eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009 - Jaina

1eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009eJAIN DIGESTA publication of theFederation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA)Email: jaindigest.info@gmail.comJAINA is an umbrella organization of local Jain Associations in U.S.A and Canada. The purposeof the organization is to preserve, practice, and promote Jain Dharma and Jain Way of Life.JAINA Headquarters: 43-11 Ithaca Street, Elmhurst, NY 11373Tele: 718 606-2885, Email: jainahq@gmail.com, Web: www.jaina.orgJAINA Executive CommitteePresident : Lata Champseelatachampsee@gmail.com416-441-2200, 416-877-1442 (Cell)First VP: Dr. Sushil Jainskjain99@gmail.com703-525-4411, 240-277-3039 (Cell)Secretary: Dilip Punatarpunatar@hotmail.com937-848-3228Treasurer: Rita Shethjainatreasurers@gmail.com918-398-6024, 918-812-7802 (Cell)VP-Canada: Lalit Vorajyotvora@hotmail.com514-631-1393VP MidEast : Gunvant Shahprofgaryshah@yahoo.com,732-246-4030Past President : Dilip V. Shahdilipvshah@gmail.com,215-561-0508, 215-868-0381 (cell)YJA : Amit Jainamitjain@yja.org310-901-0709JAINA Committees, Directors,Trustees, Association members, &AffiliatesCompete list is available on www.jaina.org.VP-West : Ashok Domadiaashokdomadia2009@gmail.com,eJAIN DIGEST EDITORIAL TEAM510-979-9312 Chetan V. SanghviVP-South West : Udai Jain Chandrakant Parekhudaijn@yahoo.com,Vimal Shah281-980-0741, 832-567-2298 (Cell)Heena NanduVP-South East : Dr. Deepika DalalDr. Deepika Dalalkdeepika@aol.com,954-431-5957, 954-980-8730 (Cell)510-770-9976, Email: jaindigest.info@gmail.comVP Mid West : Dr. Manish Mehtamanishm@ncms.org,734-668-0348, 734-604-7989,VP North East : Yogendra Jainyokjain@yahoo.com,781-856-0769 (Cell)The Editorial Team shall endeavor to publishmaterials submitted but reserves the right to edit,reformat, or not publish any material for clarity,space, or any policy reasons. The views expressedin the articles are those of the authors and do notnecessarily represent the views of the EditorialTeam.2

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009From the PresidentJai Jinendra!Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be yourPresident. I am humbled by the trust you have placed inme, and I assure you I will carry out my responsibilitywith integrity and to the best of my ability.I am pleased to inform you that our 2009 JAINAConvention was a success in spite of adverseeconomic circumstances. This was the result of carefulplanning and a lot of hard work on the part of the JAINAvolunteers and the Jain Center of Southern Californiacommunity.Now is the time to look forward to the JAINA 2011Convention. It will be held in Houston on July 4th 2011long weekend.Jain Digest: One of the most visible activities of JAINAhas been the publication of Jain Digest, a quarterlymagazine. In last two years, we could only print 3issues instead of the normal 8 issues. This wasprimarily due to lack of funds. Every Jain Digest issuecosts around $17,000 to print and distribute. This totalsto approximately $70,000 per year, putting a lot ofburden on the JAINA Treasury. Therefore, the new JAINA EC has decided, on a trial basis, to publishthe next issue of Jain Digest on the web as eJainDigest. I hope all of you will understand and welcomethis change.New JAINA Portal: We have completed the first phase of overhauling our website and created acontent driven portal. Please visit www.jaina.org and check it out. We are looking for volunteers whohave experience and are interested in developing new web-content and web-services. Anyone willingto help with the JAINA portal please contact Yogendra Jain.JAINA in co-operation with organizations in UK, USA and Africa is sponsoring a mega mobility campfrom 23rd December 2009 to 9th January 2010 in Palitana. The camp is intended to help around25,000 physically handicapped and hearing impaired individuals. Tricycles, wheelchairs, callipers,hearing aids and other aids and appliances to the needy will be provided.JAINA co-sponsored the US Legislative Conference on Peace, Harmony & Non-Violence at Capitol Hill,Washington, DC event. The event was very successful.The following are JAINA Executive Committee’s goals for the next two years:1. Develop financial self-sufficiency - JAINA to become financially stable for the next two years andbeyond. The target is to raise $150K by 2011.2. Reinvigorate JAINA directors – Get at least 50% of the JAINA Directors to participate in JAINAactivities and projects.3. Provide State of the Art Web Services for JAINA member Jain Centers and JAINA Committees -Many centers are struggling with websites, links to Jain resources etc. We plan to help them withcreating websites and other links. Eventually JAINA intends to provide membership management,survey, news, donations, and other on-line promotion tools. JAINA will provide these tools FREEof cost to its member organizations.3

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 20094. Provide Infrastructure to our Committees - The 15 JAINA committees can use a common set ofJAINA web-services including on-line donation, store, newsletter, blog, project tracking, websitefor the group, and survey tools.5. JAINA as a global leadership organization – Participate in at least 4 international events and forgea partnership with JITO and other world class organizations.6. Partnership – Build partnership with 10 cultural/religious organizations including Jewish,Buddhists, American Indians, Seventh Day Adventists, etc.7. JAINA / JainLink Membership – Currently there are 1200 signed members. Target to add 6000registered members/families by 20118. JAINA Digest - Transition Jain Digest to a Bi-monthly newsletter and a more flexible andfrequent eJainDigest.Finally, JAINA’s future rests in the hands of all of us and in collective efforts of its Committees andleaders. As some one has said:Success is due not to the genius of the few, but to the faithfulness of the many.With Warmest RegardsLata ChampseeJAINA Presidentlatachampsee@gmail.comFrom Left to Right: Naman Jain, Lalit Vora, Ashok Domadia, Dr. Deepika Dalal, LataChampsee , Dr. Manish Mehta, Dr. Sushil Jain, Dilip Punatar, YogendraJain, Gunvant Shah,Not Present: Dilip V. Shah, Udai Jain, Amit Jain, Rita Sheth,4

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Farewell Message from the Past PresidentDear Sadharmik brothers and sisters:For the 2007-2009 term, I had the privilege to serve as JAINA President.I enjoyed the job enormously – it gave me a chance to visit many JainCenters. I met many volunteers and leaders of the Jain communities inNorth America, India and other countries. I realized what a precious gemwe have here in North America - the largest Jain community outsideIndia living as a community without any distinctions based on sect,language or region. Our dear organization is about to enter fourth decadeof its existence and we can all be proud of the intellectual gift fromvisionaries like Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji and Acharya Shri SushilKumarji who serve as an example of Jain Unity admired world over.During my term in office as President, JAINA achieved many milestones: NGO STATUS to JAINA: The UN recognized JAINA as a humanitarian organization and JAINAwas awarded an NGO status of the Economic and Social Council. Now we have opportunities toexpress Jain point of view where issues of Aid or Development are discussed at the world body. Updated JAINA Constitution: After six years of deliberations, changes to the 1994 Constitutionwere finalized, debated and approved by the overwhelming majority of the JAINA Directors. JAINA Headquarters: Established the JAINA headquarters at the Jain Center of America (NY),the birthplace of JAINA. For very first time, JAINA has a physical place (Not a post office boxnumber) where our members or scholars arriving from India can visit. MANGALAM: A weekly ½ hour TV show was launched highlighting JAINA’s activities. A liaison office for JAINA in Mumbai: This enables JAINA to perform useful functions such assmall banking transactions or mass mailing in India with ease. The Campus Outreach initiative of JAINA will help establish Jain Students Associations oncampuses connecting our youth to local Jain centers and also facilitate contact with each other. JAINA DIASPORA: A forum JAINA established for the Jain communities all over the world tocome together and discuss common issues. JAINA’s leadership role in this movement isendorsed and admired by many Jain leaders worldwide. E library scanned 200,000 pages of Jain Literature and put it on web making more than 2300Jain books in English, Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit or Prakrit available to students and scholarsworld over. JAINA Convention even during the hard economic times of 2009 was a great success.All of the above is a result of hard work by countless number of volunteers and goodwill of JAINAmembers. We have to continue to build upon these achievements and take JAINA to even greaterheights. The whole Jain world is looking at JAINA for leadership in forging Jain unity. JAINA’s credibilityand reputation is unlike that of any other organization.As I look back on my years in JAINA, I must say what an honor it was to serve as JAINA President forthe 2007-2009 term. I met hundreds of Jain leaders, scholars and volunteers all over North Americaand overseas. I attended Pratistha Mahotsavs at many Jain centers and participated in Internationalconferences. It afforded me opportunities to learn how precious a gift of Jainism is to us. I observedvarious trends in Jain communities at various Jain centers, in our youth and also how our seniorcitizens are persevering in this adopted land of ours. All in all, I am grateful for the chance given to meto serve. (Continued on Page 37)5

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jai Jinendra From The eJain Digest Editorial TeamYes, this is your first issue of eJain Digest. We thank the JAINA Executive Committee for appointing usto explore this new and exciting, and possibly even efficient means of communication among the Jaincommunity. We are working closely with the new JAINA web team, and in many respects the two teamsshare a common mission and overall goals. With this green and eco-friendly method we are not onlyexpanding our communication reach among the North American Jain community members, but also tothe Jain followers across the globe.Working with the JAINA President Lata Champsee our team has narrowed down the basic vision of theeJAIN DIGEST. Central to this vision is the facilitation and improvement of a three way communication:JAINA-to-community, community-to-JAINA, and community-to-community. We specially appreciate thefreedom given to us by the JAINA EC in publishing this magazine and experimenting with this format.The JAINA EC wants eJain Digest to become the vehicle of community communication, and in theprocess we will endeavor to publish all views of the community members, including those that maycontradict the views of the Editorial Team, or the JAINA EC. Healthy and open discussion will breednew ideas and views. The points below succinctly describe this vision. However, such a goal andvision would not be complete without your feedback, which we actively seek.eJain Digest Vision: Promote JAINA to increase the community’s sense of its “ownership”, “involvement” and ‘buyin”. Provide timely and relevant communication that informs, educates and engages the membersvia eJain Digest Offer a forum for open communication to suggest, discuss and exchange viewpoints via varioustopical blogs Reach out and engage all groups of members (adults, youths and children) in their practice andpromotion of core Jain values of Ahimsa, Aparigrah, and Anekantvad. More specifically,encourage discussions and engagements that highlight the relevancy of Jain values in moderntimes and changing social norms. Work closely with the JAINA website committee to create secure, social forums supportingsome of the critical needs of North American Jain society.Over the past 60 years, the Jain community in Northern America has evolved significantly. The first 40-45 years went in building the core community, with the primary goal of preserving and passing on theJain heritage to next generation, the heritage that many of the community members brought with themfrom their roots in India. In the last 15 or so years though, we have witnessed a fundamental shift. TheJains of North America have established themselves as a vibrant growing community. The testament ofsome of the exquisite, multi-sect Jain temples across North America, the large and diverse attendanceat JAINA conferences, the range of well attended activities at different Jain Centers, the discourses andprograms by religious dignitaries of all Jain sects, the participation of children in pathshalas, and all theinvolvement of youth in both religious, cultural and outreach activities is a proof of this immensecommunity achievement. Recognition of Jainism amongst various other religious, educational andcultural groups via interfaith activities, participation and discussion of the core principles at educationalinstitutions etc. to reach out the wider community has also started taking place. Hats-off to all thecommunity leaders, generous donors, and above all to the hard working and dedicated volunteers whomade these great accomplishments possible.The Jain community in Northern America is now poised for another major change. It is poised to makea larger impact on the society. After President Obama’s speech to students at Wakefield High School inArlington VA, a student named Lily asked him, “And if you could have dinner with anyone, dead oralive, who would it be”. Obama replied, “I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine.”Obama has probably not studied Shrimad’s (who was Gandhi’s Guru) or Mahavir’s philosophy (whowas Shrimad’s Guru); yet. Or maybe we are wrong, Obama in his video message to all who celebrate6

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Table of ContentsFrom the President .............................................. 3Farewell Message from the Past President ......... 5Jai Jinendra From The eJain Digest EditorialTeam.............................................................. 615th Biennial JAINA Convention.......................... 9Keynote Speakers........................................ 12Convention Lectures, Seminars & Workshops..................................................................... 12Evening Programs ....................................... 16Youth Programs ........................................... 17Awards & Recognition.................................. 18Commemorative Souvenir ........................... 19Interesting Facts & Firsts ............................. 19Acknowledgement........................................ 20Ahimsa, Ecology, and Strict Vegetarianism as TheJain Way of Life ........................................... 24The Basis of Jain Vegetarianism ................. 24Dairy Products ............................................. 24The Future ................................................... 25Professor Jagdish N. Sheth: An Intellectual GiantAmong Us .................................................... 26Empowerment based on Jain Values ................ 29Dave Chameides Speaks .................................. 31The Environmental and Ecological Teachings ofTirthankara Mahavira ................................... 32The Ecological Crisis ................................... 32Mahavira’s Life Ethics .................................. 32Nonviolence and Ecology in Practice........... 33Sacred Balance: An Active Pursuit .................... 34Jains Go Green.................................................. 36Farewell Message from the Past President(Continued from Page 5).............................. 37A Gujarati Poem ................................................ 38Maintaining Relevance & Essence of theMessage ...................................................... 39While transiting through time, context changesand communication evolution ...................... 39Paryusan, Das Lakshana Parva & Other Activitiesin North America .......................................... 44The Jain Community of Pittsburgh............... 44Jain Society of Alberta, Edmonton:.............. 44Jain Association of Montreal ........................ 45Jain Center of Northern California-Milpitas,California (San Francisco Bay Area)............ 45Paras Shah ................................................ 45Apoorva Shah ............................................ 45Paryushan: The Auspicious time ofForgiveness ............................................... 46Jain Society of Greater Detroit..................... 46Detroit Temple Goes Lean and Green inPromoting Jain Way of Life ........................47Jain Center of British Columbia, CanadaVancouver Center ........................................47Jain Center of Kansas City...........................47Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago (JSMC).....................................................................48Jain Center of Cincinnati-Dayton..................49Jain Society of Greater Atlanta.....................49Jain Society of Middle Tennessee................50Paryushan at JVB.........................................50Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) ..50Paryushan Mahaparv Celebrations..............50(Aug 16 – Aug 24, 2009) ..............................50Das Lakshana Mahaparv .............................52JAINA NEWS .....................................................53Jiv Daya Appeal ...........................................53News of Pujyashri Chitrabhanuji’s Health ....54JAINA Goes to Washington..........................54Palitana Rehabilitation Camp.......................55ADMISSION TO ISSJS 2010 NOW OPEN ..55JAINA/WJC Appeal for Donations for ShriV.R. Gandhi Memorial Stamps Release.......56Family Corner.....................................................57Word Jumbles: .............................................57Puzzle: .........................................................57Create You Own Story on Amity And Amnesty.....................................................................57Create You Own Story on Amity And Amnesty.....................................................................58Major Events in North America ..........................59Ashtäpad Tirth..............................................59Jain nuns in an American University ............61Pratistha Mahotsav Celebration at Jain Centerof South Florida............................................64The Jain Society of Pittsburgh......................66New JVB Preksha Meditation Center forHouston........................................................67It’s an Auspicious Day..................................68MIS-Matrimonials ...............................................70MIS ADS - Males For Jain Digest - 2 nd2009 .............................................................70MIS ADS - Females For Jain Digest - 2nd2009 .............................................................738

15th Biennial JAINA ConventionJain Center of Southern CaliforniaeJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) was the host center as well as the site for the 15th BiennialJAINA Convention held July 2-5, 2009 in Buena Park, California. JCSC’s newly inaugurated facilities –a 62,000 sq ft cultural complex and 13,000 sq ft temple – proved to be the ideal spiritual backdrop tohost the convention activities. Nearly 2,000 delegates (1600 adults and 400 youths – some includingthree generations of family members) from the United States, Canada, India, Europe, Dubai and Africaattended the event. The biennial convention provided a unique opportunity for the delegates tocelebrate their heritage, gain new knowledge, and revive their spiritual aspirations.9

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009The 15th Biennial JAINA Convention 2009 withthe theme “Ecology – the Jain Way” was gracedby the presence of prominent Jain monks, nuns,scholars and dignitaries including PujyaChitrabhanu, Pujya Bhattarak Charukirtiji, PujyaAmrender Muni, Pujya Rakeshbhai Jhaveri, PujyaAcharya Chandanaji, Sadhvi Shubhamji, SadhviShilapiji, Samani Akshaypragyaji, Samani MuditPragyaji, Samani Shukla Pragyaji, Samani VinayPragyaji, Pujya Lokeshmuni, Pandit DhirajlalMehta, Dr. Hukhumchand Bharill, PramodabenChitrabhanu, Taralaben Doshi, Dr. Falguni Zaveri,and various academicians, community, civic andbusiness leaders.This year’s convention theme “Ecology – the JainWay” is a timely topic. In these challenging times,core Jain principles of Ahimsa, Aparigraha, andAnekantvad identify a framework ofresponsibilities, challenges and opportunities tosupport ecological harmony through non-violencetowards all nature, including humans. It providesan impetus to reduce wants and waste throughnon-possessiveness. It also inspires universalrespect for the environment and nature throughnon-absolutism. Lord Mahavir’s message, “Onewho neglects or disregards the existence of earth,air, fire, water and vegetation disregards his ownexistence which is entwined with them,” and theancient Jain scriptural maxim Parasparopagrahojivanan – all life is bound together by mutualsupport and interdependence – resonatedthroughout the convention in the lectures,seminars, articles, and hands-on projects. Thedelegates were reminded of the fact that Jainshave a fundamental commitment to stewardshipof the earth and to promote ecological harmony.The lectures and seminars were designed toembrace this theme and suggested ways to takecare of nature in these modern times. The themeof the convention offered a unique opportunity forattendees to apply their religious beliefs andpractices in limiting environmental deterioration.10

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009The convention activities began with the ShobhaYatra procession in the morning of the openingday. The colorful beginning was enthusiasticallygreeted by the delegates and the guests. The Jainmonks, scholars, local leaders and politiciansmarched with the young and old Shravaks andShravikas who were dancing to the beats of thetraditional music and carrying huge colorful flagsrepresenting the 67 JAINA member centers. Itwas an uplifting auspicious beginning to the wholeevent.11

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Keynote SpeakersThe keynote speech given by Dr. Gary Francione,Professor of Law and Philosophy at the RutgersUniversity, on animal rights was well received. Forthe past several years, he and his wife havefollowed a strict vegan diet and do not use orwear silk, wool or leather products. A selfproclaimedembracer of Jainism, Dr. Francionewas the first professor to teach animal rightstheory in an American university. In his lecture, heemphasized that veganism should be the defaultposition of a dharma that is based onnonviolence. His passionate address wasreceived with a standing ovation.Dr. Jagdish Sheth, Professor of Marketing atEmory University’s Goizueta Business School,spoke about the nurturing of nature in the modernworld. He talked about the emerging economiesof China and India putting a lot of pressure onnatural resources and how sustainable growthcan only be achieved by limiting our consumptionand applying the Jain principle of Aparigraha. Weshould be aware of where the things we consumecome from. Use of locally grown fresh produceminimizes transportation requirements and helpsthe environment.Using informative, entertaining, and funnypersonal anecdotes, Dr. Dipak Jain, Dean ofNorthwestern University’s Kellogg School ofManagement, illustrated how Jain principles canbe employed in everyday business activities. “OurJain core values of Ahimsa (non-violence),Aparigraha (non-possession), and Anekantvad(non-absolutism) offer the resources and the pathto making ourselves, and the world, better. It is akey to success,” he said.Additional profiles of Dr. Gary Francione, Dr.Jagdish Sheth and Dr. Dipak Jain as well as thedetails of their presentations are includedelsewhere in this issue of the Jain Digest.Convention Lectures, Seminars & WorkshopsParallel tracks of lectures delivered in Gujarati, Hindiand English provided many opportunities for thedelegates to pursue topics of their interests. Suchofferings included:Jain Dharma through Social Services by AcharyaChandanaji & Sadhvi ShubhamjiEssence of Human Life by Pujya BhattarakCharukirtijiTwelve Bhavnas by Pujya Lokesh MuniJain Way of Life in Professional Life by Prem JainChasing Sustainability by Dave ChameidesScience of Climate Change by Catherine Gautier-DownesPunya-Pap by Falguni Zaveri12

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Atmasiddhi by Pujya Rakeshbhai ZaveriSignificance of Maha Mantra by Acharya Chandanaji & SadhviShubhamjiPath Towards Moksha by PramodabenJain Dharma in Daily Life by Sadhvi ShilapijiScience of Forgiveness by Pujya Lokesh MuniAndhakar ma thi prakash taraf by Chandrakant MehtaJains and Ecology by Dr. H. BharillWorld Peace Diet by Dr. Will TuttleHow to be a true Jain by Samani VinaypragyajiJain Customs by Pandit Abhay Kumar and Pandit Dhirajlal MehtaBhay Bhagado Ane Bhav Jagado by Chandrakant MehtaCan Jains Help Change the World? by Raksha ShahEducation Update by Pravin ShahJains – Pioneers of Ecology by Samani VinaypragyajiKarma Theory by Pandit Dhirajlal MehtaVachanmrut by Pujya Rakeshbhai ZaveriLeadership in Green Economy by Paul HannamAnekantvad by Sadhvi Shilapiji13

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jain Way of Raising Children by Pujya Chitrabhanuji & PramodabenBasics of Jainism by Dr. H. BharillGunaSthanak by Tarlaben Doshi;Charity Focus by Nipun ShahInter-faith by Girish ShahSamyak Darshan by Anop VoraJain Tirth Yatra by Mahendra KhandharPanel discussions included: Health Issues for Seniors led by Dr. RameshKothari, Senior Issues led by Gunvant Shah and Remembering V RGandhi led by Dr. Dhiraj Shah.14

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009A dedicated group of volunteers from the JainCenter of Southern California set forth to makeSeva a significant activity at the JAINAconvention. Their mission was simple: to channelthe goodwill of the delegates to improve thequality of life of the needy. Participants of all ages,from 5 to 85, convened to form assembly lines toassemble 1,000 hygiene kits and sew 500blankets for the homeless; prepare 400backpacks with school supplies for disadvantagedstudents; put together 100 care packages of cardquilts and books or DVDs for children with seriousmedical conditions; and collect cell phones forbattered women’s shelters and eyeglasses to beused in developing countries. This kind ofgenerosity was unparalleled at any previousconvention.15

