, a federation of all Jain associations termed JAINA (Federation of Jain Associations in North America), was founded which became the umbrella organization with more than 100,000 members. For his unprecedented journey to bring the Jain tradition of ahimsa to the Western Hemisphere, Chitrabhanu received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.<ref name=jl/>
==Vegetarianism==
Chitrabhanu argued that Jainism is more of an ethical philosophy than a religion and that Jains do not eat meat or eggs as they have reverence for life.<ref name="New York Times">[https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/08/archives/for-vegetarians-gujarati-cuisine-for-vegetarians-a-feast-on-the.html "For Vegetarians, Gujarati Cuisine"]. nytimes.com. Retrieved 12 March 2023.</ref> His wife Pramoda cooked all of his food and offered vegetarian cooking classes. Chitrabhanu consumed a lacto-vegetarian diet of fruit, legumes, vegetables, nuts, seeds and spices with dairy products.<ref name="New York Times"/> In his later life, Chitrabhanu authored articles supportive of veganism.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230312141307/https://www.jainsamaj.org/content.php?url=Milk_-_Vegetarianism:-_By_Mr. "Vegetarianism - A Compassionate Approach to Life"]. jainsamaj.org. Retrieved 12 March 2023.</ref>
== Selected publications ==
He wrote twenty-five books which mainly deal with the topic of self-realization.<ref name="JonesRyan2006" /> Some of these are:<ref name=jl />
*{{Cite book |url=https://www.jainfoundation.in/JAINLIBRARY/books/twelve_facets_of_reality_002013_hr.pdf |title=Twelve Facets Of Reality:The Jain Path To Freedom |publisher=Dodd, Mead & Co. |year=1980 |isbn=9780396079026}} *{{Cite book |title=Realize What You are: Dynamics of Jain Meditation |publisher=Jain Publishing Co, U.S. |year=1995 |isbn=9780875730363}} *{{Cite book |title=The Psychology of Enlightenment: Meditations on the Seven Energy Centers |publisher=Dodd, Mead & Co |year=1979 |isbn=087573037X |editor-last=Miller |editor-first=Lyssa}} *{{Cite book |title=The philosophy of soul and matter |publisher=Jain Meditation International Center |year=1979 |editor-last=Rosenfield |editor-first=Clare}} *{{Cite book |title=Ten Days Journey into the Self |publisher=Jain Meditation International Center |year=1974}} *{{Cite book |title=The Miracle is You |publisher=Jain Meditation International Center |year=1980}} *{{Cite book |title=Reflections |year=2010}}
==See also== * Jain Center of America * Jainism in America
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="JonesRyan2006">{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=Constance|last2=Ryan|first2=James D.|title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC&pg=PA112|year=2006|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5|page=112}}</ref>}}
== External links == * [http://www.jaina.org/events/event_details.asp?id=248068 Guruji Chitrabhanuji's 90th birthday Celebration at JCA]
{{Jain Gurus}} {{Modern Jain writers}} {{Jainism topics}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1922 births Category:2019 deaths Category:20th-century Indian Jain writers Category:20th-century Indian monks Category:20th-century Indian philosophers Category:20th-century Jain monks Category:Indian expatriates in the United States Category:Indian Jain monks Category:Indian vegetarianism activists