Sushil Kumar was born into a
Brahmin household. As a Jain monk, he traveled on foot thousands of miles across the length and breadth of India. He represented the Sthānakavāsī Jain tradition in the making of
Saman Suttam, a compilation of Jain principles that was acceptable to all sects of Jainism. He discovered and mastered the secrets of sounds behind the
Namokar Mantra, an auspicious rendering that is central to Jains and wrote a book on the subject,
Song of the Soul. He said he was prodded in meditation to do so by the 12 C
Acharya, Dadaguru Manidhari Jinchandra Suriji Maharaj. Dadaguru asked him to travel to faraway lands to spread
Bhagwan Mahavir's message of
Ahimsa (non-injury) and
Anekantavada (belief that no one has a monopoly on truth). The decision caused some controversy in the Jain community, but allowed other Jain monks and nuns to begin using mechanical means of travel, including outside India. He has traveled and taught extensively, spreading the message of non-violence and self-awareness. He has founded many ashrams and centres in the East and West. On 1 March 1980, Sushil Kumar was declared an "Acharya" (master) of Arhat Sangh of the Jain tradition. Kumar was a master of meditation and the science of sound. His teaching system is called Arhum Yoga. It is an ancient system of the mastery of the inner self through watchfulness and direct perception. Arhum yoga encompasses all aspects of philosophy and yogic practice in the Arihant spiritual tradition. ==References==