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009JAINA’s initiative of Jain Diaspora to unite the Jaincommunities living in 36 countries outside of Indiawas further discussed at this convention. Theconcept was first proposed and discussed in ameeting chaired by Dr. L. M. Singhvi at the JAINAConvention 2007. Plans are in the works to hold aJain Diaspora meeting in London in 2010.Evening Programs16

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009The evening programs included garba-raas, adayaro by Bhanubhai Vora, and a culturalprogram presented by members of various JainCenters. A concert by the band Black, consistingof blind singers and musicians from India, wasvery impressive, entertaining and well received bythe audience.The highlight of the evening was the worldpremiere of a two-hour Gujarati play, Siddh Hem.It told the story of Hemchandracharya, Jainliterature’s most influential figure. At the request ofSiddharaj, the King of Gujarat, he composed theentire Gujarati grammar guide and wrote over 3.5million shlokas throughout his lifetime. This playwas specially brought from Mumbai by the sameteam who had performed the play Apurva Avsarbased on the life of Shrimad Rajchandra at JAINAConvention 2007. The performance waselectrifying and educational.Youth ProgramsYouth activities and programs were organized atthe Crown Plaza Hotel in Fullerton. Many of thespeakers who had addressed the adult delegateswere also invited to talk to the youth.Members of the Young Jains of America played akey role in organizing youth events at theconvention. Throughout the weekend, theyounger generation learned about the applicationsof Jain dharma through entertaining activitiessuch as the JAINA Academic Bowl, leadershipsessions, Jain Way of Living seminars, andentrepreneurial workshops. Participants from JainCenter of New Jersey won the JAINA AcademicBowl. The evening cruise was, by far, the mostpopular activity of the youth program.Young men and women at the convention had thechance to meet potential life partners through theJAIN 21 programs scheduled for those who were21 and older. Some of the events includedicebreakers, mixers, speed-dating activities, andBollywood aerobics.Dr. Dipak Jain spoke to the youth about how Jainvalues and ideals guided him through life. He saidthat by following what he believed in, he was ableto achieve what he wanted.Dr. Jagdish Sheth was impressed with theirinterest in Jainism. “The youth program was veryenergizing,” he said. “They have the beliefs aboutJainism, clearly, but can practice it in acontemporary, modern way, the ‘fusion concept,’as I call it. We need to fuse the East and theWest.”Dr. Gary Francione noticed the youths’ extensiveinvolvement. “From what I can see as a culturaloutsider, things are changing dramatically,” hemused. “The younger generation of Jains is goingto revolutionize the world.”Parallel tracks of lectures, seminars andworkshops offered the youth a variety of optionsto learn and get involved. Such offerings included:Ecology in Daily Life by Lata Champsee,Christian Kohler and Soumil MehtaChasing Sustainability by Dave ChameidesCharity Focus by Nipun ShahPray and Prayers for World by Sadhvi ShilapijiEcology 201 – Demystifying Green by AmitJain & Pooja JobaliaJain Dharma in East and West by SuketuKhandharJain Dharma in Daily Life by SamaniAkshaypragyajiBroadcasting Jain Life in the Media by Dr,Manoj JainScience and Jain Dharma by Premal DoshiIndian Culture and Eco Skills by Pallavi DoshiGuides and Mentors in Life by Shanehi Shah,Biren Mehta & Amita DesaiSpirituality and Sobriety by Rajni ModiSmoothie with Ecology by Falguni ZaveriJain Dharma through Social Service byAcharya Chandanaji & Sadhvi ShubhamjiSoul Songs by Jayesh KhonaJatra Dot Com by Mahendra KhandharLeadership in the Green Economy by PaulHannamPath towards Moksha by Pramodaben;Science and Politics of Climate Change byCatherine Gautier-Downes & Sameer DoshiJain Food by Manoj JainCool Climate Careers by Christian KohlerJain Way of Life in Professional Life by PremJainCompassionate Living by Dr. Gary FrancioneWorld Peace Diet by Dr Will Tuttle17

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Eco Imagination Workshop – CaliforniaStudent Sustainability Coalition by AakashDesaiScience of Forgiveness by Sadhvi ShilapijiJain Way of Living by Yogendra JainJAINA Campus Outreach Workshop by AshokDomadiaTaare Zameen Par by Sneha Patel & AditiShahCan Jains Help Change the World? byRaksha ShahScientific Aspects of Jain Food by Manoj JainEntrepreneur Workshop led by Bipin Shah &Prem JainTeam Building WorkshopsVIEW OF A YOUTHJAIN 21 at JAINA CONVENTION 2009In my opinion, JAIN 21 was a major, and ratherunexpected, success. In all honesty, earlier in theyear, the committee was recruiting very heavily andmany of us felt that the numbers were not tooimpressive. But in the end, there were moreparticipants than any of us could have anticipated,which says a lot. There were a lot of great thingsabout the convention itself – the food was fantastic,most of the programs were interesting and well run,the nightly activities – especially the cruise – werefun and well-planned, and there was a large anddiverse group of attendees.I have identified three areas for improvement. 1) Attimes, the facilities did not quite seem to fit all of theparticipants. 2) The speed-dating event on the firstnight was not the most enjoyable – the idea wasgood, but the lack of space, the highly uneven ratioof males to females, and the lack of ability to heareach other in a room with hundreds of other peopletalking, made it a bit difficult to enjoy. 3) The speeddatingevent also took place at the same time as theraas garba, so many of the JAIN 21 participants wereunable to attend the garba.The 2009 JAIN 21 program received strong positivefeedback. With the passion and diligence of thehard-working team, it is easy to see why theconvention was a great success. They have now setthe bar extremely high.Shanehi Shah, age 23Educational Advisor for the Upward Bound Program atCalifornia State University, Dominguez HillsAwards & RecognitionThe highest JAINA award, JAINA Ratna, isawarded in recognition for the recipient’s lifelongcontribution to the Jain community in NorthAmerica. This year it was awarded to Dr. SulekhJain of Houston. He served JAINA for eight years,first as Secretary then as President for two terms.He has been the president of two Jain Centers(Cincinnati–Dayton, Ohio and Houston, Texas).Currently, Dr. Jain is the Founder and Chairmanof the Governing Council of International Schoolfor Jain Academic Studies (www.jainstudies.org)and Secretary of Mahavir Vision Inc. USA.The Presidential Awards were given to Udai Jainof Houston and Mahendra Mehta of Mumbai. UdaiJain is the longest serving member of JAINAExecutive Committee. He has served asChairman of JAINA Patron Program and invarious capacities with the Jain Society ofHouston. Two humanitarian trusts established byMahendra Mehta tackle the problems of poverty inMumbai, especially among young children, andhave provided equipment (prostheses,wheelchairs, crutches, etc.) to over 95,000handicapped recipients in India and worldwide.Mahendra Mehta serves as JAINA’s liaison inIndia.JAINA 2009 Recognition Awards went to tenadults and five youths nominated by the local JainCenters for their outstanding contribution andservice. The adult recipients included: AmitaDesai (Anaheim, California), Narendra Jain(Torrance, California), Rakesh Jain (Columbus,Ohio), Mayur Mehta (Clarksville, Tennessee),18

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Arvind Shah (Gaithersburg, Maryland), Kirit Shah(Edison, New Jersey), Nilesh Shah (Clarksville,Maryland), Pravin Turakhia (Fremont, California),Hamir Vadi (Mountainside, New Jersey), andRasik Vagadia (Foxboro, Massachusetts). Theyouth recipients included: Naman Jain (Norwood,Massachusetts), Rajiv Jain (Odenton, Maryland),Pina Mehta (Tustin, California), Parinda Shah(Schaumburg, Illinois), and Shanehi Shah(Torrance, California).Photos of the JAINA award recipients areincluded elsewhere in this issue of the JainDigest.through non-possessiveness; and respect forothers including earth, environment and naturethrough non-absolutism.A wide range of articles addressing theconvention theme are included in aCommemorative SouvenirReflecting on the theme of the 15th BiennialJAINA Convention, “Ecology – The Jain Way”, it isworthwhile to take note of Dr. L. M. Singhvi’sobservation, “Jainism is fundamentally a religionof ecology and has turned ecology into a religion”.In these challenging times, core Jain principles ofAhimsa, Aparigraha, and Anekantvad identify aframework of responsibilities, challenges, andopportunities to support ecological harmonythrough non-violence, not only towards humansbut towards all nature; reducing wants and wastecommemorative souvenir published for theconvention. As we tread the path of the religion ofecology, several spiritual, theoretical, andpractical expositions remind us of ourresponsibilities as practitioners, proponents, andagents-of-change for eco-friendly lifestyle andsustainable living. Jain doctrines concerningAhimsa and ecology that lead to vegetarianismand not using animal products are discussed. Jaintradition of establishing paanjarapols andpromoting jiv daya is re-affirmed with inspirationalstories of two such facilities in USA. Jain youthactivism, awareness and active participation in“Go Green” movement are illustrated. Two poemsremind us that we are “merely guests on thisearth” and “all one day can be free”. JAINA’sinitiative of Jain Diaspora promotes global unitythrough a novel concept of Jains Without Borders.In keeping with the convention theme, thesouvenir was printed on paper with postconsumer contents.Interesting Facts & FirstsHosting of the 15th Biennial JAINA Convention inthe Los Angeles area was an historical milestoneand a homecoming event for the Jain Center ofSouthern California. A concept to unite all Jaincommunities in the United States and Canada19

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Comments form some participantsClearly room for improvement!“Lots of things were handled in an excellent manner.However there was a significant confusion and poorplanning about the evening programs. While manyof the delegates standing in line could not get in,some with inside information and favorableconnections were able to participate in all activities.”~ RK, Los Angeles,“Overall it was a good experience. It was a uniqueexperience because of location being at a JainTemple. Tender Care Organization program wasvery well received by attendees.” XX“We were satisfied with the day programs but wewere disappointed with the evening programs. Eventhough we had paid for a complete three-dayprogram, we did not get to see evening programsbecause the space in the Hall was limited.” SPS,Plano, TX“It was very nice to see so many people giving theirtime to volunteer. JAINA convention was executedsmoothly. It was a good convention. ~ SJ, LosAngeles, CA”“There was some room for improvement. Youthgroup activities in the hotel needed some more helpmanaging food and security. There were not enoughvolunteers at the hotel. Some of the lecture eventsdid not have any audience at all. Give little morethought to topics of the lectures and activities, nexttime, considering youth and not to be adultoriented.” XX“Give autonomy to "Jain 21" or have a separateconvention for them. "Jain 21" youth did not getwhat they expected from JAINA. There were toomany unrelated events scheduled for them and notenough time given for what they came for, namely tofind a life partner. They are capable of running theirown program if adults don't interfere.” XXThere is always room for improvement andimprovements will not happen without your valuablecomments. So please do keep sending yourcomments. However, we do like to point out thatJAINA conventions are planned, organized, andcoordinated entirely by volunteers. Further, suchevents would not be possible without donationsfrom various generous individuals.– eJain Digest Editorial Teamunder one umbrella was conceived in 1980 byLalit Shah, a visionary Vice President of JainCenter of Southern California. Withencouragement and support of PujyaChitrabhanuji, Pujya Acharya Sushil Muniji,several scholars and various community leaders,the concept was formalized at the first nationalconvention of Jains in the United States, hostedby the Jain Center of Southern California in theLos Angeles area from May 22-25, 1981. LalitShah served as JAINA’s first President.Some interesting firsts which happened at thisconvention included the following: The convention was hosted onsite at its ownfacility by the host center. Philanthropist Hamilton Brewart, not born asa Jain, served as the convention’sSanghpati. The Seva project provided hands-onparticipation opportunities to young and olddelegates. The souvenirs were printed on paper withpost-consumer contents. 90% of the meals were vegan, and servedon eco-friendly recycled paper plates. The youth visited a functioning organic farm. Babysitting arrangements enabled parentsto participate fully in the conventionactivities. Lata Champsee was elected to serve asJAINA’s President for the 2009-2010session. She is the first woman and the firstCanadian to lead JAINA in that capacity.AcknowledgementThe overwhelming success of the 15th BiennialJAINA Convention is owed greatly to theenthusiasm and hard work of over 250 volunteers,adults and youths, from various Jain Centers –the majority from Jain Center of SouthernCalifornia. Arranging an event of this magnitude isno easy task. The dedication of the organization’svolunteers made the conference run smoothly.Planning of the convention began soon after theconclusion of the 14th Biennial Convention 2007held in Edison, New Jersey. Thousands of hourswere invested in planning, re-planning, logistics,scheduling and execution of various events andactivities. The convention was convened by LataChampsee, JAINA’s 1st Vice President, and Dr.Nitin Shah and Rashmi Shah assisted her as coconveners.20

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eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Ahimsa, Ecology, and Strict Vegetarianism as The Jain Way of LifeDr. Gary L.Francione is thedistinguishedProfessor of Lawand NicholasdeB. KatzenbachScholar of Lawand Philosophyat RutgersUniversity Schoolof Law, Newark,New Jersey. Hisbook, “Animalsas Persons:Essays on theAbolition of Animal Exploitation”, was published in2008. His forthcoming book (with Dr. RobertGarner), “The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition orRegulation?”, will be published in Fall 2009.(Photo by N. Romanenko). He was the keynotespeaker at JAINA Convention 2009.The Basis of Jain VegetarianismThere is almost unanimous support among Jainsfor not consuming meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.The basis for Jain vegetarianism is two-fold.First, Jains consider that eating these productsviolates the foundational principle of Ahimsa.Jains are forbidden from committing intentionalviolence against all mobile beings, whether theyhave two, three, four, or five senses. Themammals, birds, and fish that humans regularlyconsume all belong in the highest class of thosebeings with five senses—a class in which humansbelong as well. This prohibition is not limited towhat a person does directly but extends to thosecausing others to do Himsa as well as toapproving of the Himsa of others.The standard Jain diet not only seeks to eliminateviolence to animals but also has the effect ofminimizing the Himsa to plants, which are onesensedbeings, necessary to feed humans.Animals raised for meat consume more plantprotein than they produce.Second, a meat-based agriculture is an ecologicaldisaster and a central tenet of Jain philosophyGary L. Francionegfrancione@earthlink.netinvolves our obligation to minimize our impact onthe environment. Because we need so manycrops to feed the billions of animals that humansconsume, we use an enormous amount of land togrow those crops, resulting in forest destructionthroughout the world; as older pastures aredestroyed through overgrazing, new land iscleared to replace them. It takes much more landto feed an average meat-eater than a vegetarian.Animal agriculture also consumes enormousamounts of other resources, such as water andenergy. In addition to the consumption of hugeamounts of water and energy, animal agricultureresults in serious water pollution, and contributessignificantly to global warming burning of fossilfuels for transport purposes. Deforestation toproduce more land for crops and grazing alsoresults in the release of large amounts of carbondioxide.Dairy ProductsAlthough considerations of Ahimsa and ecologymean that we should not consume the flesh oreggs of animals, many Jains consume dairyproducts and use dairy products (and wool) intemple rituals. I respectfully submit that for thesame two arguments—violence against animalsand ecological concerns—that the Jains considera move toward a pure vegetarian diet, what istoday called veganism.Dairy products involve inflicting suffering anddeath on mobile, five-sensed beings. Some formsof production are more brutal than others butunder the very best of circumstances there is agreat deal of suffering involved in the productionof these products, and the death of animals is anecessary aspect of any industry or practice thatuses animals.Animals used in dairy production are kept alivelonger than meat animals, treated as badly if notworse, and end up in the same slaughterhousesafter which humans consume their bodies. Themale babies of dairy cows are sold into the vealindustry and most of the females are used in thedairy industry. It is an endless cycle ofexploitation, suffering, and death. There is an24

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009inextricable relationship between the meatindustry and the dairy issue.Similarly, the very same detrimental ecologicalconcerns are also applicable to dairy foods. Theenvironmental impacts of processing dairyproducts are considerable, including thedischarge of large quantities of liquid effluent withhigh organic loads, when whey from the cheesemaking process is not used as a by-product and isdischarged along with other waste waters.Effluent discharged directly into water bodies cancause a depletion of oxygen levels.The dairy industry consumes large quantities offresh water, use chlorofluorocarbons forrefrigernation, causing ozone depletion. Mostdairy products are packaged in plastic or plasticlinedcontainers, or cans, and these results in aconsiderable amount of solid waste.Some Jains defend the continued consumption ofdairy products on the basis of tradition—that is,the fact that Jains have been consuming dairyproducts for as long as anyone remembersmeans that it must be acceptable to continuedoing so. But if Jainism stands for anything, itrepresents the notion that ethic principles are amatter of rational thought and carefulconsideration and that tradition can never be asufficient answer to an ethical problem.Some people think that it is difficult to be a strictvegetarian but that is not the case. There arenow a large variety of delicious non-dairy “milks”(soy, rice, almond) available and these can beused for cooking and in beverages. There aredelicious vegan “butters” made from soy that cansubstitute for ghee. Most Jains have alreadydone what most non-Jains would regard as thedifficult part—they have removed meat, poultry,fish, and eggs from their diets. Taking theadditional step of eliminating dairy products is theeasy part.A note about the use of animals for clothing andrituals: Leather is not merely a by-product of themeat industry—it is an important part of theeconomics of that industry. Leather processinghas harmful environmental effects. There isterrible cruelty involved in producing wool. Silkworms are boiled alive to make silk garments.Once again, there are many alternatives to wool,leather, and silk. The use of animals for all thesepurposes unquestionably involves Himsa.The FutureI became a vegetarian in 1978 after visiting aslaughterhouse. It was terrible and I becameconvinced immediately that I could no longer eatanimal flesh. I eliminated all animal products frommy life in 1982 and became a strict vegetarianwhen I recognized that there was no logical ormoral distinction between flesh and dairy or otheranimal products. They all involved Himsa; they allinvolved horrible suffering; they all involved death.As a practitioner of Ahimsa, I could no longerignore the harm in which I was participating.The sentiment in the Jain community is moving inthe direction of strict vegetarianism. Jaincommunity leaders have sought to facilitatediscussion of this issue within the broadercommunity. But most important of all, Jain youth,particularly those born in the United States andCanada are increasingly embracing strictvegetarianism and not wearing animal clothing aswell. As these young people assume positions ofleadership in the Jain community, the rejection ofall animal use will become more widely accepted.We live in a world of unspeakable violence thatonly gets worse by the day. It is more importantthan at any time in the past to speak up for peaceand nonviolence. Although no one has amonopoly on these precious values, Jainism isthe only tradition that emphasizes Ahimsa as thefoundational principle of spiritual practice. AhimsaParamo Dharma. Jains are in a unique position tobe the emerging voice of sanity in an insane worldand have the responsibility to do so. Nonviolencebegins with what we put in and on our bodies.I offer these thoughts respectfully for yourconsideration. I recognize that many Jains are notyet strict vegetarians and it is not my intention tojudge or to offend those people. I am only tryingto apply what I understand to be important Jainprinciples in a consistent way. If I have offendedanyone, Micchami Dukkadam.For the unabridged version of this article, pleaserefer to prior issue of Jain Digest.25

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Professor Jagdish N. Sheth: An Intellectual Giant Among UsA write-up by the eJain Digest Editorial teamIs Earth a living, breathing and regeneratingorganism? Jainism believes so. While the physicaland biological scientists may disagree with such astatement, theywould agree thatEarth meets someof the life criteria ofhomeostasis,unique structuralorganization,adaptation, andaboveallregeneration (if notreproduction). Prof.Jagdish Sheth alsoviews the Earth asa living, breathingand regeneratingorganism, but thispioneer of manyinnovative andfundamentalmarketing ideastakes this conceptfurther to influencea quantum behavioral change in people where itis direly required. In his new book “CHINDIARISING” he has thoroughly analyzed andpresented a compelling case of a major economicgrowth occurring in China and India. He arguesthat such a shift will not only be beneficial to bothChina and India but will help the overalldevelopment of world economy. However, healso gives a stern warning with solid reasoning,that the entire growth model will fall apart if thesecountries do not “Nurture Nature”.In this issue of eJain Digest, we like to honor theCharles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing in theGoizueta Business School at Emory University;Professor Jagdish N. Sheth. Dr. Sheth was oneof the Keynote speakers at the last JAINAconference, where ecology was the theme of theconference. He eloquently presented the case ofhow the core Jain values can play an importantrole in the market dynamics of the future. Whatstruck many in the audience was not just theintellectual depth, but the professor’s cordial stylethat brought out that humble “Jagdishbhai”; a Jaincommunity member.Born in Rangoon in Burma (now Myanmar) as theyoungest of the sixsiblings in 1938,Jagdishbhai had avery humblechildhood. Hisfather, a staunchbeliever inGandhism, was arice trader as somany otherGujaratis who hadgone to Burma. In1941 fearingatrocities due to animminent Japaneseinvasion, the familyleft Burma withpractically nobelongings,returning to theirnative village ofKandagara (near Mundra) in Kutch-Gujarat. Thefamily survived for almost five years from a verymeager income earned by his mother and sisterproducing certain household products and doingsimple chores. Who could possibly imagineseeing a five year old kid roaming aroundbarefooted in the sheris (term for the small villagestreets in Kutch) of Mundra would become one ofthe world’s renowned marketing guru?Some relief came when his sister was married ina relatively well-off Mehta family. Based on thelocation where his two elder brothers took upemployment or started a business, the familymoved between different cities but ultimately thefamily settled in Madras (Chennai) in 1952.Jagdishbhai finished his high school in 1955.Jagdishbhai credits his two elder brothersHimatlal and Gulabchand a lot in shaping hisfuture. Himatlal was a businessman. Gulabchand,on the other hand, was a scholar. He had been anEditor of popular Gujariti magazines and was alsowell versed in the Jain philosophy. It seems26

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jagdish picked up the intellectual tenacity to divedeep into a subject from Gulabchand, whileensuring relevancy and practicality of work fromHimatlal. Jagdishbhai proceeded to finish his B.Com (Honors) with the core subjects ofAccounting, History, and Statistics. While historywas his most favorite subject, one could easilysee that these three subjects formed thefoundation of his future research and analysis. Asa part of his B. Com (Honors), he joined LoyolaCollege for an advanced 3-year course ontaxation, where he was the gold medalist.While at college the person who grew up inMundra started showing his modern trends.Jagdish joined a youth group called SahityaSadan, whose purpose was to encourage andpreserve Gujarati literature. Jagdishbhai wouldnot tell us if he had genuine love for Gujaratiliterature or he had other ulterior motives.Whether it was his impressive looks, scholarlyoutlook, or a just a great tone at reciting poems;he did manage to impress a young school teacherfrom a Jain family. Such a milan would be veryunusual in a conservative Kutchi-Gurjar Jaincommunity in 1957-58. He would subsequentlyask Madhuji to travel all the way to Pittsburg (ashis schedule did not allow him to travel to India),where the couple were married in a classicalIndian tradition in December 1962. This might bethe first wedding of its type for the North AmericanJain community. Credit goes to Mrs. MadhuSheth for bringing up the family of two children inthe Jain vegetarian tradition. She has since beenvery active in community services, was Presidentof the Greater Atlanta Jain Center and is now aDirector of JAINA.After borrowing about Rs15,000 from a Jain trust,family and friends, Jagdishbhai embarked on hisacademic journey to USA in 1961. He joined theMBA program at University of Pittsburg, where hewould subsequently also get his PhD. While, atPittsburg, Jagdishbhai was particularly interestedin Psychology and was impressed by the works ofAbraham Maslow. In one of his MBA term papersin Behavioral Sciences, he examined the workingof institution like government, religion,corporation, and family and came up with somebold predictions. On the government front hepredicted that communism will fail and thosegovernments that will promote entrepreneurshipand independence will see growth in theireconomies. On the corporate front, he saw thevalues shifting from the production model wherefear (job security) was the key factor behindworkers’ productivity, to those companies wherethe workers will be given independence to becreative and productive. On the religious front hehad an interesting perspective; a) when safetyand security are the primary concerns, one needsGod as a protector, b) when things becomesomewhat stable, one need God that loves, andc) when self-esteem and independence take thefront seat, one looks for the God within.Jagdishbhai started his academic career as anAssistant professor at MIT’s Sloan School ofManagement followed by a few years at ColumbiaUniversity. Probably the most productive fifteenyears of his research career were spent at theUniversity of Illinois. Thoroughly enjoying thecampus town environment, he clearly made hismark in the field of marketing, as his stature grew,to become the Chair of the Department to anEndowed Professorship, namely the Walter H.Stellner Distinguished Professor of Marketing. Hewas amongst the first to start collaborativeresearch with the psychology department. He wasa member of the University’s Tenure & Promotioncommittee for over 9 years. Based on the adviceof the academic program committee that he was apart of, UofI became one of the first universities tostart the trend of merging the computer sciencedepartment with the Electrical Engineeringdepartment. It was also during his tenure at UofIthat he started advising AT&T and also trainingtheir executives, a relationship that grew overtime. He was the advisor when AT&T broke-upinto Baby Bells and ironically advised some ofthese companies to merge again in thesubsequent years. Relationships with thetelecommunications companies led him to moveto Southern California to start a Center forTelecommunications Management, at theUniversity of Southern California in 1984. USCawarded him the position of Robert E. BrookerProfessor of Marketing where he stayed until1991. It was again the relationship with BellSouththat motivated Jagdishbhai to move to EmoryUniversity in 1991, where as an Area Coordinatorhe started the Center for Relationship Marketing.27

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009At Emory, he continues to be the Charles H.Kellstadt Professor of Marketing.Many of the career decisions and moves from onelocation to another were mostly guided by threekey principles - nurturing the needs of the family,ability to do highly productive and creative work,and paying his dues back to the society. Early inhis career Jagdishbhai took an interesting step oftaking up an assignment of a Visiting Professor atIIM Calcutta, in the fourth year of its formation.He felt it was the right time to take his two childrenback to India, and also serve the mother country.In order to expose his children to the world, helater took up an assignment at CopenhagenSchool of Business in 1976. Even though therewere many opportunities and invitations at largermetro areas, he decided to go to University ofIllinois, which is a campus town that promotedraising the family up with strong values. The moveto Emory was also geared in part to avoid theextended daily commute of LA metropolis.Jagdishbhai strongly believes in contributing backto the very roots where he has gained a lot. Hehas an active “Sheth Trust” involved in variouscharitable activities. He has set up multipleendowments at UofI, Pitt and at Emory to supportvarious academic scholarly activities orInternational pioneering work.Description of Jagdishbhai will not be completewithout some mention of his groundbreakingresearch. If we were to list each and everyresearch publication, published books, bookreviews, academic & professional honors, numberof doctoral students who graduated under him ordissertation committee that he presided, majorconsulting assignments, other articles, and newsworthy interactions, we would fill a complete book!Decent amount of this information is available onhis web site; www.jagsheth.net. One can easilysay he contributed to at least one fundamentalmarketing or a change idea during every decadeof his academic presence. His initial publicationswere more geared towards basic concepts ofmarketing, however his later publications seem toaddress many interdisciplinary and globaleconomic subjects.The Endowed Professor Jagdish Nanchand Shethhas clearly made exemplary academic, social,and professional contributions. We in the Jaincommunity are proud to have such an intellectualgiant among us. The challenge for this marketinggenius is to combine all his skills and experienceto effectively sell the concept of “NurturingNature” to the world, a concept that isdesperately needed to save the Living, Breathingand Regenerating Mother Earth.In 1989, Jagdishbhai was given the OutstandingMarketing Educator award by the Academy ofMarketing Science. In 1991 and again in 1999, hewas given the Outstanding Educator Award by theSales and Marketing Executives International(SMEI). Jagdishbhai was also awarded the P.D.Converse Award for his outstanding contributionsto theory in marketing in 1992 by AmericanMarketing Association. In 1996, Jagdishbhai wasselected as the Distinguished Fellow of theAcademy of Marketing Science. In 1997,Jagdishbhai was awarded the DistinguishedFellow award from the International EngineeringConsortium. He is also a Fellow of the AmericanPsychological Association (APA). 2004 marked astellar year for Jagdishbhai as he was awardedboth the Richard D. Irwin Distinguished MarketingEducator Award and the Charles Coolidge ParlinAward which are the two highest awards given bythe American Marketing Association.28

Empowerment based on Jain ValueseJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Reproduced form a previous issue of Jain Digest.“Don’t give uplearning. Learningis not only whatyou get at school itis also at work. Solet learning beyour guide as youmove forward.Keep creating newopportunities foryourself and thepeople who workfor you. Make surethat your decisionsare driven by the right values and don’t give up onethical behavior.”“If you take the ‘L’ from ‘learning,’ the ‘O’ from‘opportunity,’ the ‘V’ from ‘values’ and the ‘E’ from‘ethics,’ you know what it means. Feel the love,love your work and spread the love around.”The words above are those of person who grewup in Tezpur (Assam) and got his master’s degreein mathematical statistics from GuwahatiUniversity in 1978. The path that led this brightyoung man from a lecturer in Guwahati Universityto the Dean of one of the top rated BusinessManagement School in the world is truly amazing.Dipakji was brought up in a religious DigambaraJain Family. The Jain values were ingrained inhim. While studying and teaching at GuwahatiUniversity, he would regularly go the Jain templelocated in central Guwahati about 20kms from thecampus. Dipakji carried with him the values ofpeace, patience, forgiveness, etc., all ingredientsof Ahimsa; when he departed India on Jan 6,1983 for his further studies at the University ofTexas, Dallas.Dipakji’s intellect, analytical skills and teachingabilities were aptly demonstrated right from hiscollege days in India. He was the recipient of theJawaharlal Nehru Merit Award, Government ofIndia, Gold Medalist for both his graduate andpost-graduate studies in Guwahati, and wasawarded the Outstanding Educator Award by theState of Assam in 1982. The quality of his work inUT-Dallas could be noticed by quality of his earlypapers and the awards he received.While Dipakji credits having the right kind ofknowledge at the right time for his selection asAssistant Professor of Marketing at the KelloggSchool of Management, Northwestern University,we should look at a slightly larger picture behindhis modesty. The applications resulting form thegrowth of computing and networking industrywere already starting to produce a large amountof data. This raw data needed to be appropriatelyanalyzed and processed to generate usefulinformation and knowledge of customer behavior.The marketing professional of the next generationwould have to develop insight of the customerbehavior patterns from the information andknowledge gained. The award-worthy researchpapers 1 based on Dipakji’s original research workdemonstrated his strong statistical, mathematicaland analytical ability. However, we believe thatduring the numerous interviews and lectures thathe must have given at the Kellogg School, Dipakjimust have effectively presented the vision of amanagement school of the future.Once in Kellogg Dipakji has been consistentlyawarded for his outstanding teaching andresearch. In a relatively short span of 15 yearsDipakji grew form an Assistant Professor ofMarketing to the Dean of Kellogg School ofManagement, Northwestern University. Now atthe helm of a highly recognized ManagementSchools for 6 years, he is converting his visionthat he envisioned, about 20 years ago intoreality. As a Sandy and Morton GoldmanProfessor in Entrepreneurial Studies and aprofessor of marketing at the Kellogg School,Dipakji continues his activities of research andteaching. His research areas include themarketing of high-tech products; marketsegmentation and competitive market structure1 "Effect of Price on the Demand for Durables: Modeling,Estimation and Findings," (with Ram C. Rao), Journal of Businessand Economic Statistics, 8, (April 1990), 163-170. (A review ofthis paper was published in the International Journal ofForecasting.)"Modeling Purchase Timing and Brand Switching BehaviorIncorporating Explanatory Variables and UnobservedHeterogeneity," (with Naufel J. Vilcassim), Journal of MarketingResearch, 28, (February 1991), 29-41. (A finalist for the O'DellAward)29

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009analysis; cross-cultural issues in global productdiffusion; new product diffusion; and forecastingmodels. He has more than 50 papers published inleading academic journals. In 2003, he wasappointed as a foreign affairs adviser for thePrime Minister of Thailand. He has served as aconsultant to many organizations and also servesas a member of the board of directors of HartmarxCorporation, John Deere and Company, NorthernTrust Corporation, and Peoples Energy. He isalso a former director of United Airlines.Dipakji has always believed that one does not winby putting another person or organization down.He strives to get the best out of people aroundhim, may it be a student, a person working forhim, his peer, or for that matter even his superior.He achieves this goal by following the practice ofnon-violence. His approach of patience,forgiveness and above all recognizing thediversity of human nature the way it is, has helpedhim bring about a change in people around him.Dipakji treasures his relationship with the formerDean, now Dean Emeritus of Kellogg SchoolDonald Jacobs. While, he does not take full creditfor converting Dean Jacobs to a vegetarian, hedefinitely had a lot of influence on him. Since,taking over as Dean, he has driven Kellogg tocreate leaders that can not only effectivelymanage and foster a team but ensure and makepeople in the team believe they are growing. This,in his view, is the single largest attribute thatgenerates employee loyalty, and employee loyaltyis one of the biggest assets a corporation canhave. In his view fear, intimidation, or short-termincentives do not work in the long-term. Thepartner-centric organization of Kellogg, where allstudents and instructors work as partners impartsthis training. This technique of training not onlybuilds strong analytical and communication skillsneeded by a strong leader but also makes theindividual a socially responsible leader.Dipakji has successfully demonstrated that certainvalues emphasized in the Indian culture can bevery effective tools for next generation of GlobalLeaders. However instead of using any Indianepic to explain the importance of these values heuses Shakespeare for the same purpose. In aneloquently written article he draws an analogybetween Shakespeare’s writing and its relevanceto modern leadership. The article brings out howpositive attributes like forgiveness, honesty,community value, justice, etc, build better leaders,while negatives such as greed, jealousy, etc. aredetrimental to society and to the very self-interestof leaders themselves. He also brings out thepoint that good leader will not ask the teammembers to do anything the leader would notattempt himself/herself.Dipakji places values at the center of a frameworkfor personal growth, which he sees as supportedby three main forces: IQ (mental intelligence), EQ(emotional intelligence) and MQ (moralintelligence). While the first of these may berecognized as a traditional marker of intelligence,it is the second two – which Dipakji describes asemotional intelligence and moral intelligence –that interest him most. Without these twoelements, your values can’t be fully lived anddon’t have an impact on those around you. As heis fond of saying: “To forgive is good, to forgetis better and to move forward is the best.”The marketing pundits have their different ways ofunderstanding the marketing framework, forexample, Dr Kotler's long-standing theory of fourPs - product, price, promotion, and place, or Dr.Jagdish N. Sheth’s (also follower of Jain Tradition)new framework of four As - acceptability,affordability, accessibility and awareness. Dipakjipoints to the need of a fifth P (People). In his viewbusiness is about people, the trust and confidencethat a customer has is what makes a business.Companies need to create value for theircustomers, capture that value, and present thevalue to the customers. Once the customerunderstands the value offered that goes beyondthe product they will appropriately pay for theproduct.As the guest editors of a Jain magazine we arealso tempted to analyze the relationship of Dipakjiwith his customers; may it be students, peers orcolleagues, companies, other persons he dealswith. It seems he has followed a three prongformula of:a) Faith (Value System & Proper Perception)b) Knowledge (Analysis, Information, Insightand Research)c) Conduct (Following the values system andimpressing other of the value system).30

I have to be honest about something. Before lastsummer, I knew very little about Jainism beyond asmall article I recall reading when I was a kid. Sowhen I was contacted about speaking about theenvironment at the Jaina Conference in SouthernCalifornia, I decided to do a little research before Ishowed up.Let me just say….wow. I wasabsolutely shocked andelated with what I learned.While there are obviouslymany aspects to Jainism, itoccurred to me, that here wasan entire religion basedspecifically on the values thatI espouse. Non-violence,honesty, a respect for allliving things, and aphilosophy that revolvesaround NOT acquiringthings?Simply fantastic.The conference itself was anincredible experience for meand, what I had read aboutwas only bolstered by thewonderful people that I metthat day. And now, a fewmonths past, I have beenasked again to contributesomething to the Jainacommunity and I couldn't bemore pleased.So here it is. It's directed atall of the kids reading this, but you parents shouldread on because you're a part of this too.There is power in youth.Now I know many of you reading this are thinking"huh, that's it?" and yes, that's it.I teach an environmental seminar called ChasingSustainability to school kids all over the countryand while I discuss consumption, trash,renewable energy, and a host of other things, theeJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Dave Chameides SpeaksDave Chameides was one of the impressivespeakers at the JAINA conference. We askedhim to send a message to the community.10 Things To Do Right Now1. Stop drinking plastic waterbottles.2. Stop taking plastic bags.3. Use a reusable coffee cup.4. Don't drive one day aweek.5. Turn the lights off whenyou leave the room.6. Unplug your appliancesand chargers when not inuse.7. Refuse, re-use, recycle –Before buying anything askyourself if you want it orneed it.8. Shop at farmers markets.9. Bring your own knife, forkand spoon with you andsay no to plastic.10. Recognize that nothing istruly disposable and beresponsible for what youconsume.larger concept that I leave students with is thatthey have more power than they can possiblycomprehend. And with that power, if usedcorrectly, can come incredible change. Andchange is what we need right now.You see, we adults have a lot of things going onin our lives. Marriages, kids,businesses, debts, bills, midlife crisis', and a whole hostof other things that take upway too much of our time. Sowhen it comes to somethingseemingly simple, like givingup on plastic water bottles,ditching those plastic bags, orturning off the lights, we havetrouble prioritizing andrecognizing what, in thegrander scheme, is trulyimportant. Sure making agood living is great, but if youhave all the money in theworld and no fresh water todrink…..well good luck withthat.That's why we need you, allthe young people who arereading this, to stand up andsay enough is enough.Enough plastic water bottles,enough plastic bags, enoughdriving down the block to thestore, enough conspicuousconsumption. Enough.Because without all thoseobligations clouding yourjudgment, you, the Jaina youth, have the ability tounderstand that water is what it's all about. Youhave the ability to recognize that a planet filledwith plastic is not one you want to inherit. Youhave the ability to understand that theconsequences of your actions are yourresponsibility whether you are aware of them ornot.So what I would like each and every one of you todo, not tomorrow, not next week, but right now, is31

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009walk over to your parents and say "Starting today,I am no longer going to drink out of plastic waterbottles anymore". When they ask you why tellthem that it is more expensive. Tell them that ofthe more than 3 Billion plastic water bottlesdisposed of last year, only a fraction were actuallyrecycled. Tell them that you aren't interested indrinking Bisphenol A, a hormone disruptor that isfound in the plastic resin those bottles are madefrom. Tell them that you aren't interested indrinking water that is not regulated for purity. Andmost importantly, tell them that as a Jain, whorespects all life on the planet, you can't activelydeny someone else of their water supply, as ishappening now in Fiji, when you have perfectlydrinkable water flowing into your house.Tell them these things and see what they say. Doit respectfully, but let them know that this isimportant to you and that it should be important tothem as well. And you know what will happen?Before long, they will follow in your footsteps.Why? Because deep down inside, they'll knowthat you are right and they will learn from you.And how do I know this? Because when I was akid, this is how we got our parents to startrecycling, by doing it ourselves and showing themwhat was important, truly important. It's just thatsimple.Yes, there is power in youth beyond your wildestbeliefs. But it only works, if you are willing to useit.For more tips on limiting your environmentalfootrpint, check out www.sustainabledave.org.The Environmental and Ecological Teachings of Tirthankara MahaviraSadhvi ShilapiSadhvi Shilapiji hasbeen the EducationDirector of Veerayatan– Kutch since 2001when the campus wasfirst established to helpthe victims of thedevastatingearthquake. She holdsa Master of Commercedegree from DelhiUniversity, and aMaster of Philosophydegree from King’sCollege, London. Shebegan her spiritual journey at the age of 26. Herproficiency in six languages has enabled her totouch the lives of a wide cross-section of peoplein India and abroad. Sadhvi Shilapiji frequentlylectures at Oxford, Harvard and other internationalinstitutions.The Ecological CrisisWe are in the midst of an unprecedentedenvironmental and ecological crisis, at the centreof which, clearly, lies the human race. It is thehuman community, among all forms of life on thisplanet, which is interfering with the laws of natureshilapiji@hotmail.comby squandering her gifts and destrong otherspecies. Ironically, the recent and urgent desireto protect the environment has not arisen becausewe have begun to hear the cries of plants,animals and other forms of life – a direct result ofour maltreatment of them – but because humanlife itself is now in danger. That is, the depletionof these elements may result in a legacy for ourchildren and our grandchildren of compromisedimmune systems, increased infectious diseaseand cancer rates, destroyed plants and thedisruption of the food chain. I wonder: Would wehave the same concern, the same worry for otherforms of life, if human life had not been in danger?Would we give the protection of the environment asecond thought?Mahavira’s Life EthicsFrom the beginning, Tirthankara Mahaviracampaigned for ecological preservation not solelybecause of his desire to protect human life, butalso because of his concern for the pain sufferedby living beings in the animal and vegetablerealms. Through scriptures such as the AcarangaSutra (ca.400 BCE), the first in the SvetambaraJain tradition, Mahavira fundamentally influencedour understanding of and attitudes toward theenvironment. In short, he believed in the equalityof, and reverence for, all forms of life. He32

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009included in his definition of life not only all beingsthat can move, but also the earth, air, water andvegetation. Moreover, he considered any injury tothese forms of life a sinful act. “Vegetation haslife just as human beings have life,” he stated. “Itis born as are human beings; its body grows andfeels pain when pricked or cut with weapons.”Mahavira further proclaimed that anyone whoneglects or disregards the existence of earth, air,water, and vegetation disregards his ownexistence, which is intrinsically bound up withthem.This notion of the symbiotic relationship ofhumans to their environment appears in theearliest Jain scriptures, including in theAdipurana, the epic poem about the firstTirthankara, Rusabha Dev. This text emphasizesthat forests moderate the climate, protect againstthunderstorms and floods, shelter the neighboringareas from cold winds, and enable the constantflow of rivers. They provide a habitat for wildlife,fodder for animals, innumerable industrial rawmaterials, and countless sources of vegetationwith medicinal and healing properties. It is thusthe duty of all to protect and preserve the forest.Mahavira actively propagated these ideas andwent on to make the protection and care of life inall its manifestations an obligatory duty for allJains. Some may think that divine-humanrelations are considered more important than therelationship between humans and the naturalworld. However, sarvajnyata, the perfectknowledge of Mahavira or of any Tirthankara andfor which we all strive, is not only defined as theknowledge of past, present, and future, but alsoas an extraordinary capacity for experiencing thepain and pleasure of all beings. Tirthankarashave attained this great state of empathy by thepurification of their soul. And at the root of theJain path of purification is the concept of ahimsa,that is, of nonviolence.Carefulness so as to avoid violence to all livingthings, as Mahavira defined them, thus becamethe norm for the Jain way of life. This developedto the extent that those who renounce the worldare required to take precautions for the protectionof life before every action they perform. It is not acoincidence, then, that a Jain follower’s dailyprayer includes the following: “I confess to anyinjury caused by the path of my movement, in allmy comings and goings, in treading on livingthings, in treading on seeds, in treading on greenplants, in treading on dew, on beetles, on mould,on moist earth, and on cobwebs” and so on.At the same time, Mahavira was clearly consciousof the fact that according to his philosophy,whatever humans do, whether it be eating,walking, sitting or even breathing, we arecommitting acts of violence, interfering withnature, and contributing to the destruction of theenvironment. Still, he said, “If you are aware of allyour actions, and are careful about what you do inrelation to other living things, you will developspirituality and be in perfect harmony with thenatural world.” If this harmony is achieved, thelong term outlook for the global environmentwould change dramatically.Nonviolence and Ecology in PracticeMahavira carried this philosophy into theworkplace, preaching to his disciples that theytake care to avoid professions that destroy natureand perpetuate violence. Jains are clearlyforbidden, for instance, from earning a livingthrough the destruction of plants, cart-making, anytrade in animal by-products, liquor, alcohol,poisons, weapons, and other substances thathave the potential to injure animals, insects, orplant life. Significantly, rejection of such tradesalso requires that Jains not consume the productsof these trades. At the same time, by limitingone’s use of resources and possessions – one ofthe major vows that the Jain laity observes – onecan also minimize one’s environmental impact.Tirthankara Mahavira’s life offers a profoundexample of one living in ecological harmony. Heused resources sparingly, ate just enough tosurvive, had no dwelling of his own, and nopossessions whatsoever. His life shows thatprogress along a spiritual path does not forbidsomeone from being concerned about theenvironment and the world around him The twoare not mutually exclusive, and may, in somesenses, be symbiotic.Moving forward along the path toward purificationrequires not only that we strive not to commitviolence, but also that we work actively topromote peace, reverence, justice, and tolerancein the world.I come from Bihar, the place of TirthankaraMahavira’s birth, teaching, and final death andwhere most of the population lives below thepoverty line. Villagers cut down trees for fuel for33

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009cooking and sell wood as a way to earn a living.People feed on rats, empty the lakes and pondsof fish to survive, and continue to performsacrificial rituals. The impact on the localenvironment is profound.Veerayatan, a Jain institution established in Biharand run by Jain sadhvis (nuns), is takingpreventative measures to save the environment.Veeryatan has by planted thousands of trees, andby provided drinking water, food, shelter andemployment to thousands in the community toreduce individuals’ dependence on remainingnatural resources. Above all, Veerayatan isconveying moral and ethical values about theimportance of ecological balance and minimizingviolence. As a result, thousands of people in thearea have given up drinking alcohol, killinganimals, chopping trees, and eating meat.Religion is often seen as passive andunconcerned with the world. In Veerayatan, thereverse is true. The sadhvi-led activism atVeerayatan, enacted on a daily basis, is rooted inTirthankara Mahavira’s universal principle that thesun, air, water, and nature give of themselvessilently and selflessly all the time. It would beselfish on our part if we take and do not at leastreturn a portion in our lifetime. A life ofrenunciation, and being mindful of the violence wecommit in the world, carries us forward along thepath of spiritual development, allowing us to live inecological harmony and thus better protect ourprecious environment.Sacred Balance: An Active PursuitSamir DoshiSamir.Doshi@uvm.eduSamir Doshi resides in Burlington, VT. He is aSystems Ecologistfor Ocean Arks,International and aDoctoral Candidateat the Gund Institutefor EcologicalEconomics at theUniversity ofVermont. Samirworks withimpoverishedcommunities to help restore degraded landscapesand develop an economic return around arestoration economy.A certain degree of physical harmony and comfortis necessary, but above a certain level it becomesa hindrance instead of help. Therefore, the idealof creating an unlimited number of wants andsatisfying them seems to be a delusion and asnare.-- Mahatma GandhiWe sleep. We wake and meditate. We pray andrecite mantras. We do yoga and breathe.Throughout the course of our days and our lives,we seek balance. At our most simple form, westrive for harmony. Jain philosophy describes thepursuit of balance and Ahimsa as liberation fromsamsara – the attainment of moksha. But,regardless of what awaits us in the life after this,the need for balance is inherent and eternal. Thisis our true nature. This essay is entitled ‘SacredBalance’ as a reference to geneticist andenvironmental philosopher David Suzuki’s workon humanity’s place in nature.Balance is often thought of as a passive exercise.If I do nothing, then I will affect nothing andpresumably have balance. But this is impossible. Ido things, many things – all the time! How do Iattain balance, liberation, happiness? The answercan be found as readily in science as it is inspirituality. Newton’s third law of motion describeseach action as having a simultaneous reactionwith equal force in the opposite direction. Chinesephilosophy recognizes the concept of yin yang asopposing forces that are interdependent andnaturally give rise to each other. In the spiritualplane within ourselves, time does not exist as itdoes in the physical plane. Each action is notinstantaneous, but lasts for an unspecified period.This means that the reaction that maintains thebalance could be delayed, and might have not yetoccurred. Just as we initiated the original action,we must undertake the reaction. This is an activeexercise.I am not assuming that our actions are allnegative or positive. They simply are, and they allhave an effect on the self and the planet. The34

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009renowned chemist, James Lovelock, developedthe Gaia hypothesis in 1965, which states that allthe living and non-living components of our planetform a complex holistic single organism thatregulates itself physically and chemically. In otherwords, there is a scientific consensus that theEarth also seeks balance and utilizes actions andreactions to self-regulate. Presently, our societyand our planet are incredibly unbalanced. Ourspecies is taxing the environment at anunprecedented level and is continuing to grow atan exponential rate. As Gandhi professed overhalf a century ago, we have an unlimited numberof wants and cannot sustain our current way oflife. Unless we act, the reaction of the planet tothe disruption of the climate will entail morehurricanes, larger monsoons, and a sea level risethat will bring about the migration of hundreds ofmillions of ‘climate refugees.’ The Earth isawaiting our reaction before it becomes soimbalanced that it is forced to act.History shows that whenever our culture hastaken on a change of course, the initial phaseyields the largest results. The greatest need is atthe moment of change, and this is when thegreatest effect can be actualized. The originalagricultural revolution, the French revolution, andthe industrial revolution – all encompassed turningpoints in the history of our species and all wereactively accomplished. We are in the midst ofanother turning point that is being called, ‘TheGreen Industrial Revolution,’ combining ingenuity,vigor and the pursuit of lessening our impact andachieving a balance. There is a place for each ofus in this movement: young and old, male andfemale, immigrants and nationals.The action with the greatest impact that we cangrasp onto right now is education. We each needto educate ourselves and our communities onhow to lessen the impact on our planet and attaina harmony within ourselves. Globally, educationhas reduced poverty and disease, and increasedprosperity, social capital, human well-being and agreater respect for our environment. Two of thelargest developing countries, India and China, arefollowing the example of the United States withrespect to consumption and waste. Education isintegral in helping these countries develop in asustainable fashion. You might feel that this is awaste of time – you already know how to reduceyour impact on the planet. What are you currentlydoing? Are you doing everything you can? Do youknow what else you can do? This is whereeducation can aid your actions. It will allow you tomaximize the output of each action, andsubsequently have the greatest impact.Education is at the heart of Jain dharma. We lookinwards to learn more about ourselves and ourinteraction with others. Our culture prides itself onour aptitude and welfare. The next logical step isthe integration of our prosperity and spirituality.The musical definition of harmony is thesimultaneous combination of notes that fittogether in a balance. A spiritual definition ofharmony is a natural extension of Ahimsa, as wellas yin yang.We must utilize our resources to encourage abalance between our species and oursurroundings. In this action, we can attain asacred balance within ourselves.35

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jains Go GreenHetal & Suken Jainsukenjain@gmail.comHetal works in theClimate ProgramOffice at the NationalOceanic andAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA) inWashington, DC. Sheis a technical advisorto the director. Hetalhas had a personaland professionalinterest inenvironmental issuesfor over a decade.Suken is attendingthe MBA programGeorgetownUniversity. He hasatbeen active with theJain Center ofSouthern Californiaand YJA. He helpedorganize YJAConvention 2000 inLos Angeles.One who neglects or disregards the existence ofearth, air, fire, water and vegetation disregards hisown existence which is entwined with them.– Lord MahavirLord Mahavir stated these words thousands ofyears ago, and they ring as true today. Jainismteaches us to take care of ourselves, our planet,and all living beings. Many climate-relatedchanges are already being observed globally andwithin the United States, including changes in airand water temperatures, sea level, freshwatersupply, frequency and/or severity of intensehurricanes and heavy downpours, loss of sea ice,etc. Scientific studies show that we are alreadyexpecting to the sea level to rise one meter overthe next hundred years which could devastatemany coastal communities. This prediction couldbe an underestimate if we continue to increaseour greenhouse gas emissions. While one personmay not be able to stop or reverse climatechange, it is our Jain and civic duty to do our part.There are a number of things that can be done onthe individual, community and national level. First,at the individual level there is a wide range ofsimple actions we can all take. Basic thingsinclude replacing light bulbs with energy efficientones (CFLs), keeping car tires inflated and takingour own reusable bags to the grocery storeinstead of using plastics bags. Other easy butbigger actions include installing solar panels onour houses. All across the United States,especially in California and Arizona, solar panelsare being heavily subsidized through governmenttax credits and are even a large cost savings inthe long run.Each individual action seems minor, but collectiveindividual actions can have significant impacts.For example, if every family in the United Stateschanged one light bulb to an energy efficient bulb,we would reduce carbon dioxide emissions bymore than 90 billion pounds which would be theequivalent of taking over one million cars off theroad! Each of us should think globally, but actlocally, which translates to making a difference inour communities. A great place to start is our ownJain communities. Our Jain temples regularly usedisposable products, including Styrofoam andplastic utensils, which are made from petroleumand pile up in landfills, but there are affordablealternatives. Also, we can opt to power our JainCenters from renewable power sources by talkingto the utility companies. As new temples are builtor renovated, we can look into green buildingpractices and becoming LEED certified. Thesepractices use fewer raw materials, less water, lessenergy, and lower utility costs. We need toeducate our leaders so that our Jain Centers canbecome an example for the communities we livein. We can carry these same messages to ourschools or workplaces to make an even biggerimpact.On a national level, we can become educatedabout the policies of our Congressional36

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009representatives. Ask them to support polices thatwill help us solve our problems related to climate,energy and the environment. Talk to friends andfamily across the country and encourage them totake these same actions since the greater thenumber that emulate this vision that Lord Mahavirespoused, the greater the effect we can all havein protecting all living beings.So of the countless things you can do, where doyou start and where can you get moreinformation? In 2007, Jains Go Green wascreated to help people make a personalcommitment to becoming more environmentallyfriendly and follow the words of Lord Mahavir. Italso provides resources for actions to take at theindividual, local and national level. Visitwww.JainsGoGreen.com to start becoming moreenvironmentally aware today and take action now!Farewell Message from the Past President (Continued from Page 5)Looking forward, allow me to express my thoughts on the following:I sincerely believe that a two-year term is too short a period for any President to plan and implement itsagenda for a large organization like JAINA. JAINA’s programs have a far-reaching impact on Jaincommunities not only in North America but also all over the world. Proposing new ideas, debating,developing consensus and implementing them do take time. Another big concern of mine relates toJAINA’s financial health. As a largest organization of Jains with worldwide recognition, JAINA is alsounique in that it has no assured source of funding for its core activities. A capital drive that will create acorpus fund needs to be created.Lastly, I would like to plead that in addition to the electronic format, JAINA should also continue topublish the printed version of JAIN DIGEST as has been done since 1985. While electronic edition ofJAIN DIGEST on the web is an excellent idea, majority of our readership is not ready to switch fromprint to electronic media. Past leaders and volunteers have invested a lot of sweat capital in creatingand sustaining JAIN DIGEST since it’s founding in 1985. It is a powerful communication tool and avisual reminder of JAINA’s existence. More than 1,000 copies are mailed overseas to Jain Centers,libraries and community leaders in India, UK and other countries. Matrimonial service provided by JAINDIGEST is one very important service JAINA has provided that helps preserve our culture.Discontinuing the print edition will break faith with almost 1,000 life members who voluntarilycontributed to special endowment fund for JAIN DIGEST. For a period of time, both the print edition andthe electronic edition can be co published and opinions of all the stakeholders should govern the futuredecision.In closing, I want to thank all the friends and well-wishers who advised me and helped me with my workin JAINA specially the board of Directors and members of the Executive Committee with whom Iserved. It was a privilege to know them and it was a great learning experience for me. I hope tocontinue to contribute to the advancement of our beloved organization - JAINA. In the spirit ofParyushan Parva and Daslakshana Parva we just observed, I seek everyone’s forgiveness for any hurtfeelings I may have caused knowingly or unknowingly during my term as President or in this message.MICHHAMI DUKKADAM.SincerelyDilip V ShahPast President, JAINA37

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009A Gujarati PoemPallavi Doshiteaches IndianCulture & History toPathshala teens atthe Jain Center ofSouthern California.She is interested innature and travel,and how thesethemes interact inthe arts. Herhobbies includepainting and writingpoetries.Pallavi.doshi@gmail.com38

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Maintaining Relevance & Essence of the MessageWhile transiting through time, context changes and communication evolution-An Essay by eJain Digest Editorial TeamAbstract: Change is eternal, it is the essence of life. Throughout history the modes ofcommunication have changed, from simple chemical based communication of plantlife to today’s viral modes of communication like twitter. The contexts, the languages,the societies too change continually with time. Yet, when a message can maintain itsessence through all these changes, it speaks to the genius of the messenger. Thisessay weaves together three different ideas - of evolution of life, evolution ofcommunication modes, and communicating ideas through all these changes - tothrow light on the genius of Mahavir, the great communicator, whose 2600+ year oldmessage is still relevant in today’s world. And it poses a question for the Jains ofNorth America – can we too evolve, adapt and embrace the changes (of kshetra,bhaav, kaal, and dravya as well as rapidly changing communication modes) andparticipate in this new experiment of eJainDigest, to go from the days of monolog todialog to collaborative communication, and carry forward the essence of Mahavir’smessage for another 2600+ years?The clear distinction between Jiv (living) and Ajiv(non-living) and the level of detailedunderstanding of the various life forms is uniqueto Jain thought. What is most amazing is that thisknowledge of the ancient Nirgranth faith (oldname for Jainism) is consistent with the currentscientific thinking in many respects. Jainism talksextensively of independent single celled livingcreatures. However, the sheer knowledge ofliving cell in the scientific world did not start till themicroscope was developed. The detailed workingof a cell that formed the basis of the modern CellTheory was only published in 1837 by the Frenchscientist Henri Dutrochet. To make a claim of anyearly scientific discovery by Jain philosopherswould not be appropriate as Jain philosophy andarguments were geared towards spiritualisms andto drive its core message towards self purification.However, this and various other similar examplesdoes establish the depth and consistency of Jainthought, and that it relied greatly onunderstanding and explaining the nature of thingsand not just on faith.Extending the discussion of living further, thescientific community is still not able to define life inunequivocal terms. It defines life broadly withcharacteristics of homeostasis which is regulatingto maintain a desired state, regular and somewhatdefined structure of one or more cells,metabolism, growth, adaptation - both in terms ofadjusting to a situation and process of evolutionover time, reproduction, and response to stimuli.Jainism broadly agrees with these observations,but goes further to define a living organism inunequivocal terms by bringing the concept of soulas being the essence of all living and a source ofconsciousness. It extends this concept with theidea of a constantly changing environment withthe binding and unbinding of Karmic particles withthe soul. The Karmic bonding curtails, filters, anddistorts the powers of the soul. Thus, the level ofconsciousness or the state of life-form is definedby the level and depth of these karmic bonding.Both Jainism and science agree that humans arethe most evolved beings on this Earth, and mostlydistinguish themselves with highly developedsense of adaptation and refined complex methodsof recognizing and responding to stimuli as wellas deliberate thought process. Central toenhancing and elevating this ability of thoughtprocess is the sophisticated method developed byhumans – the art of communication.Recent scientific finding have confirmed that eventhe most primitive single celled species use somemethod of communication. Plants as a wholetend to release certain chemicals when underthreat, which in-turn trigger neighboring plants toincrease their defense mechanisms. While everylife-form uses some means of communication toassist in its survival, growth, and adaptation, onlyhumans have used this technique to communicatethoughts and ideas not immediately associatedwith survival, and consequently have evolved asthe most dominant species on earth in a relatively39

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009short period of time. Based on availableevidence life on earth began about 3.5 billionyears ago, although the human ancestry asdistinct from either ape or chimp is only about 3.5millions years old. (Note the recent discovery ofArdipithecus ramidus). Many of these earlyhuman-like figures migrated to various parts of theworld but genetic analysis indicates that theyseem to have become extinct since currenthuman beings do not share the genes of the earlymigrates. The current human race known asHomo-sapiens, is only about 250,000 years old.They are believed to have started migrating outAfrica about 60-80,000 years ago. One suchmigration has been accurately traced usinggenetic analysis along the Indian coast all the wayto Australia. One recent research suggests thatmajority of the people of India are a result of twosets of early migration, one that occurred 80,000years ago and second that occurred about 40,000years ago. This refutes the earlier Europeantheory of Aryan - Dravidian divide. This recentevidence suggests that India has one of the oldestinhabitants of humans second only to Africa. Onekey distinguishing feature of homo-sapiens wastheir brain size, which in turn correlates to betterlearning and communication skills. Having learntthe art to develop and use tools, andcommunicating and always accumulating on thegained knowledge from one generation to thenext, nothing stopped the humans in theirevolutionary progress.For almost 240 thousand years homo-sapienslived like nomads. The agriculture era startedabout 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. With humansliving in a settled community, things started to# ofYearsagoSpecies or Event orSpecific Period3.4 Billion Microbial Mats: EarlyLife form on Earth,200 DinosaursMillion60 Million Modern Mammals(close to currentspecies)Communication ModeChemical ExchangePrimitive sounds andactionsSounds, actions, andsmellFormation that assist learningLarge coloniesSome Herd behaviorsBoth solitary and herd mentality3.5 Million Hominid (Part of theHomo family)Sounds, actions,handling objectsSmall herds, primitive use of stoneweapons,250ThousandHomo sapiens(Humans)Some words, sounds,signs, actions, handlingobjectsEarly formation of Nomadic tribes.Starting to build on collectiveknowledge.10ThousandAgriculture Age Primitive Language (startof oral communication)Small settlements, villages, someform of culture.5300 Early civilizations,Early metal use.Language, ideographicor syllabic writingCities, culture, impressiveconstruction.3900 Formation ofKingdomsLanguage sophistication,alphabetic writing (startKingdoms, different forms ofgovernments.of Manuscript Era)575 Johann Gutenberg’sprinting machineBeginning of the PrintEraAbility to communicate ideas tomasses175 to 80 Telegraph,telephone,Beginning of ElectricMediaImmediate communication beyondlocal geographiesphotography, radio& TV10 to 15 Internet Beginning of Internet Era Instant communication, informationretrieval at will (pull of information)2 to 5 Social Networking /Web 2.0Beginning of ViralCommunicationNot just one-to-one or one-to-manybut many-to-many communicationTable 1: Evolution History of Communication40

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009progress fast. The discovery of metals led tosophisticated tools, and by 3500 BC (5500 yearback) kingdoms and civilization began to appear.This is around the same time when we startedseeing the development of natural languages andthe use of script (writing) evolved. Over the next5,000 years, as human kingdoms spreadthroughout the earth, wide variety of languagesdeveloped, some with complex scripts, grammar,huge vocabulary, and phrases, to allow humansto exchange their ideas in a very precise manner.The next quantum jump in communication did notcome till 1439 with the creation of Gutenberg'smovable type printing (credit for the first printingmachine probably goes to Chinese Bi Sheng, butthat machine never became popular).Photography added a new dimension to printing,with the first newspapers with photographs startedappearing by 1880. The ability to communicateinstantaneously over long distance came with theinvention of the Electric telegraph in 1837. Thetelephone was invented in 1876. Other relevantinventions in late 19th century or early 20thcentury were the motion picture and the audiotape recorder. From a communications standpoint, the 20th century was a century of broadcastmedia with radio followed by television. The lastmajor invention of the 20th century supporting theprint media was the Xerox machine. The joint andsomewhat parallel technological advances backedby huge corporate and venture funding in thelatter half of the 20th century in computers,microprocessors, Local Area Network (LAN),personal computers, common network protocol,Wide Area Networks (WAN), Routers and PacketSwitches, simple to use browsers, intelligentsearch technology, and digital storage led to whatwe call the Internet boom in year 2000 and theDot-Com- bust in 2001. This led the New YorkTimes columnist Thomas L. Friedman to say;“The World Is Flat”. Friedman was referring to thegreat equalizing element that allows an individualanywhere on the globe to receive up-to-dateinformation, respond back, and open the doors forintellectual work to be performed anywhere.Maybe we are too literal in not interpreting thelanguage in the Jain scripture correctly, whichalso mentions that the “world is flat”. Table 1,depicts the evolution history of communication.Some believe the first Jain TirththankarRishabhdev lived during the era of transition fromnomadic Stone Age to a settled Agrictulture Age.If we go by historical evidence, then this datewould be about 10,000 years ago. These datesdo not coincide with the specific dates andtimeframes in the Jain literature. However,evidences from the Vedic scripts, extendeddescription of Rishabh as the king who taughtpeople agriculture, and the analysis of Terracottaseals from the Harrapa and Mohenjodaro periods(at least the Sharaman tradition friendly version)point to such a time period.During the time of Rishabhdev the means ofcommunication was oral. The earliest evidence ofmanuscript writing (as opposed to seals andinscriptions) as a means of communication in theIndian sub-continent is about 3700 years old.However Mahavir and his followers who livedabout 2600 years ago did not put his teachings(Agams) in writing, they continued with the oralmeans of communication as followed by theShramana tradition. The followers organized thescriptures or teaching in a highly concise format ofpoetry with meter, such that they could be easilymemorized. This however raises an importantquestion, why would the early followers ofMahavir not document Mahavir’s teaching in theform of manuscripts? The most commonexplanation refers to how the possession ofmanuscripts would amount to violation of the vowof non-attachment and non-possessions. Thesecond reason relates to a break in tradition. It ishowever the third explanation that is mostrelevant to our story of communication. Thisexplanation lays emphasis on the fact that textualdata in a manuscript can be easily misinterpretedif not understood in its true context and certaininformation could even be misused if used withoutrestrains. In other words, knowledge should betransferred to only those who would use itproperly. There is an interesting story of AcharyaBhadrabahu and his disciple Sthulibhadra relatedto misuse of knowledge in Jain literature.Communication of religious teachings shouldalways be done with care. Religious teaching byits very nature tends to promote an aspect ofphilosophy that is based on faith if not blind-faith.This is in contrast to scientific literature which isonly true till it is proven false or inadequate andeffectively replaced by another updated theory.Dogmatism is the biggest danger for any religionthat is fully tied only to a specific scripture. Wesee this trend among many of the followers of theAbrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity andIslam). The core message of all these faiths41

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009promotes universal values of tolerance,compassion, peace, and service to the society.However, when certain statements in the religioustext that may have had cultural relevance at thetime when they were written, continue to beinterpreted in a narrow context, dogmatism andintolerance creep in. Eastern faiths have alwaystaken a broader view. Most renowned scholars ofthe Santana Dharma (Hinduism) claim that it isnot a bookish faith. The Vedas, Upanishad, andthe Gita provide a path and guidance, and alwaysneed to be interpreted in the proper context. Thegreat Hindu communicator Swami Vivekanandamany time referred to understanding the faith inthe modern or correct context. The Buddha asksthe followers to experience the Truth, and notmerely take His word regarding the Truth. Thechallenge for great religious leaders is not simplyto bring about a change in the society, but to alsocommunicate their message in such a way thatthe core message is always interpreted correctlyor at least not misinterpreted. Over time certaincultural and tradition-related aspects are bound tocreep in, which always tend to be a part of alarger social group. In addition, a person’sinterpretation is influenced by his own biases,shortcomings or as Jains would put it - the Karmicfilters.Mahavir probably understood such fundamentalshortcomings of humans very well. . Therepossibly cannot be a better example than that ofMahavir’s closest disciple Gautam Swami(Indrabhuti). Gautam Swami was blinded by histremendous love and admiration and effectivelythat small attachment he had towards his ownguru. Mahavir finally had to give a very unusualand seemingly harsh lesson to make his disciplerealize his own inadequacy. If for even his closestdisciple Mahavir had to come up with a uniqueway to convey the essence of salvation, how didMahavir go about communicating his coremessage to humanity that would withstand therigors of time? Even persons that are mainlyconcerned with society’s well being may havesubtle attachments and aversions that may leadthem to communicate a message that may bewrongly interpreted in future. With time one wouldhave changes in culture, language, knowledgebase, political domains, and necessities forsurvival, technology, and modes ofcommunication.While, this author has not even scratched thesurface of Mahavir’s teachings, one cannot helpbut admire the foresight of this great 24thTirthankar. With our limited knowledge we havetried to identify a few points that present Mahavir’smastery of communicating the message.First, Mahavir pointed out the limitation oflanguage as a mode of communication. He toldthat everything that he had experienced orunderstood could not be expressed in the form ofnatural language available at that time. (Toolssuch as constructed languages, formallanguages, and complex mathematicalexpressions were not developed at that time.These languages allow a significantly moreprecise expression of logic, physicalphenomenon, and numerical expressions, whichnatural languages such as English or ArdhMagdhi would find difficult to present, leading topossible confusion or incorrect interpretation. Themathematical language itself may not be sufficientto express certain concepts and would requirefurther extensions). By so doing Mahavireffectively warned the future flag bearers of hisphilosophy to not over-emphasize a particularphrase or text of his teaching and to pay moreattention to the larger context.Second, he pointed out that his teaching or hispath did not have a monopoly to salvation andthere are possible other methods by whichsalvation could be achieved. With this simplestatement not only did Mahavir show his humilitybut effectively told his followers to be open toother ideas and points of view. While being opento other ideas, Mahavir did not let his followers tocompromise on the fundamentals. The doctrineof Anekantwad or looking from multiple points ofview is of course a testament to this kind ofthinking in the entire Jain communiqué.Anekantwad does not accept falsehood of anykind but does accept that truth is complex and anindividual may only be able to comprehend apartial truth. When combined with the deeperconcept of Ahimsa, it encourages individual toconfront falsehood first within self and only thenagainst external injustices. Yet this confrontationagainst falsehood is to be done in a manner thatavoids polarization or being judgmental.Third, Mahavir expressed his teachings in arelativistic manner or emphasizing its validitywithin the scope of a specific context. One canargue that presenting a material in relativistic42

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009manner may give more room for a wide range ofinterpretations, versus an absolute statement thatgive little room for deviation. One fact that peopleforget is that communication and language by itsvery nature has some context, and if this contextchanges over time, which evidence suggests thatit invariably does; one’s interpretation can becompletely off-base. Mahavir clearly gave moreimportance to the credence that dogmatismshould never creep in the religion of Ahimsa.In this life-history of over 3.4 billion years, basedon some estimates, over a billion species havebecome extinct. If we follow Darwin’s theory of thesurvival of the fittest, the surviving species are theones that can adapt to changing conditions andfind ways to confront adversities. Both scienceand Jain thought agree that humans havereached a very unique evolutionary state. Whatdid Mahavir do to ensure that the basic tenets ofDharma are maintained for many many centuriesto come and possibly till the avtar of the nextTirthankar? The secret may lie in that aspect offaith that tries to see goodness even among mostdreaded adversaries and if one can expose thatgoodness, and bring it to the forefront, even themost violent individual may start seeing aspects ofrationality.Mahatma Gandhi exploited this fundamentalhuman nature in his political struggle against theoppressor. Such struggle is clearly not easy, andrequires the highest level of discipline, courage,and conviction. The continuing struggle of DalaiLama against China is a testament to the difficultyof such an approach, however, one feels that ifand when this struggle is successful, the veryclass of individuals who are vehemently opposingthe overtures of Dalai Lama may become thebiggest proponents of his philosophy.Finally, Mahavir presented the core message ofachieving purity of a soul form various differentangles. So with certain divergence of views andpractices over time the essence of Dharma willnever be lost. For example, practice of any one ofbasic principles of Ahimsa, Non-possessiveness,Truthfulness, or the deeper meaning of Non-Stealing leads to a path of liberation. Similarly, thepath that results in the enlightened understandingand practice of right Faith, Knowledge, andCharacter leads to truth. While, one may raisethe level of awareness by dwelling deep in theKarmic theory, or come to an understating ofinternal folly by practicing penance, or gettingdetached from the mundane world affairs by beingfully focused on the purity of the soul, the ultimategoal and direction is freedom from all forms ofattachment and aversion.Mahavir’s message is 2600 years old. During thisperiod the human society has seen tremendouschanges. The Jain faith and its followers havealso seen changes and adapted to changes in thesociety. Some new followers must have joinedand some old followers may have left the fold.Various sects or traditions have formed, each hassomewhat different interpretations and practices.If one understands the basis of evolution and thefunctioning of humans, the formation of differenttradition and sects is only natural. However, whatis surprising is the fact that even after some of thesects that have gone their separate ways for over2300 years, groomed under separate gurus, andevolved in different geographical locations inIndia, they yet fully preserved the essence ofMahavir’s message. This is a testament to thegenius of Mahavir; the great communicator.It took 3.4 million years for humans to evolve fromearly life form, 250 thousand years to move fromoral mode of communication to manuscript basedmode, 4.000 years to go from manuscript to print,and 500 years to move from print to print & media.Now after 100 year of print & mediacommunication, we have just entered a new modeof communication called Internet. 2600 yearshave past, and the message of Mahavir has beenpreserved, but now the communication world ischanging very rapidly. How will internet affectMahavir’s message, will it retain its essence?What will Jain faith and Jain traditions look 25 or50 years from now?“When we look ahead, we need to realize thatsome principles are meant for all times, whilesome are relevant only for a specific period.The word ‘new’ does not mean a radicalchange nor does the word ‘ancient’ meanpreservation of everything that existed in theprevious age. The permanent principlesremain useful for a long period. The principlesformulated for a specific period need to bealtered even before they degenerate intoconservative practices.”Quote form the book: The Family and theNation, by Acharya Mahapragya & A.P.J AbdulKalam43

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009To explore potential answers to the abovequestions, why not explore the use of Internetitself. Dear Jain community members, here is theopportunity for all of you to think and explore thefuture. Why don’t we work together and build onthe second half of this article? The long monologabove represents the old way of doing things. Inthis new world not only can we all express ourviews but have the wider community comment onour views. Some will diverge, some will contradicteach other, some will come up something reallycreative and profound that will make many of usstop, think and ponder. Just like the advent ofInternet was not created by one individual or onegroup or one technology; it was a combination ofmultiple advances coming together at the sametime; let us all come together, blog, ponder,debate, invent, research and continue movingforward. Let us get involved in this new age ofmany-to-many dialog and in the process savesome trees and save this earth.Let the experiment begin!Paryushan, Das Lakshana Parva & Other Activities in North AmericaThe Jain Community of PittsburghThe center celebrated the most auspiciousParyushan Parva from August 16 to 23 and DasLakshana Parva from August 24 to September 2,2009.evening Swadhyay were about meaning andimportance of Samayik, Pratikraman,Pachchakhan, Kayotsarga, Iriyavahi Sutra,Karemibhante Sutra, and five duties of Jainsnamely A-mari Pravartan, Sadharmik Vatsalya,Kshamapana, Tapa and Chaitya Paripathi.Digamber Jains celebrated Das Lakshana Parvaby observing ten virtues of the soul, Kshama,Mardav (humility), Aarjava (straight forwardness),Shauch (contentment), Satya, Sanyam, Tapa,Tyag, Brahmacharya and Akinchanya(aparigraha). Kshamavani Puja was performed onSaturday, September 5, 2009 and attended by 25people.Pittsburgh Jain Sangh also hosted two ChaityaParipathi Sanghs with Sangh Puja and SadharmikVatsalya on September 5 and 6, 2009, onePathshala Sangh from Jain Center of New Jerseyand another Sangh from Jain Center of CherryHill.Shwetamber Jains celebrated Paryushan underthe guidance of Scholar Shri Jitendrabhai Shah,director of L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad,India. Twenty-five people participated in dailyGroup Pooja in the morning. Fifty people attendeddaily Swadhyaya in the afternoon, Pratikramanand Swadhyaya in the evening. Swapna Darshanand Mahavir Janma Vanchan were celebratedfollowed by Sadharmik Vatsalya on Saturday,August 22nd and attended by two hundred andfifty people. One hundred and fifty peopleparticipated in Samvatsari Pratikraman.Shri Jitubhai’s discourses in the afternoonSwadhyay were from “Gyan Sar” granth byAcharaya Shri Yashovijay Maharaj and in theJain Society of Alberta, Edmonton:The Society received all Supan from India.Mahavir Janma Kalyan was celebrated with adrama, children & adult’s performances, and prizedistribution, Bhavya Arti of Kumarpal, daily puja &darshan were conducted as well Pratikramanduring Paryushan Parva. Dr. Vastupal Parikh andJasvant Mehta jointly wrote articles titles Jainism& Global Peace.44

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jain Association of MontrealJain Association of Montreal is composed of ahandful of families. Members organize monthlysnatra poojas (or any other religious activity) attheir place. Once a year, all members togethercelebrate Mahavir Jayanti followed bySwamivatsalya.Paryushan Parva was celebrated from August16th to 23rd 2009. Members attendedPratikraman followed by Bhavna every evening atdifferent member places. Many Upvaas,Ekasanas and Beyasanas were observed andalong with three Athham.On August 30th 2009, a week later, the JainAssociation of Montreal organized aSwamivatsalya at the Hindu Temple of Quebecand had approximately 450 invitees. It was agreat success.A Jain picnic was also organized on July 19th,2009 with approximately 50 participants.Jain Center of Northern California-Milpitas,California (San Francisco Bay Area)JCNC (www.jcnc.org) celebrated ParyushanParva and Das Laxna Parva during Aug 16 – Sept4. Deep interest, enthusiasm and spiritualawareness added more joy than ever before.Summer months and vacation in schools helpedeveryone to participate whole-heatedly in manyactivities.For all 18 days, temple activities continued frommorning 6:30 am until 9:30 pm at night.Attendees were able to participate in all or chosenactivities including Pakshal/Abhishek Pooja,Pravachans, Pratikraman, Bhakti/Bhavna andArti/Mangal Deevo.Shree Vipulbhai Shah and Anantbhai Dhami, VeerSainiks from Tapovan (Navsaari, Gujarati)conducted religious discourses for 8 days for theShwetamber Traditions. Shree Ishwarbhai Bhaktaconducted bhakti/Swaadhyay for the ShreemadRajchandra Tradition Group and Dr. Veer SagarjiJain conducted discourses during the Das Laxnaa Parva.Paras ShahAge 11, Fremont, who doesTapasya every yearand can also recite many Sutras said this in hisown words:"As soon as I found out that that my first day ofthe school year will be after the Paryushan, Idecided to some simple tapasyas. I did oneUpvaas, four Ekasana and three Beyasanas.The fasting helps me build my willpower.Sometimes, when I am with my friends and thereno food that I can eat, I assure myself, that it isOK to not able to have Jain food at friends house.When I have done Upvaas, eating oneless mealshould not be a big deal. It will be big deal for meto compromise Jain way of living."Apoorva Shah Age 16, Fremont doesTapasyaevery year."Jai Jinendra! Since the first day of Paryushanand until the last day, Ifelt very calm, as well asclose to my soul, whichis the main goal ofParyushan.Since Paryushan onlycomes once a year, Iwas glad to be able tospend all of my timeconcentrating on riddingmy soul of sins. I wasable to refrain frommany of the worldlyactivities, includingwatching television. By reading the Kalpasutra inEnglish, I also learned about the life of MahavirSwami. From fasting to doing daily pujas, I feltvery intact with my religion, since I do not get thechance to do this much throughout the rest of theyear due to school. Many people asked me if Ithought about other food, like Taco Bell; however,while fasting, especially while doing longer taps ofupvaas, I never felt the urge to eat food. By theend of the week, I felt very satisfied spiritually,45

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009mentally, and physically, even after doing attham(3 upvaas), ekasana, chatth (2 upvaas), ekasanu,and then a choviar upvaas. It was a greatexperience and I wish I would be able to do atthaiin the future.Michhami Dukkadam!!!"Paryushan: The Auspicious time ofForgiveness- Nikita Shah (JCNC)Paryushan is a festival in which the Jains observealong with the ten universal supreme virtues indaily practical life. Paryushan is the Festival ofForgiveness. It is the most important Jain religiousfestival of the year. For the Shvetambars, whoexperience the festival over a period of eightdays, and the Digambars, who experience thefestival over ten days, this is a time of intensivestudy, reflection, and purification. Paryushanconcludes with a time of confession andforgiveness for any sins we may have committedduring the previous years.During this timeperiod, Jains try not to eat any greenery or rootyvegetables. Jains also do fasting to repent fortheir sins. There are 4 types of fasting that peopledo: ekasana, which is eating only one meal a day,beyasana, which is eating two meals a day,upvaas, which is not eating anything the wholeday, and atthai, which is fasting for all of the days.You can have water though, and preferably boiledwater because it is the purest water to drink.Boiled water gets rid of all the germs and bacteria.If you do the fasting, when you eat you cannot getup until you are done eating. If you get up, thenyou are done with your meal. This is for selfcontrol because if you eat and then get up andeat, then it is ruining the whole purpose of fasting.This time period is really nice because it allowsyou to devote your time strictly to God and itmakes you focus on your inner self. Jains areexpected not to do any violence, or hurt anybodyphysically or mentally. This is an auspicious timeof forgiveness and peace.everyone in awe of the extraordinary life story andscriptural compositions of Acharaya ShriHemchandra. This play was the perfect prelude tothe beginning of Paryushan festival in Detroit.Detroit’s Jain community observed the solemnfestival of Paryushan with great enthusiasm andfervor. Twice-daily lectures were delivered byinvited Jain Scholar Shri Nautambhai Vakil, aretired professor from Bhavan’s College,Ahmedabad. Lecture topics included Kalpasutra(mornings) and Qualities of Samyagdarshan(evenings). Each evening, a youth from our 140-strong Pathshala presented a 5-minutePowerPoint talk to the entire gathering prior toBhavana singing. Student presentation topicsincluded Kaal Chakra, Papsthanaks and Taap, forwhich slides are posted at the temple websitewww.jain-temple.org.Fifty-three tapasvis ranging in age from 9 yearsto 105 years were honored by the Society duringTapasvi Bahumaan, and taken in Procession onthe Parna Day due to their observance of at leastAtthai or higher fasts with various austerities,constraints and vows; several couples, siblingsand multi-generation family members performedTaaps jointly. These Taaps included: Maas-Khaman (30-days) by 19-year old youth MonilShah; 3 individuals did 16-day fasts; 2 membersdid Varshitaps, 1 person did 72nd Ayambil Oli,and 37 persons did Athais or higher. In addition,thirty-two youth tapasvis performed variousTaaps ranging from Athai to Upvaas andBeyasanu.Jain Society of Greater DetroitThe following are a few highlights of activitiesinvolving vibrant Jain temple and its members inDetroit.On August 14, the highly acclaimed Siddha Hemdrama team performed to a packed audience,depicting simple lessons and principles, leavingPhoto shows two of Detroit’s youngest Atthaitapasvis – Chintan Maheshwari (9 years) andShreyans Munot (10 years) and sister –46

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009acknowledging the community’s good wishes at arecent Snatra Puja conducted entirely by youthunder age 12 years.Detroit Temple Goes Lean and Green inPromoting Jain Way of LifeFrom time immemorial, Jains have preached andpracticed ecological principles. In keeping with itscommitment to continuous improvement, andseeking environmentally friendly ways ofconducting activities, Detroit Society’s leadershiphas introduced several practical programs in 2009to promote efficiency and sustainability:1. JSGD uses bio-degradable products (plates,cups, napkins and cutlery) for its allcommunity functions.2. Adopted use of a Remote Electronic Depositscanner - No need to go bank and makepaper copies of checks. The device scans acheck and deposits into our bank accounton the same day. This results in savings ofgas, paper, time, etc.3. Weekly messages and program updates arealready delivered electronically to our 450+members for several years. The Society issoon rolling out an electronic version of JainVani, with no mailing of printed paper editionof the newsletter.4. JSGD is also installing electric hand dryersin the temple bathrooms, thereby promotinghygiene and avoiding use of paper towels.5. An RSVP Scheme has been recentlyintroduced to reduce food wastage. Morethan 90% members participated in its debutversion.We are ready to guide any other Society in NorthAmerica or around the world on strategies forimplementing these lean and green practices.Please contact us through the Society’s websiteat www.jain-temple.org.students performed a play and bhajans to honorthe celebration. During the summer we held ourannual picnic which was attended by 50 people.Our Members also observed Paryushan Parvaand we performed Das Lakshana Puja at a hallattended by about 100 people. On September 12a few members from the Jain communityparticipated in a Multi-faith Conference held inVancouver focusing on similarities between faiths.On October 25 we have scheduled a MahavirNirvan Puja.Jain Center of Kansas CityJain Center of Kansas City, which is part of HinduTemple and Cultural Centre of Kansas City, hasbeen blessed with the followers of Jainism.Paryushan is celebrated every year, and this yearwas no exception where the entire Jain sanghparticipates whole heartedly. Daily scheduleincludes Pratikraman in the evenings followed byBhavana, Aarti and Mangal Divo in the temple.Mahavir Janma Kalyanak celebrations on theweekend included Trishlamata’s 14 SwapnaDarshan followed by the Janma Vanchan.Sadharmik Swami Vatsalya was arranged for theSangh members following the celebrations.This year the center has witnessed phenomenalJain Center of British Columbia, CanadaVancouver CenterIn 2009 we had an election and Mrs. HirabenShah was re-elected President and Mrs.Bhartiben Jain as Secretary. We celebratedMahavir Jayanti on April 12,2009 at V.H.P.Temple and the event was attended byapproximately 600 people. Our Pathshala47

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Tapascharya in the Jain Sangh, a pride not onlyfor Kansas City but also for the entire Jaincommunity. It is with the grace and blessings ofShashan devs and devis that Maas-Khaman, Sol-Bhattu, Atthai and many more tapascharyas havebeen completed.Tapasvi’s from the community have exemplified aunique source of inspiration to the entire Sangh.Some of the Tapasvi’s have done Tapascharya’sfor the first time and some of them have beendoing it for several years. 6 of the 8 Tapasvi’s arecouple’s who further exemplifies the strength andresolution in matters of self control and discipline.It is with great honor and pride, on behalf of theKansas City Jain Sangh we are announcing thefollowing Tapasvi’s: Shravika Nipa Dedhia has completed Maas-Khaman – 30 consecutive upvaas. Shravak Rahul Dedhia has completed Sol–Bhattu – 16 consecutive upvaas. (4 th from left) Shravak Mihir Lakhani has completed Sol –Bhattu – 16 consecutive upvaas. (1 st from left) Shravika Nidhi Lakhani has completed Sol –Bhattu – 16 consecutive upvaas. (2 nd from left) Shravak Mirav Kapadia has completed Atthai– 8 consecutive upvaas. (4 th from right) Shravika Ashwini Chajed has completedAtthai – 8 consecutive upvaas. (3 rd from right)Shravak Anand Chajed has completed Atthai– 8 consecutive upvaas. (2 nd from right) Shravika Alka Shah has completed Atthai – 8consecutive upvaas. (1 st from right)To add to the list of Tapasvi’s, ShravikaRekhaben Sheth has completed 6 upvaas andShravika Madhavi Vora has completed 5 upvaasduring Paryushan.In addition to these great Tapasvi’s, there havebeen several others including youth and kids fromthe community who have performed Attham (3consecutive upvaas), Chhat (2 consecutiveupvaas) and upvaas.Entire Jain community had come together for theSamuh Parna (breaking the fast) of all theTapasvi’s. We are grateful to Shri Hasubhai Doshi& Smt Subhadraben Doshi for hosting the entireJain community on the occasion of recognizingthe Mahan Tapascharya’s and felicitating theTapasvi’s. We are grateful to Shri JayeshbhaiKhona who joined us on the occasion and furthershared his knowledge and showered us with hisblessings. On the occasion, procession ofBhagwan Mahavir carried by the tapasvi’s andrest of the sangh rejoicing and dancing was thehighlight of the celebrations.We pray and seek blessings that many more suchTapasvi’s are born and carry the torch of Jainismfor years to come.Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago(JSMC)JSMC at its Bartlett, Illinois newly renovatedtemple celebrated festivities of Mahavir JanmaVanchan and Das Lakshana Parva, which werewitnessed by more than 2500 people.Celebration included “Tirthankar Aatisaya yatra”,“Guru vani”, musical bhakti and cultural programs.Proud young members of the society, Eva Mehta(age 17) and Kalpesh Shah (age 30), successfullycompleted 41 days and 30 days of fastingrespectively.On this occasion, JSMC invited a respected andlearned scholar Yuvacharya Shri Lokesh Munifrom Delhi, India, for pravachan and Jinvani(sermons and services). Members of Jaincommunity participated with full vigor and zeal invarious religious rituals and bhakti programs.Tirthankar’s 34 Aatisaya was narrated in abeautiful way of yatra by invited Aaradhaks ShriVinod Doshi and Shri Jitendra Gandhi, Veer-Sainik of Tapovan Institute from Mumbai. TheSamovasaran was created with various artifactsfor demonstration. These celebrationsharbinger48

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009social harmony and amity and preach the loftyJain motto ‘Live and Let live’.Everyday Idol Puja, Snatrapuja, Pravachan,bhakti-sangeet and ekasana or swamivatsalyawere arranged. Every evening was made specialwith invited singer and musician Bhanu Vora andTrupti Chhaya of ‘Swar Kinnari Group of Mumbai’.On the seventh day of celebration, Saturday, Aug22, “Mahavir Janma Vaanchan” ceremony wasperformed in a colorful way. Pathasala teachersand volunteers, who is running the educationclasses every first and third Sunday of the month,were acknowledged and appreciated for theirdedication and hard work. About 400 students invarious levels from toddler to adult are benefitedby this education center, which is the largest JainPathasala out side India.Jain Center of Cincinnati-DaytonJain Center of Cincinnati Dayton started the year2009 program with Snatra Pooja in February.Lots of members participated in snatra pooja andwe all learn the importance and meaning of Poojafrom the pathshala kids. In March, the springsession started with colorful Youth Program for allyoung by heart members. We had over whelmingresponse from members for youth program.Every one sang together Ratnakar Pachisi. Thiswas followed by drama performed by Pathshalakids and couple of game shows like JainPardy(Jeopardy on Jainism) and who wants to be anIndian? We had a surprise lucky draw formembers who came on time for the programs andthe winners were rewarded with Aarati andMangal Divo for that day. That was a new idea toencourage all the members to come on time for allprograms in future.For Mahavir Jayanti celebration we invitedSamaniji Param Prajna and Sangh Prajna forlecture and yoga/meditation. The day beforeMahavir Jayanti program (April 10th) all youthenjoyed miniature golf at the temple. The nextday morning (April 11th), Samaniji taught yogaand meditation to youth and other participatingmembers. The evening programs wereSamaniji’s lecture, Bhavana, and Aarati Divo.The next day program started with YogaMeditation in the morning and lecture, AaratiMangal Divo in the evening. In May, we againcelebrated Mahavir Jayanti at Hindu Temple ofCincinnati.After a month break in June the summer sessionstarted in July with Annual Picnic. There were funcompetitions like “lemon and spoon” and “watermelon eating competition” for different age groupsand bingo for all. We also had some mouthwateringfoods like chat, panipuri, warm freshlyfried bhajjis, corn on the cob, khichadi and kadhi.We also recognized the graduates from highschool and college. The highlight of the eveningwas “Pan” and Faluda ice cream.In August, we celebrated Paryushana and DasLakshana Poojan. We invited Samaniji AkshayPragya, Samaniji Vinay Pragya, NayanbhaiSanghavi and Rameshbhai Shah to celebrate thefestival. The celebration kicked off with NavakarMantra Poojan on Saturday 15th August. DuringParyushana each day we had Samaniji’sBhaktamar, Yoga/Meditation program in themorning and lecture in the evening. Nayanbhaiand Rameshbhai lead the sangh in various poojasand bhav yatra like Navakar Mantra Poojan,Ashth Prakari Pooja, 108 Parshwanath Poojan,Adhar Abhishek Pooja, Mahavir Vandana,Sankheshwar Parshwanath Bhakti Vandana.Das Lakshana Poojan was held on August 30th.We also recognized all the tapasvis on the sameday. Our small center has observed lots ofTapasyas by old and young. Our Namaskar andCongratulations to all Tapasavis. All themembers are geared up for the upcoming DiwaliProgram.All programs ended with nutritious, testyswamivatsalya. Other then the monthly programwe have a pathshala program twice a month foryouth and children.Jain Society of Greater AtlantaThis year was a memorable year for JSGA.Some great memories were created in ourtemple’s first year. Some of the highlightsinclude:Mahavir Jayanti.This was celebrated in the presence of NarendraNandu who performed Nav Graha Patla poojan,Dus Dikpal Patla Poojan and Asta Mangal PatlaPoojan followed by Kalash / Dhaja Pratishtha.This event was witnessed by hundreds of singing49

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009members watching the ceremony from the JSGAgrounds.Youth Camp:We hosted our first JSGA Youth Camp on July20th-23rd. There were approximately 55 childrenaged 5-13 and 19 volunteers aged 14 and up. Themission for the youth camp was to promote thevalues and philosophies of Jainism through aninteractive and fun 4 days summer camp. Thecounselors gave presentations on the camp'sthemes: Seva, Ahimsa, Satya and Worship (Puja).ParyushanThis was our first Paryushan Parva and DasLakshana Parva in the new temple and it wasquite an experience for all members. There werebhakti and Pooja’s held daily during Paryushanand Das Lakshana. Many of our members didvarious taap and more than 25 members didatthai. The Paryushan Parva was celebrated inthe presence of visiting scholar Tarlaben Doshiand Das Lakshana Parva was celebrated in thepresence of visiting scholar Samaniji ParamPrajana and Amit Prajana. The Mahavir JanmaKalyanak celebration started with swapana andbhaghvan carrying procession with hundreds ofmembers singing from our parking lot to inside thetemple with religious songs non-stop and wasfollowed by swapana ceremony. On Samvatsariday we had three different pratikramans attendedby hundreds of members. The swami-vatsalyadinner was held on September 19 and this wasfollowed by raas / garba.Jain Society of Middle TennesseeOur members had an enlightening and upliftingParyushan 2009.Highlights are as follows: Daily Kalpa Sutra reading Daily Pratikramans in the evenings Mahavir Supan ceremony with over 95 peoplein attendance Samvatsari Pratikraman held at 3 locationssimultaneously Two members achieved atthai Swamivatsalya with over 75 people inattendance Certificate of Recognition given to kids ages10+ for completing various tapasvisCertificate of Special Achievement to kids lessthen 10 years for observing and practicingvarious Jainism practices such as:o Eating before sunseto Saying Namokar Mantra before eatingo Not walking on the grassAttendance from various cities were as below: Clarksville, TN – 40 Nashville, TN – 20 Bowling Green, KY – 10Paryushan at JVBParyushan is the time of spiritual enthusiasm.This year 6 groups of samaniji celebratedParyushan in USA. Samani Niyojika MadhurPragyaji and Samani Riju Pragyaji in San Diego,CA; Samani Mudit Pragyaji and Samani ShuklaPragyji in Iselin, NJ; Samani Param Pragyaji andSamani Amit Pragyaji in Orlando, FL; SamaniAkshay Pragyaji and Samani Vinay Pragyaji inCincinnati, OH; Samani Pratibha Pragyaji andSamani Ritu Pragyaji in Sacramento, CA; andSamani Charitra Pragyaji and Samani UnnatPragyaji in Miami, FL.Paryushan were celebrated at each of theselocations and the local communities participatedwhole heartedly. In Cincinnati, the pravachan andPreksha meditation by samaniji fascinated andmotivated the people to uplift their life spiritually.Samaniji talked about Paryushan, non-violentcommunication, importance of Swadhyay,Forgiveness, Six essentials (Shadavashyak),Power of Fasting etc. 8 days celebration includedBhaktamar path, meditation, bhajan, swadhyay,Paushadh, lectures for youth and children as welland lot more. Children and adults as wellparticipated in atthai and various tap.Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC)Paryushan Mahaparv Celebrations(Aug 16 – Aug 24, 2009)Like every year, the Paryushan and Das LaxanaMaha Parv were celebrated at our Jain Centerwith great enthusiasm, devotion and sincerity.50

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009The difference this year was that this was the firstParyushan after the grand Pratishtha Mahotsavlast year and Anjanshalaka of the GabharaPratimajis earlier this year.Respected Narendrabhai Nandu along with hisgroup and Pujya Diptiben Shah were thedignitaries who guided us during this year’sParyushan celebrations.The Paryushan activities started around 8:00 AMin the Temple with Snatra Puja, followed byPujans (on weekends only), Morning Lectures,Daily Ekasanas, Deravasi and SthanakvasiPratikraman, and finally ended with Eveningswadhyay from 8:30 till 10:00 PM in Main Hall.During the two weekends of the Paryushan, wehad the Cultural Program followed by GeneralBody meeting on the first day (August 16th) andSwapna Ceremony programs on the followingweekend (August 23rd).Shri Narendrabhai Nandu, along with his sonKayvan Nandu and the rest of his groupperformed various pujans in the new templeincluding Navpad/Siddhachakra Pujan andBhaktamar Pujan along with daily Snatra Puja.The NavPad / Siddhachakra Pujan was the firstpujan after the Anjanshalaka and a number offamilies participated with great devotion andenthusiasm. The Bhaktamar Pujan wasconducted on a grand scale in the Main Hall withone gatha per family for each of the 48 gathas ofthe Bhaktamar Stotra.Along with the various pujans, NarendrabhaiNandu and his musicians group also performedBhakti Bhavna every evening in the temple withgreat devotional songs, stavans and bhajans. Thiswas a first for our Jain Center as we usually hadBhakti Bhavna only during the weekends in thepast. The entire community participated andenjoyed these programs thoroughly.Pujya Diptiben Shah, who visited our temple forthe first time this year, made a lasting impressionas this would be her only visit to the US. Sheplans to take Diksha in India towards the end ofthis year. We were extremely lucky to host herthis year and benefit from her lectures duringParyushan. Diptiben covered various topicsduring her morning and evening lectures some ofwhich included:Jiv Ni Vikas Yatra (The journey of our soul fromsublime to supreme) with the following subtopics: Life evolution from Nigod – 5 Samvay Karan 8 shortcomings to overcome – 8 lakshans ofBhavabhinandi 35 Basic qualities of a deserving Human - 35Marganusari na Gun Duties of Sharavak – based on MahaJinanam… sutra Highlights of 14 steps of liberation – 14GunasthanakOther topics covered:11 Annual duties of Shravak5 duties during Paryushan (5 Kartavyas)Discourses on Paushadh,Kalpasutra and Barsa Sutra VanchanLife stories of Shree Neminath Bhagwan,Parshwanath Bhagwan and Mahavir Bhagwanwith colored pictures27 lives of Mahavir Bhagwan and 10 Accheras(Exceptions) and Mahavir Bhagwan Pattavaliwith (Hierarchy) and significance of 14swapnas of Trishlamata.Jain Food and Jain way of CookingOne of the uniqueness of the lectures by DiptibenShah was that almost all lectures had veryelaborate presentations with slides, diagrams,depictions and pictures making a very enrichingexperience for listeners.We introduced some new programs during thisyear’s Paryushan:The Derasar Tithi Program where families(max. 2) can take any day of the year for anominal donation that marks a specialoccasion for them and on this day, all rituals atthe temple would be performed by thesefamilies.Participation of Pathshala kids during the dailyAarti, Mangal Divo.These programs were very well received by thecommunity.The Paryushan ended with various Pratikramansand Kshamapna on the Samvatsari day. Thevarious pratikramans included: Pratikraman for children (English) Bruhad Alochna Deravasi Pratikraman Sthanakvasi Pratikraman English Pratikraman for kids51

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Like every year, we were blessed with a numberof Tapasyas at our Jain Center. As many as 44tapasvis were children and overall 108 tapasvisdid Atthai or higher Tapasya. The community waspresent in large number for the Parnu of theTapasvis after Samvatsari.Das Lakshana Mahaparv(Aug. 24 – Sep 4, 2009)The Das Lakshana Mahaparv started immediatelyafter the first Paryushan and these 10 days werecelebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm.Shri Subhashbhai Sheth, an eminent JainScholar, thinker and orator on Jain Philosophyguided us during the Das Lakshana Mahaparv.He conducted daily lectures on each of the 10days and covered the following topics along withDigambar Pujas, Aartis and Pratikraman.The Das Lakshana (10 characteristics) that markeach of these 10 days include the following:1. Supreme forgiveness (Uttam KshamaDharma)2. Supreme tenderness or humility (UttamMardav Dharma)3. Supreme Honesty (Uttam Arjava Dharma)4. Supreme Contentment or purity (UttamShaucha Dharma)5. Supreme Truthfulness (Uttam Satya Dharma)6. Supreme Self-Restraint (Uttam SayyamDharma)7. Supreme Austerities or Penance (UttamaTapa Dharma)8. Supreme renunciation (Uttama TyagaDharma)9. Supreme non-Attachment (UttamaAkinchanya Dharma)10. Supreme Chastity (Uttama BrahmacharyaDharma)Other topics that were covered:Chhah DhalaPanch Samvaay Karan ma Purusharth niagatatyaShrimad Rajchandra ji Rachit - Bahu Punykera Punj thi – VivechanPanch ParavartanThe Das Lakshana Mahaparv ended on Sep 4.2009 with Digamabar Samvatsari Pratikraman.52

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009JAINA NEWSJiv Daya Appeal53

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009News of Pujyashri Chitrabhanuji’s HealthDear Kalyan Mitro,Jai Jinendra!I am happy to share with you the good news thatPujyashriChitrabhanuji hasrecovered fromthe recent openheartsurgery. Heis conveying hisblessings to allwho have senthim good wishesthrough theirthoughts, wordsand actions.Everyone’swishes, prayers,meditation and thoughts have brought him feelingof health and healing. These and manyunexpressed and spiritual transferences helpedgive him strength and resolve for future activities.Dr. Subramanian, the surgeon, saw him after aweek of surgery and said that he is doing verywell. Two weeks later he saw Dr. SumatibhaiShah, his cardiologist who took hisechocardiogram, cardiogram and blood test, andhe mentioned that he is doing better than expected.I apologize for not taking all the calls during hissurgery and after he came back home. But I wouldlike to thank each and every person who took thetime to call and sent their love and light for hishealth and speedy recovery.I’d like also to convey my deep and heartfeltappreciation for all your kindness andthoughtfulness.May the Loving Blessings of Bhagwan Mahavirbe with you every day, in every way.In light of AhinsaPramoda ChitrabhanuJAINA hosted its first-ever legislative conference,"Celebrating Non-Violence" on Capitol Hill inWashington D.C. on Wednesday, October 7th,2009. We will report on complete details from thishistorical opportunity to promote 21st centuryAhimsa diplomatically. Co-supported by JAINA,the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and theAmerican Association of Physicians of IndianOrigin (AAPI), this conference was to enableJains to become more politically active on issuesimportant to our community.On Tuesday, October 6, a welcome receptionprogram was hosted by Jain Society ofWashington; including a presentation by GeraldKrell on his preparation of a documentary oneastern religions (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism),and discussion of legislative procedures andprotocols.The program on Wednesday, October 7 at theCapitol Hill included speeches by Several U.S.JAINA Goes to WashingtonCongressmen, and White House representatives.In addition, reports and presentations fromrepresentatives of NAACP, Hindu AmericanFoundation, and Asian American Hotel OwnersAssociation were presented. The leaders ofAmerican Jewish Committee offered a workshopon organizing and serving community. Thisprogram was followed by meetings with variouscongressmen and congresswomen on issuesimportant to our community. In the evening,participants attended Congressional Receptionand Award ceremony - Hosted by AJC, AAPI, andNAACP to honor the 50th anniversary of Dr.Martin Luther King’s visit to India.Dr. Manoj Dharamsi, MDharamsi@hotmail.com,703-620-9837 orDr. Sushil Jain, SKJain99@gmail.com,240-277-303954

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Palitana Rehabilitation CampUrgent Appeal to All Jains:A Mega Camp is being organized to Rehabilitate25,000 Physically Handicapped & HearingImpaired at Palitana. The camp will be held fromDecember 23rd 2009 to January 9, 2010. Thecamp is supported by Jain Acharyas of alltraditions, carring forward the Jain Philosophy ofcaring for fellow beings. This project is supportedby Jains from all over the world, including majororganizations form North America, Africa, U.K.,India and Belgium.Palitana is one of the most sacred places forJains, with more then 800 temples on the hills ofShatrunjaya. The proposed camp will be thelargest of its kind helping around 25,000physically challenged and hearing impairedindividuals from the district of Bhavnagar inGujarat. Tricycles, wheelchairs, calipers, hearingaids and other aids and appliances will beprovided to the disabled.JAINA cordially inviting you and your colleaguesto be there to participate in this historicalhumanitarian event. It will not only be an eyeopenerbut will also be a rewarding experience ofserving fellow human beings in a joyfulatmosphere. Volunteers specially with medicalbackground are requested to participate.JAINA is one of the Sponsors of this Mega Camp.Jains has been in the forefront of manyhumanitarian causes. As a Jain, it is our moralobligation to respond to the needs of helplessvictims. Your contribution will give new life tothose disabled. Please contribute generously bymaking your choices as indicated in the formbelow.For further information and suggestions, pleasecontact the following JAINA Representatives:Lata Champsee, President-JAINA, 416-441-2200,Dhiraj Shah M.D, Chairman-WCS, 716-773-1314,Prakash Mehta, Co-Chair-WCS 703-318-8252I would like to make the following contribution towards the mobility camp for the handicapped asindicated below:Item Description Unit Cost/Item Units (Please fill) Sub TotalHearing Aid (average) $24.00 X = $Pair of Crutches $6.00 X = $Wheelchair $78.00 X = $Tricycle $84.00 X = $Polio Caliper (With sports shoes) $35.00 X = $Jaipur Foot $33.00 X = $Your Total Donation (Please add the rows) $Please send your tax-deductible contribution (USD) payable to “JAINA” and mail to:Prakash Mehta, 2960 Motherwell Ct., Oak Hill, VA 20171ADMISSION TO ISSJS 2010 NOW OPENISSJS invites enquiries and applications now forISSJS 2010This is a great opportunity to study Jainism andthe Jain community in an experiential basedacademic settings in India in the summer of 2010.ISSJS was established in 2005 and so far nearly122 scholars and students from 9 countries andmore than 20 universities of the world haveattended the last four ISSJSs. In addition to classroom lectures by eminent scholars of Jainism, theother great features of this program are themeetings and interactions with the Jainprofessionals , practitioners, monks, nuns andvisits to temples, historical and architecturalplaces. The emphasis is on the study and learningof philosophy, art , history and culture of theJains.55

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Another great beauty of this unique program isthat nearly full cost ( except $400-500) of theprogram such as tuition, course material, boardingand lodging in India for the entire stay are paidfor by ISSJS to all participants. In addition, somefull time faculty and Graduate students attendingthe advanced program/module also receiveeconomy class return trip ticket plus some cashstipends.ISSJS 2010 offers 4 different modules asopposed to 3 in ISSJS 2009. Full details of thisprogram along with the application forms areavailable on ISSJS web site;www.jainstudies.org.Kindly circulate this information among students inyour department, your friends and acquaintanceswho may be interested in this programMessage from:Sulekh C. Jain, PhDChairman, Governing Council, ISSJS N. AmericaHouston, Texas ,USA281 494 7656 ( home)832 594 8005 ( cell)JAINA/WJC Appeal for Donations for Shri V.R. Gandhi Memorial Stamps ReleaseMega Event to be held in Mumbai on Nov. 8, 09JAINA – the initiator for this VRG MemorialStamps project in Partnership with WJC (WorldJain Confederation) is committed to raise $10,000for this noble cause.At the time of Stamp Release Ceremony JAINAwill get 500+ Kits containing First Day Cover, theVRG stamp, and several booklets on VRGmentioning the name of JAINA as the co-sponsor.These Kits will be mailed to each Donor.You all may be aware of the JAINA Shri V.R.Gandhi (VRG) Commitee which was founded in1997 by JAINA to honor VRG for his historicalvisit to the West to attend the first Parliament ofWorld Religions held at Chicago, U.S.A. in 1893.The JAINA VRG Committee has been awardingscholarships in India for higher Research/Ph.D./M.Phil studies in Jainism since 2001. 2001being the 2600th birth anniversary year ofBhagwan Mahavir and coincidentally the deathcentennial year of Shri V. R. Gandhi. So far theVRG Committee has awarded 52 suchScholarships in about 20 recognized Universities/Institutions to both Jain and non-Jain studentsTo honor VRG for bringing Awareness about JainReligion to the West (North America and Europe),JAINA and WJC (World Jain Confederation) havejointly planned the long awaited mega event to beheld in Mumbai on Nov.8, 2009 for the release hisMemorial Stamps. JAINA initiated a request forthe issue of VRG and Shrimad RajchandraMemorial Stamps in 1998 to then Prime Ministerof India.It is heartening to know that the Dept. of Post,Government of India is scheduled to issuecommemorative stamps with First Day Cover,Brochure and Cancellation on this day. Theseexclusive philatelic items will be released at agrand event in the presence of elite dignitaries likePast India President, Hon. Abul Kalam-a strictvegetarian, and other national leaders at Mumbai,India.Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya (SMJV), has alsobeen heavly involved in promoting VRG. AcharyaVijay Vallabhsuri, was the founder of Shri MahavirJain Vidyalaya. He was the deciple of Atmaramjiaka Vijayanandsuri who deputed VRG to the 1893Parliament: SMJV has published many books onVRG, and is the safekeeper of may VRG’s medalsand manuscripts.We appeal for your kind donations for this worthycause. Please send your donations in U.S. Dollarspayable to JAINA, indicating "VRG Memo.Stamps" in an attached memo mentioning of yourname, address, telephone number, and emailaddress. Mail your check to any one of thefollowing:1. Rita Sheth, JAINA Treasurer,5308 E. 80th Place, Tulsa, OK 74136(918)398-6024, Treasurers@gmail.com2. Pravin C. Shah, VRG Committee Chair,28 Dyckman Ave. Garden City Park,N.Y. 11040516-424-1523, pravincshah2k@yahoo.comFor further infromation please visit:www.jaina.org/vrgcommitteehttp://virchandgandhi.blog.com56

Family CornereJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Send your answers to the Word Jumble and the puzzel below to jaindigest.info@gmail.com. Wewill publish your names in the next issue of eJain Digest. Include your name, city and age, aswell as the Jain Center that you visit or particpate at.Are you looking for a challenging way to passsome time and learn about Jainism? Than WordJumbles are for you. Those attending thePathshala might already know these words. If not,once you figure out the jumbled words, you canimpress your classmates at next class. AshokSethi from Jain Center of Northern California haschosen these unscramble words. Best of Luckand we guarantee you will not find a better way tobe entertained.IKWLAE - Those who achieve Kewal Gyanafter destroying four ghatiyaRARING -karmas are called:Lord Neminath (21st Thirthankar)attained moksha from this place:ADIAHNAT - One of the names for the 1stThirthankar:Word Jumbles:HISVUDI - One of the names for the 9thThirthankar:KHIRMEATSHAS - The place from where 20Thirthankars have attainedMoksha:WAMJASBIMU - This saint took diksha one dayafter his marriageUABAHBLI - This saint did penance in standingposition for one yearAKSHSITDHERA. The place from wheresomeone has gone to moksha iscalledRICHAMAPPU - Place from where LordVasupujya Swami attainedMoksha:AMANARTUNGHACAY- Shri Bhaktambar Stotrawas composed by this AcharyaPuzzle:How old is Grandma? "I've always been 45 years older than your Dad", said Grandma to young Trickle."But now the two digits in my age, both prime, are the reverse of the two in your Dad'sage". How old is Grandma?Create You Own Story on Amity And AmnestyWe would like to provide an opportunity to allpathshala teachers to engage their students andcome up with an ending for the following story -based on the lessons of the recently celebratedParyushan Parva, or based on Jain principles. Wewill print the top 3 entries in the next issue..STORY:Once upon a time on the bank of river Saraswatilived a monkey named Mithu. Mithu’s home wasin the grove of mango trees. All day he jumpedfrom one mango tree to thenext and sang songs. He was the chief of all themonkeys who lived in that mango grove.One day Mithu was sitting on the mango tree andrelaxing after eating many delicious mangoes forlunch. As he was dozing off to the sound of thewater, he heard someone call his name. It wasAlex the Alligator. Alex was the king of all thealligators in the river Saraswati. Today King Alexwas on a mission to satisfy his pregnant wife’scraving of mangoes. But there was one problem;Alex couldn’t climb trees to pick mangoes. As heexplained Mithu his problem, Mithu being kindhearted, immediately offered his help in pickingthe ripest mangoes to give them to King Alex. Hepicked them carefully, making sure that they wereripe and ready to eat. After picking the mangoeshe went to the ground and put the mangoes in themouth of King Alex, so King Alex could take themangoes to his wife. King Alex thanked him andgraciously moved into the river.57

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009The next day King Alex returned to the shoreagain and asked if Mithu could pick some moremangoes for his wife. Mithu was glad to help.Again, he picked the ripest mangoes and putthem gently in King Alex’s mouth. Since then,everyday King Alex would return to the shore andMithu would pick the best mangoes and put themin the mouth of King Alex. King Alex and Mithubecame good friends.One day, as King Alex was leaving to get themangoes, his wife stopped him. She demandedthat King Alex bring Mithu for her. She desired toeat the heart of a monkey who only ate sweet,delicious mangoes. She wanted to taste Mithu’ssweet heart. King Alex was puzzled. He tried toexplain to his wife that Mithu and he have becomefriends and he could not possibly do such ahorrible thing. But his wife was determined.Finally, King Alex agreed and went to the shore tobring Mithu.So what was King Alex to do? On one side washis wife, his life long partner that he had vowed totake care of and make her happy. On the otherhand was his dear fried Mithu, who had beenthere to help, in every way he could.Dear Children, what do you think? Write anending to this story – in 200 words or less andsend it to jaindigest.info@gmail.com. We willpublish the top 3 entries in the next issue, andinclude the names of all the Pathshala classes.Please include your affiliated Jain Center, theteacher’s name and the grade level of the shalaclass.Create You Own Story on Amity And AmnestyWe invite our readers to submit their favorite JainRecipes. We will catalog them with the submitter’snames in our Jain Recipe database, so next timeyou are looking to entertain your family andfriends with Jain recipes, you will have a richcollection of recipes to choose from. Also if youmake these dishes in your kitchen, do postpictures and comments so others can benefit.This will be the power of working together for thebenefit of all – parasparopgraho jeevanam!Jain Recipe:Zucchini-Capsicum Vegetable CurryIngredients:- Zucchini, 3 medium size, skin removed andchopped to round (1/2 cm thickness) shapeor 1.5 inch length (each 4 pieces)- Capsicum/banana Chilli, 1 medium size,chopped- Tomato, 1 chopped- Coriander, washed, finely chopped 1 cup ordry mint powder 1 tsp- Lime/lemon Juice, 1 tsp- Canola Oil, 2 tsp- Skim yogurt, 2 Tbsp- Water, 1/2 cupSpices:- Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp- Coriander Powder, 1 tsp- Turmeric, 1/2 tsp- Garam masala, 1/2 tspPreparation1. Take yogurt in a bowl and mix in all thespices.2. Heat deep skillet and pour oil. When the oilbecomes hot, add the spice paste of step 1.3. Cook till a mesh type texture results and oilseparates out, 5-7 minutes (stirring inbetween).4. Add zucchini and tomato pieces and limejuice and mix well. Cover the skillet andsimmer for 5 minutes5. Garnish with coriander leaves or mintpowder58

Major Events in North AmericaAshtäpad TirtheJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jain Center of America, New York (JCA)Ashtäpad is one of the greatest Tirth in JainReligion, which is regarded as lost. Jain Center ofAmerica, NY has created a replica of this Tirthcarved out of crystal & gemstones and also tryingto re-discover this lost Tirth.History of Ashtäpad TirthThe Jain scripture has singled out five centralevents (known as Pancha Kalyänak) that occur ina Tirthankar’s lifetime as the most auspiciousmoments. The last one is Nirvan Kalyanak.Nirvänabhoomi,or theplaces wheretheTirthankarsattained theultimate goalof breakingaway from thecycle of life,has turnedinto keypilgrimageplaces (fiveMahä Tirth)for the Jains.As per Jainscriptures, thefirst TirthankarBhagawänShriRishabhadev had attained Nirväna on theAshtäpad Mountain. Shri Ashtäpad Tirth islocated in a tranquil region of the Himalayas.Chakravarti King Bharat (son of ShriRishabhadev) had built a palace with preciousstones at this place as a memorial tocommemorate the Nirväna of Bhagawän ShriRishabhadev. The name “Ashtäpad” is derivedfrom the fact that there are eight (Ashta) steps(Pad) leading to the palace. Following legendassociated with Ashtäpad describes details aboutthe Tirthankars. Once after attaining absoluteknowledge, Shri Rishabhadev Bhagawän wasdelivering a sermon while seated inSamavasaran. Out of curiosity, King Bharatasked if any human being present here wouldbecome a Tirthankar in the future. He repliedaffirmatively and said his son Marichi will become24th Tirthankar after many life cycles and will beknown as Mahävir. He subsequently explainedthe upcoming Chovisi (24 Tirthankars). This ishow King Bharat came to know details of presentChovisi.Development of Concept:The Jaincenter ofAmerica inNew York hasconstructed anew buildingfor its templeand otherreligiousactivities. Asa tribute to 24Tirthankars, itis customaryto make theiridols andplace themaroundGabhärä -main place ofworship in atemple. Onewanted toinstall Shri Chovisi (24 idols of Tirthankaras) in theBhamati area but due to lack of space this wasnot feasible. As thought process was evolving andthe Jain Centre temple building blue prints werebeing finalized, one thought of making 24 idols outof gemstones and house them in “Ratna Mandir”which will need much smaller space. At this stagea preliminary design of the Ratna Mandir wasdrawn. While idea of the Ratna Mandir was takingshape, one happened to visit a temple in Jaipur &saw an Ashtäpad PAT; this was the turning pointform “Ratna Mandir” concept into Ashtäpad”.59

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Preliminary work resulted in visualization ofthe actual Ashtäpad:“Shri Ashtäpad Tirth is situated in the tranquilregion of the snow covered mountains ofHimalayas and is open to the skies. It is knownby several names such as Ratnamay - A palacemade of gemstones and houses 24 idols ofTirthankars made of gemstones, Rajatädri - RajatAdri or Silver Mountain; because AshtäpadMountain is snow covered and looks like silver,and Sfatikächal - Sfatik Achal: meaning amountain of crystal. The above description helpedus in defining the attributes of the model forAshtäpad Tirth. To be able to replicate the realscenario, a mountain should be carved out ofcrystal stone (naturally available in transparentand translucent shades) that could provide thelook and feel of the snow-covered mountain.Provide eight steps at the base and 24 niches(Gokhaläs) for Shri Chovisi in the center of themountain that will fulfill the desire of “RatnaMandir”. The whole structure would be assembledto appear as a mountain. Thus the idea of makinga model of “Shri Ashtäpad” with “Ratna Mandir”Chovisi installed on the Ashtäpad Mountain wasborn.Development of the Ashtapad design:Once the concept of Ashtäpad was firmed up, thenext step was to develop a design of the model onthe drawing board. It was important to identify allthe constraints upfront because it is almostimpossible to go back to make changes to asculptured or carved product. Moreover preciousmaterial and months of craftsmanship work wouldbe wasted if any constraints forced the change ornecessitated discarding a particular model or partof it. Accordingly, a top down approach wasadopted. The process began with assessment ofavailable space for housing the final model,aesthetics and religious requirements and theprocess was carried on with required analysis tothe material level.Religious considerations:Shri Chovisi: Positioning of any religious object isdetermined by the religious guidelines laid out inthe scriptures or as directed by the Acharyas. Theoriginal design of Ashtäpad was four sided, alsocalled as Sarvatomukhi – Omni-directional. Spaceconstraint forced us to make a unidirectional unitviewable only from the front. Now an architecturalblueprint was developed to a scale based on theavailable space. Height and width of the mountain(Ht 13’. 1” x W14’. 6” x D 5’. 1”) were determinedaccording to the space available in theconservatory. The idol positions were determinedfor a unidirectional unit in four horizontal rows,one above the other. Four Tirthankars will beinstalled at upper level # 3 to 6 (9” in ht), eight atmiddle level # 7 to 14 (7” in ht) ten at lower level #15 to 24 (5” in ht) & two at bottom level # 1 and 2(11” in ht). Each gokhala has been carved withAsht Pratiharya design. Mountain has fiveshikhars with a kalash and a dhwaja.Crystal & Gemstones:The rough crystal stone weighing 30 tons wasimported. After processing & carving, final weightof mountain is 7.5 tons. This will be supported ona 1.5 ton steel frame. Various colored gemstoneswere imported from all over the world and used tocarve idols of different sizes. Each idol is carvedfrom a single piece of rough stone as found innature. The Gemological Lab certifies all stones.Each idol is carved as per religious rules andmeasurements. One has tried to use the bestquality. These idols will form the part of the finalunit.Ashtapad related stories:There are many stories related to Ashtapad. Allthese stories have been carved out of gemstones.Some are installed on mountain itself and othersare displayed separately.Collection of Literature:One has collected lot of material from scriptures &compiled it in XVIII volumes, which includeoriginal literature on Ahstapad, pooja, stavans,exhibits, seminars & research related topics, etc.All this material is available on 2 DVDs. A masterindex & cross-reference is available in a bookletform. One is also trying to put it on the web.Exhibitions and Seminar in Major Cities:The Ashtäpad Model and all 3 Chovisi (72 idols ofTirthankars) and other idols were exhibited tomany major cities. This was done with thepurpose so that many people can pay theirrespect to all the 3 Chovisi. This way one makespeople aware of Ashtäpad Tirth. The sixteenVolumes of Ashtapad Literature and many otheritems were also exhibited. Making of Ashtapadand Kailash Mansarovar research trip video wasvery well received. We have already exhibited itat Mumbai, New York, Jaina at NJ, Los Angeles,Antwerp, Palitana, Surat, Ahmedabad, Jaipur,Delhi, and Kolkata. Research oriented seminars60

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009were held at Ahmedabad & Mumbai. We will behaving more exhibits & we are planning forinternational seminar.Research:We have already undertaken two field trips toKailash Mansarovar (KM) region to do preliminaryresearch work. Satellite studies have helped us alot in trying to locate the buried structure. We aretrying to form an Ashtäpad Research InternationalFoundation (ARIF) to coordinate the researchwork. It will be registered in India as well asoverseas. ARIF will coordinate with Geological,Archeological, & other related departments ofgovernment of India & China. They will alsoapproach various research institutes for help. Ateam of Geologists & Archeologists are involved.They have left for KM area on 4th of June 2009for further exploration. We are trying to get highresolutionspace satellite data of the area shownon the map. We will publicize the research work.This will create a lot of enthusiasm amongyounger generations, professionals &researchers.Conclusion:Shri Adinath era was dawn period of worldcivilization & if it can be located, it will tell us aboutearly growth of human civilization. This will open anew chapter on world history and will become apotential source of information about religion andculture of that period.Exhibit at Mumbai:Mountain carved out of crystal along with 3Chovisi & 9 Graha idols carved out of variouscolored gemstones was held from 22-24th of April2009 at Mumbai. The turnout at the event wastremendous.Adhar Abhishek: of 24 Tirthankars (ShriChovisi):Abhishek was performed at Mumbai on 25th ofApril 2009 under the guidance of Pujya Shri NayPadma Sagarji Maharaj Saheb. Eleven JainSanghs from Mumbai took part in Abhishek.Ashtapad Pooja:Pooja was performed on 26th April 2009. 603Varsi tap Tapasvi took part in Ishru Ras Prakshal(Sugar cane juice) of Shri Adinathji pratima on27th April 2009 prior to parna.Mountain Installation Ceremony: This ceremonywas performed at JCA temple on 21st June 2009along with JCA Pratishtha anniversary.Pratishtha:It is being planned that ceremonies will take placeon June 20, 2010. Details will be sent soon.Jain nuns in an American UniversityReport from Florida International University“Jainism is a rich philosophy, why should such aphilosophy be deprived of flourishing.”These are the views of scholars like professor Dr.Natan katz, a director of ‘Center for the study ofspirituality in FIU’. This thought opened the doorsof Jain studies in US University. The dream of HisHoliness Acharya Tulsi and AcharyaMahapragyaji came true. Samani Charitra Prajnaand Samani Unnata Pragya have been teachingat FIU since 2006, with full vigor while openingnew windows. Shashi Jain, took the initial andleading step to make this happen. The Jain centerof South Florida along with the whole Jaincommunity has whole heartedly supported thisproject and the Samaniji, facilitating theirresidence, Jochari and all the other requisites,without which this would not have been possible.They have served as guardians for Samanijissince day one.Courses offered in FIU:Jainism & Nonviolence, Meditation & Spiritualdevelopment, Religion, life & Vegetarianism, Introto Asian religions, Religious Classics of Asia &more. There has been a good enrolment, wherestudents look forward to learning from the livingpractitioner. The courses gives them the easternperspective of Religion, Philosophy & Meditationpractices. The courses are geared towardsnonviolence, healthy living, Vegetarianism andmore.Preksha Meditation Club:Samaniji has started a Preksha meditation Clubon campus. Through this club variousenlightening events and meditation sessions areorganized. This has been a blessing for the61

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009stressful life of students. ‘This is best for mywandering mind’, say some students. ‘It helps mefocus and align my mind. It is a blessing and abliss’. The Preksha meditation Club also receivedtwo awards for its wonderful activities. The ‘BestNew Organization Award’ and the ‘OutstandingClub award in the Religion & SpiritualityCategory’. This has created awareness amongstudents, as to how they can control their mind,stay stressfree and leada healthy life.Specialevents:Samaniji areat FIU toimpart theknowledgeandphilosophy ofJainism,Nonviolenceand healthyliving. A seriesonNonviolencewas organizedon Campus,wheredifferentaspects ofNonviolence,healthy living, stress management werediscussed and brought to light. The events werenot mere theoretical but also practical to helpthem feel and experience the difference. Wewelcomed different orators, Activist, andorganization including Dr. Dipak Jain, Dr. Hiene,Bernard lafyette, Surabh Dalal, Big Cat rescueorganization and many more.Nonviolent series:Mahaivr Jayanti in FIUOn the eve of Mahavir Jayanti, Essence ofJainism = was presented by Samani CharitraPrajna Live & Let live –A special event which focused onVegetarianism, animal rights and nonviolencein life. The event was enlightened by threegreat speakers. Samani Charitra Prajnabrought to light the violence of life and thecounter acting forces. Carole Baskin talkedabout the violence on Big Cats and SaurabhDalal highlighted vegetarianism and veganfood. Know the color of you aura and heal it –This event was about what You know aboutyour aura, how you can see and change it.Samani Unnata Pragya spoke about theconcept and ways to seeing the Aura. SamaniCharitra Prajnaguided the classinto meditation. Nonviolence inBusiness –This event wasvibrant with thepresence of thethen Dean ofKellogg, Dr. DipakJain. He shared hisexperience of Jainvalues in the fieldof Business.Samani CharitraPrajna’s speech onNonviolence ineconomics followedthat. Stressmanagement –This event lecturedBy Samani Unnata Pragya and Swamijiwalked through the different steps of Stressrelief. World Peace Diet –The Author of World Peace Diet, Will Tuttlewas invited to FIU on 25th Feb, 09 to talkabout his Book and his life changingexperience.Peace in the world-March 11th 09, the event was for the students,by the students, and of the students.Convened by Preksha Club, differentorganizations on campus,came and sharedthe practice of nonviolence in differentcultures. Different vegetarian food andactivities from all various cultures were offeredto acknowledge the thriving practice ofnonviolence in diverse human life. Thiscommenced with a meditation session bySamaniji and concluded with fun activities.62

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009 Vegetation and Meditation for peace –16th Sept 09, students demonstrated makingvegetarian dishes and brought an awarenesstowards the easy ways of healthy living.Meditation Camps were organized andinterfaith programs attended by Samaniji tospread the message of self respect the selfNonviolence training in Ahimsa Center-Summer was a training period for Samaniji.Samaniji also participated in the Nonviolencetraining in the Ahimsa Center of Cal Poly,Pamona University.Students comments: Jennifer Bowitz –I truly enjoyed this course. I found that it hadvery insightful and meaningful messages that Iwill remember for the rest of my life. I alsoenjoyed learning about Jainism becauseIt was a religion I had not yet studied and Ibelieve it helped me understand people better.I am a nursing major and I have to work with alarge diversity of people and I feel that thisclass helped a lot with how to take care ofthem. I would suggest this course foreveryone.Michael Meyer-This was a truly excellent course for me totake. I feel much better about my life ingeneral. By taking these classes I am betterable to deal with the stress currently existingin my life. I truly agree with many aspects ofJainism such as the pursuit of spiritual growth.I see the real advantages having learned ofthem from this perspective.Natasha Neckles-This has been a very interesting andenjoyable course. I have learned a great dealabout Myself and how my actions andreactions affect myself and others. I am nowconscious when I waste the earth’s preciousresources. The best thing about Jainism in myopinion is the way they make a point of nothurting any living creature. I agree with thebelief that our behavior attracts different kindsof karmas. I will now try to be more consciousof the things I do, say, think and consume.Young Terrance-“I hope FIU continues this course for thefuture students”More from different students-“I’m an American but I have faith innonviolence….we appreciate the knowledgeyou are sharing with us.” “We know manythings but we need some awakening….” “Iagree that nonviolence is the core. This canhelp get away from disparity. It could be bymore education of it.” These are the voice ofthe students. The inclination of students iscrystal clear. Though the course was for theundergraduates, even graduate studentsturned up to take advantage of this uniqueopportunity. ‘it is very intriguing as well ashelpful not just for the purpose of the coursebut for life, career, mind and most of all spirit.’Transformative presenceSamaniji has offered different courses over thelast four years. This has been educative andtransformative at the personal level. Somestudents have changed to vegetarian diet, someare stepping towards it. Students have addedmeditation in their daily practice. Students areexposed to different aspects of wellbeing, andpeaceful world. Guest lectures in various classeshave facilitated the spread of Jain philosophy. Thediverse events have created an awareness of therich spiritual heritage we humans carryunexplored. The Jain ideal “Nanassa saramayaro”, ‘the essence of Knowledge is Conduct’, isseen coming true, the purpose served. This is anattempt to sow the seed of Jainism in theacademic world in US, it has started sprouting,the day is not long away when we would enjoy thebranched green tree, its shade and sweet fruits.63

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Pratistha Mahotsav Celebration at Jain Center of South Florida“Religion is supremely auspicious and itsessential is the practice of nonviolence, selfcontroland austerity.”-MahavirA culmination of the Jain community of SouthFlorida’s important endeavor since 1994, the JainCenter of South Florida [JCSF] became a realityin April 2009. The JCSF, built in Weston, Florida,is a unique model for the mid-size communityrepresenting Murtipujak Digamber, MurtipujakShvetamber, Sthanakvasi, Shrimadji andTerapanthi, all in the same 4,000 square feetcenter. The Jain community it serves ranges fromMiami to Port Lucie on the east coast of Florida,to Ft. Myers on west coast, with easy access fromApril 17-20 2009Committee, Board of Directors, Trustees, andcommunity volunteers were critical to the successof the program. One of the highlights was theactive participation and attendance of secondgenerationadults who were mostly raised in theUnited States.I-75 and I-95.This grand event was specially blessed byGurudev Chitrabhanuji, Swamy BhattarakDevkirtiji, Samani Charitra Pragyaji, SamaniUnnat Pragyaji, Samani Mudit Pragyaji, SamaniParam Pragyaji, Samani Akshaya Pragyaji,Samani Shukla Pragyaji, Samani Vinay Pragyajiand Mumukshi Nikitaji. JAINA’s President DilipShah and his wife Sarlaben graciously attended.More than 600 people took part in the ceremonyincluding out of town guests and volunteers fromthe Hindu community.Jain Center President & Pratistha CommitteeChair Mr. Jayant Shah (Born and Raised in Patan(NG) along with the Pratistha Committee puttogether a beautiful program. The combinedefforts of the Pratistha Committee, ExecutiveProgram and JCSF highlights:At its core, the JCSF represents Mahavir’sprinciple of Anekantvad (truth can be partial,multi-faceted like a diamond).On April 17, 2009, the Pratistha program beganwith Digamber Jina Bimb Suddhi puja for JCSF’sAadinath’s 25 inches idol and six idols in Bhamatiinspired by Swamy Bhattarak Devkirtiji. Scholarlylectures by Gurudev Chitrabhanuji, SwamiBhattarak Devkirtiji and Adarniya Samani CharitraPragyaji were given about the importance ofPratistha. Then Gadi and coin puja wereperformed. The evening was celebrated by64

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009bhavana and cultural program.On April 18, 2009, under the spiritual guidance ofVidhikar Narendrabhai Nandu and inspirationalmusic of his team, many puja took place,including kumbh, deep Sthapana, and JwaraRopan. In addition, there was the inauguration ofthe Navakar Mantra shila in English and Hindiwith chanting and eighteen abhishek for theShvetamber idols. The day ended with a culturalprogram from young adults to the Jain Sanedo bythe community.their actions, photographs of Achrya Tulsi, whocreated the Anuvrata movement, and AchryaMaha Pragyaji, who brought Preksha Dhyan thewider community were unveiled in the library. Thebeautiful Shatrunjay Pat for pilgrimage was alsounveiled. The evening concluded with a beautifulShalibhadra drama inspired by Samaniji teachingabout Tap and Dan.April 19, 2009 began with the beautiful PratisthaVarghoda. In keeping with the heritage ofdarshanam, following Pratistha were performed:Mulnaik Mahavir (31 inches), Arihant – Livingtirthankar Simandhar Swamy (25 inches), and firsttirthankar Adinath (25 inches) in KaussaggDigamber style; Shantinath & Parshvanath (21inches) followed by 6 Digamber and 18Shvetamber Tirthankars 15 inches in Bhamati,two Ganadhar, Gautamswamy andSudharmaswamy; three devis, Padmavati,Lakshmi devi and Saraswati devi; and finally, twodevs, Manibhadra Veer and Ghantakaran Veer.In the afternoon, for knowledge, the JCSFconducted the inauguration of Bhaktamar shila inSanskrit, and Atmasiddhi in Gujarati withShreemadji’s photograph in the main hall. ForThe Pratistha program culminated in the dwaropening and Laghu Shanti Snatra on April 20,2009.President Jayant Shah and all JCSF Managementteam believe that this unique design of this centeris a shining example of Unity and diversity of theJains. Please visit our web sitewww.jainacentersfl.org for our Prathisthacelebration photos and smiling faces of young andold.In conclusion, with continuing support from thecommunity, from its body, mind and soul (Tan,Man and Dhan), having a temple, Hall withcarved shashtra, Pathshala, library, and kitchen,the JCSF will serve as a great place for worshipand, more importantly, serve as a focal pointdeveloping the good character of the southFlorida Jain community. The center’s Main Hall’straditional marble architecture will provide astrong monument for the future generation.65

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Jain community performed Dhwaja Arohanceremony on the Jain Shikhar and Hinducommunity performed Dhwaja Arohan ceremonyon the other four HinduShikhars of the Hindu JainTemple on April 5, 2009. TheJain ceremony started with aSnatra Pooja and DhwajaPooja in early morning followedby a procession ofapproximately 120 peoplecarrying Dhwaja withDharawadi to the outside of theTemple. Ashta Prakari Poojawas performed at the top ofJain Shikhar and then Dhwajawas unfurled. A Samuhik Ayambil as a part of theAyambil Ni Oli was done after the DhwajaCeremony followed by a mini Sidhha ChakraPoojan.Rajat Jayanti (Twenty Fifth Anniversary)MahotsavThe Jain Society of PittsburghDhwaja Arohan Ceremonyfrom home for the Abhishek About 42 familiesparticipated in performing Abhihek andapproximately 150 people participated in theceremony. Sadharmik Vatslyafollowed the ceremony.Approximately 400 people fromJain and Hindu Communityattended the Bhakti Sandhya inthe evening of May 9th afterSadharmik Vatsalyay. ShriNarendrabhai’s grouppresented Jain Stavans andHindu Bhajans to a spellboundaudience for 3 hours. Thebeautiful Aarati was performedfor all Deities after the music program. Along withreal Aarati in front of various Idols, each familywas holding a decorated thali with small electriclamp. All main lights were turned off during thewhole Aarati. It was a spectacular sight and theTemple looked beautiful. Every one enjoyed thewhole program.Shri Bhaktamar Poojan was started at 12:39 pm.on Sunday May10th. Shri Bhaktamar Strotra hasThe Hindu Jain Temple of Pittsburgh celebratedits Rajat Jayanti Mahotsav from May 9 to 17,2009. The celebration was started with Jain AdharAbhisek and Bhakti Sandhya on Saturday, May9th and very auspicious Shri Bhaktamar Poojanon Sunday May10th. Shri Narendrabhai Nanduand his melodious group performed Shri AdharAbhishek and Shri Bhaktamar Strotra Poojan.Jain Adhar Abhishek are performed every year onthe anniversary of the temple for ShriParshwanath, Shri Mahavirswami, ShriSimandhar Swami and Shri Adishwar Bhagwanidols. More than 20 families also brought idols44 gathas according to Shwetambar tradition and48 gathas according to Digambar tradition. ShriNarendrabhai’s group performed the poojan inaccordance with both traditions. 48 familiesparticipated in the poojan and approximately 250people attended it. Sadharmik Vatsalya followedthe poojan.On Saturday May 16, devotional Jain Stavans andHindu Bhajans were presented by localmusicians, in the afternoon followed by66

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009Aashirvachans from Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanujiand Swami Shri Chidanand Saraswatiji (Muniji),both of whom were the inspiration behind thisTemple and also were present during theSthapana ceremony of the Temple 25 years ago.It was a very emotional day for all the participants.Sadharmik Vatsalya followed the whole program.Sunday, May 17th was the last day of nine-daycelebration. The Shobha Yatra and HinduCelebration were followed by lunch. Gurudev ShriChitrabhanuji’s discourse and meditation in theafternoon were attended by about 70 people,which included many American followers of him.During the celebration of the Rajat Jayanti a logowas designed for the souvenir book anddecorating the Temple representing harmonybetween Jains and Hindus combining flags ofboth faith. The Hindu Jain Temple is unique notonly in North America but all over the world.The whole nine-day celebration of the RajatJayanti of the Hindu Jain Temple was a grandsuccess and a very memorable event. The HinduJain Temple of Pittsburgh reached a majormilestone with this celebration.New JVB Preksha Meditation Center for HoustonFrom its humble beginnings at the facilities of theArya Samaj of Greater Houston in the year 1999,the Houston chapter of Jain Vishwa Bharati hascome a long way. This year the JVB PrekshaMeditation Center, Houston, is celebrating its 10thanniversary with the inauguration of its newbuilding facilities. The Grand OpeningCelebrations of the new facilities has been set forthe 9th, 10th,and 11th ofOctober 2009.The three dayevent will includeculturalprograms,pravachans,message fromAcharyaMaharapragyaJi, and anenactment of‘Shalibhadra’ – aplay in Hindi.Sunday, October11th will bemarked with thePratimaPratishtha ofShree MahavirSwami in the Swadhyay Hall of the new facilities.The celebrations will also be of historicsignificance for the city of Houston with theauspicious congregation of eight Jain Samanijis’for the very first time in the Greater Houston area.Prof. Gary Francione, has agreed to be thekeynote speaker for the inauguration. He is anoted animal rights activist and scholar, and isDistinguished Professor of Law and Nicholas deB.Katzenbach Scholar of Law & Philosophy atRutgers School of Law-Newark.With the continuous presence of Samanijis inHouston, the center has been instrumental inspreadinginvaluableancientknowledge to thelocal communityover the last 10years, and thenew facilitieshave beeneagerly awaitedby the evergrowing numberof patrons of thecenter. The newfacilities consistof two buildings– a two storeyMain Building(8000 sq. feet)which housesSamanijis’ livingquarters, a Swadhyay Hall/Mandir, 4 ClassRooms to be utilized for children’s Gyanshala, aLibrary, a Guest Room, along with a Kitchen andDining Hall. The second building is the “PyramidMeditation Hall” (3600 sq. feet). This ‘cardinal67

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009pyramid’ shaped meditation hall has beenspecially designed, and its unique structure hasthe capability of receiving the highest amount ofcosmic energy; which can help a personmeditating inside toachieve a “nothoughts” state(Nirvikalp Sthiti)approximately threetimes faster thannormal.The JVB PrekshaMeditation Center,Houston (under theauspices of JainVishwa Bharati,Ladnun, India) is dedicated to instilling physical,mental, emotional and spiritual health by utilizingPreksha Meditation techniques. PrekshaMeditation is a combination of knowledge fromancient Jain scriptures and modern science andexperience. It is the practice of purifying ouremotions, our conscious and realizing our ownself. Preksha Meditation is a technique ofmeditation for attitudinal change, behavioralmodification and integrated development ofpersonality. Initiated in India in 1970, PrekshaMeditation is the result of the untiring efforts ofGanadhipati Tulsi and Acharya Mahapragya.AcharyaMahapragyaresearched andexperimented fortwenty years torediscover theprocess ofmeditation as itwas practiced byBhagwan Mahavir.Preksha meditationis for everyone,irrespective of race, religion, language, color,gender and belief.For more information about JVB Houston and itsactivities, please visit www.jvbhouston.org orcontact Samanijis’ via email atsamaniji@jvbhouston.org or call281.596.YOGA(9642).It’s an Auspicious DayBy Atsi ShahRecently Respected Diptiben Shah, who is taking Diksha soon, and did Paryushan in LA, visited NJ.Atsi, age 12, had a rare opportunity to meet her, and learn about her life.She was excited to learn abouther Diksha. She pen down her thoughts on Diksha, and Diptiben in this beautiful poem – It’s anAuspicious Day.The heavenly beings from devlokCelebrate the KevalgyanOf our GodShowering flowersIt is an auspicious day.We follow our GodTo the magnificently made samavasarenPeople seek blessingsThey bow downOffer respectIndeed a lightHas come around the worldMaking the darknessGone forever.God gives us sermonsWe listenPay attentionHoping, we could take diksha.Finally the day has comeGod has achieved NirvanaIt not only enlightens usBut gives us a reasonTo go forward with our livesDo something betterIt is an auspicious day.Thousands of years laterThere is one special personWho takes dikshaIn time of warWhere thinkingSayingAnd actionsCould bring us down.She gives up everythingTo follow our God’s footsteps68

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009To purify her soulShe becomes a Sadhviji.It is an auspicious day.Her lectures inspire usThe knowledge of whyWe should be non-attachedTo everything and everyone.We, the peopleThe shravaks and shravikasShower herIn flowersBecause once againDarkness has beenSubstitutedBy lightIt is indeed an auspicious day.69

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009MIS-MatrimonialsMIS ADS - Males For Jain Digest - 2 nd 2009M00430209: Gujarati parents, originally fromSurendranagar/Mumbai, now settled in New Yorkfor the past 10 years invite proposals for alliancefrom parents of the girls with bio-data and photofor their tall, handsome, cultured son, now indiamond trade in NY, born Sept 1982, 6’ 2”, 165lbs, CUNNY graduate (Eco. & Finance). Email:kcshah52@yahoo.comM00030408: Gujarati Jain physician/dentistparents invite proposals for their US born,handsome son, born Jan 1980, 5’ 9”, 170 lbs,MBA from NYU. Doing own business in New YorkCity. Fax bio-data 201-222-9041 with emailaddressM00410109: Gujarati parents invite proposalswith bio-data and photo from educated, goodlooking, cultured girls for their handsome,successful, US born, vegetarian son, born Aug1981, 5’ 7”, 140 lbs, BS (Industrial Eng. AndEconomics), has own business and experience ininvestment banking. Email: hshah619@gmail.comM00440209: Gujarati parents invite proposals forhandsome, vegetarian, US raised son, bornmarch 1983, 5’ 6”, BS, employed with Johnsonand Johnson as a PC Technician (contract).Seeking well-educated, cultured, vegetarian girlfrom US or India, Please email with bio-data andphoto to mitesh_shah21@yahoo.com or Call 908-245-8294 / 908-463-4377M00450209: Gujarati parents seek suitable matchfor a lawyer son, 29 yrs, 5’ 8”, from professional(MD, MBA, JD) girls, born and raised in USA.Email with bio-data and photo to:hasona1976@gmail.comM00460209: Correspondence invited fromsuitable girls for India born Gujarati Jain welleducated boy from a highly respected family. Nowin Us for the last eight years. US citizen, workingas a tax auditor for the state of NJ. Born Aug1980, 5’ 10”, 190 lbs. Email:jeenal24@hotmail.com. Phone: 908-868-9416M00470209: Proposals invited for handsome,accomplished, vegetarian, US citizen, Gujaratiboy, Aug 83, 5’ 11”, 140 lb, BS (EE), wellemployed with Japanese co., from culturededucated Gujarati girls. Call: 734/467-1964.Email: tirthesh@hotmail.comM00480209: Gujarati parents invite proposalswith photo / bio-data for handsome son born Jul81, 5’7’’, 170 lbs, brought up in India, MS inTechnology Management & Six Sigma Black Belt,well employed in NJ from well-educatedvegetarian pretty girls. Email:vdshah53@hotmail.comM00490209: Alliance sought for divorced 42 yearold male. 5' 7" tall with medium build. Degree inbusiness and working as a marketingprofessional. Good looking and fair complexioned.Believes in Jain values. Looking for a girl who hasno desire for children. Call: 248-661-4255M00500209: Alliance invited for Gujarati,vegetarian, non-smoker, non-drinker, divorceeboy, BE. MSEE. Well employed and settled in CA,born Nov.1974, 5’ 6”, 170lbs, from highlyeducated girls. Email: tshah105@yahoo.comM00510209: Gujarati Jain parents invitecorrespondence for US born and raised son, 31years old/ 6' vegetarian MBA executive level jobat large company. Currently living close to NYC.Enjoys cycling, music, family oriented. Had a 11days innocent marriage which was annulled.Email with recent photo and bio-data:gujuboy1978@gmail.comM00520209: Jain parents invite correspondencefrom educated, attractive and cultured girls fortheir handsome and outgoing 27 years old son, 5'10", 155 lbs., born in US, graduated from a toptier university with degree in business and is wellemployed at an established global private equityfirm. Please reply with a photo and bio-data.Email: triarc1@gmail.comM00530209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalfor accomplished, handsome, fair, vegetarian,non-smoker, non-drinker, Dubai born son. Oct 83.6'-0" 170 Lbs. MS Comp/Elect Eng. Employedwith reputed company in Austin TX from prettycultured vegetarian girls/parents Ph: 404-862-0828 Email: nngandhi@gmail.comM00540209: Jain parents invite responses withbio-data / photo from well-educated, vegetarian,70

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009family oriented professional girls for theirhandsome and caring son, born Oct 83, 6', MS(Pharmaceutical Engineer) working as QCEngineer in Medical firm in Dallas, TX. Call:714/782-7400. Email: arsham9@hotmail.comM00550209: Jain parents invite responses withbio-data / photo from well-educated, vegetarian,family oriented professional girls for theirhandsome and caring son, born Oct 83, 6', MS(Pharmaceutical Engineer) working as QCEngineer in Medical firm in Dallas, TX. Call:714/782-7400. Email: arsham9@hotmail.comM00560209: Gujarati parents invite proposalswith photo and bio-data from cultured, vegetarian,educated Gujarati girls for handsome, talented,family oriented, cultured, vegetarian, US citizenson. Born Dec. 1980, 5' 5'', B.S(computerscience), M.S.(information systems), wellemployed as a Application Developer in USGovernment. Call: 732-762-3945 (cell), 732-819-4056 (home) OR Email: parinshah80@gmail.comM00570209: Guajarati Jain parents inviteproposals for their US citizen son. Born Jan 1984,6’ 2’, 140 lbs. currently working at an auto partssupply company. Email: drshah09@yahoo.comM00580209: USA based Kutchhi Jain familyinvites proposals for their son. Fair, handsome,born Aug 1982, 5’ 8”, M.D., 1st yr. resident, lovingand lively. Looking for slim, smart, charming, welleducated, family loving girl. Email:Jain579@gmail.comM00590209: Family relatives invitecorrespondence for alliance from educated girls;for educated , well settled, vegetarian boy,. BornFeb'1983, 5' 6", Currently doing M.B.A. Call 614-735-4600 or Email: ankitrparikh@yahoo.comM00600209: Gujarati Jain parents inviteproposals with photo and bio-data for theirhandsome, cultured, educated, well employed -top management position, vegetarian, US Bornson. Born July 1980, 5' 7", 145 lbs. BS inEconomics and Finance. Phone: 414-659-6003.Email: jitu3909@aol.comM00610209: Gujarati parents invite responseswith bio-data and photos from well-educatedvegetarian girls for handsome Indian born andraised son, Jan 84, 5' 9", 160 lb, BBA (Fin&A/C),MBA in Finance(07) Email: rahuls.84@gmail.comM00620209: Gujarati Jain Parents inviteproposals with Photo & Bio-data for theirhandsome, athletic, vegetarian, non smoker, nondrinker son, born Dec. 1981, 5 '5", MBA inFinance having own Tour & Travel Business atOrlando; from cultured, educated, vegetarian Jaingirls. Call: 404-513-1978. Email:raksha1127@hotmail.comM00630209: Gujarati parents invite proposalswith photo and bio-data from cultured, welleducatedUS resident girls for handsome,vegetarian, US citizen son, born Sep 1980, 5' 11",160 lbs, MS (EE/ Comp E). Well employed, nearWashington DC. Call 770 274 9782. Email:agd140@gmail.comM00640209: Gujarati parents invite proposalswith photo and bio-data for their handsome,vegetarian, non-smoker, non-drinking, U.S. bornson, born 1983, 5' 11'', tall, M.D., 1st yearresident, from professional, cultured, educated,vegetarian, pretty, Jain girls. Call: 847-885-0233.Email: sshah7783@gmail.comM00650209: Alliance invited for handsome,talented, vegetarian Gujarati boy, born Nov 70,NM, 5'6", 145 lb, well employed, from culturededucated vegetarian Gujarati girls. Call: 732-9406459. Email: manishah05@yahoo.comM00660209: Gujarati Jain parents inviteproposals for Nov 1981, US born, handsome,caring son 5’ 11” 170 lbs, MS & BS ConstructionManagement. Well employed in construction firmin Chicago. Seeking vegetarian, teetotaler, familyoriented, pretty girls. Call 630-961-1689. Email:RVD1181@gmail.comM00670209: Jain parents invite proposals withbio-data and photo for handsome, brilliant,vegetarian US born, innocent 2 month divorceeson, born Jan. 1979, 5' 11", BS in ComputerScience, working for the state of Ohio, fromcultured, educated, vegetarian pretty Jain girls.Call: 614-882-7749 or email:h_shah_1@yahoo.comM00680209: Gujarati Jain parents inviteproposals with bio-data / photo for son, born Oct1981, 5' 6", 135 lb, MS (Comp Sci) from reputedschool, well-employed (H1-B/In US for 6 yrs) fromwell educated, pretty, vegetarian, cultured girls.Call: 919/233-8837. Email:parekhaarti@hotmail.com71

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009M00690209: Gujarati parents invite responseswith bio-data and photo from vegetarian girls withtraditional culture and values for their son, IndianbornDec 76, 5' 7", U.S. citizen, well-establishedphysician. Call Natvar at 931-358-4151. Emailnatvar47@gmail.comM00700209: Bombay-based Gujarati Jain parentsinvite proposals for their San Francisco-basedvegetarian , Non-Smoker, Non-Drinker son,BE(Computers), Bombay, MS(Comp Science),working at Oracle Corporation in San Francisco,Sep 81, 5' 8", from educated girl from a culturedfamily. Call:213-268-6275. Email:hb.shah@gmail.comM00710209: Gujarati parents invite alliancew/photo and bio-data for handsome athleticvegetarian non-smoker US born son, Dec 80,5’9”, MD, doing residency at prestigious hospital,from well-educated, cultured Jain girls. Email:jinvani101@gmail.comM00720209: Professional Jain parents invitesproposals for an Ivy league graduate, handsome,successful, vegetarian, well employed US citizen,born Aug 1983, 6' 0" 164 lbs, from family orientedvegetarian educated girls. Email:k1955d@gmail.comM00730209: Gujarati Jain parents invite inquiriesfor their US born, vegetarian, fair skin, athleticbuild, handsome son, born March 1982, 6'-1", 175lbs, BS computer engineering. Currently workingin Business Development for a Silicon ValleyFortune 500 company and is pursuing a Masters(part-time) at Stanford University. Please E-MailBio-data with photo at: Jain01234@Hotmail.comM00740209: Proposals invited for a tall &handsome Oswal Jain Marwari boy, born April 80,5' 10", 145 lbs. Working as Construction Engineerin Chicago, MS from IIT Chicago, Raised in India.Call: 847-250-5068 Email: amity101@gmail.comM00750209: Gujarati parents invite proposalsw/photo and bio-data from well-educatedprofessional girls for successful vegetarian, USborn son. Born June 1979, 5’ 11”. MD – InternalMedicine. Email: n2003md@yahoo.comM00760209: Jain parents invite correspondencefor accomplished, vegetarian, electrical engineerson, born USA Sept 1981, well employed byreputable global company, from professionalvegetarian girls. Respond with a photo and biodatato: jainshah2007@gmail.comM00770209: Parents invite alliance forhandsome, slim, fair, educated, professional son,born Nov 80. Design Engineer. Working for amedical device company in Colorado. Preferencefor professional, engineer/MD/MBA good lookinggirl. Send bio-data with photo. Email:anantkj@msn.com. Phone 303-741-3848 or cell303-522-6844.M00780209: Proposals invited from suitable girls,preferably physician or professional girls for ahighly educated (BA, MA, MBA, MD) US citizenboy. Born Oct 1975, 5’ 7”, 140 lbs. Call: 603-598-6576. Email: acc009@yahoo.comM00790209: Correspondence invited for Jain,divorced, mechanical engineer, vegetarian, nonsmoker,non-drinker boy. Good sense of humor,handsome, values Indian culture. Born Sept 1971,5’ 7”. If you are serious about settling down in lifeand marriage is your priority and looking for aloving and a caring partner, send your bio and aphoto to: pshah44@hotmail.com or call: 516-334-8196M00800209: Hindi parents invite proposals with aphoto and bio-data for their US born vegetarianson. Born 1981, non-smoker, non-drinker.Working with an international company. Email:papaa55@yahoo.comM00810209: Gujarati Jain parents inviteproposals for cultured, professional, vegetarianUS born son. Born July 1980, 5’ 9”, 160 lbs.Currently pursuing masters in Finance in UK(London Business School) Email:kjvs123@yahoo.com Call: 832-771-988172

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009MIS ADS - Females For Jain Digest - 2nd 2009F00740209: Gujarati parents invite proposals withbio-data/photo from a well educated professionalmale, US Citizen, for their successful, vegetarian,US born daughter, January 82, 5'5'', MACounseling. Email: rgosalia82@gmail.comF00120408: Gujarati parents invite responsesfrom well-educated US citizen vegetarian boys,for beautiful outgoing US born daughter, born May1981, 5’ 3”, 110 lbs, BS (MIS), working assoftware professional for fortune 100 company.Call 520-730-7892. Email: SS11@mail.comF00760209: Gujarati Jain parents invitecorrespondence from well-educated, careermindedhonest, caring men for their daughter. USborn, 1977, 5’ 7”, 120 lbs., Very beautiful,thoughtful, sincere, well-educated, cultured,funny, and family oriented. Would enjoy meetingthe same. Email with photo: jvp831@gmail.comF00770209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalsfrom well-educated professional vegetarian boysfor a pretty, vegetarian US born physiciandaughter. Born May 1976, 5’ 0”, Pediatrician,private practice in Naperville, IL. Call: 847-541-4155, Email: advance79@hotmail.comF00780209: Gujarati Jain parents invite alliancewith photo and bio-data for beautiful, slim,talented, vegetarian, family oriented CanadianCitizen daughter. March 1983, 5’ 3 “, B.S. (IT),well employed, from educated, well employed,vegetarian cultured boys. Call: 416-285-4784.Email: dreamgirl83@gmail.comF00790209: Jain parents invite proposals withphoto and bio-data from highly educatedprofessional boys, preferably doctors, for theirbeautiful, intelligent, family oriented, US bornphysician daughter, June 1982, 5’ 6 “, 1st yearresident. Call: 301-520-9356 / 301-274-0319.Email: arunaashah@hotmail.comF00810209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalsfrom well educated vegetarian boys for theirME/MBA, smart, cultured, slim daughter born Oct1978, working as a manager in a financialinstitution in Ahmedabad, India. Email:UPJ1946@gmail.comF00820209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalswith bio-data and a photo from professional USraised vegetarian boys for beautiful, US bornvegetarian daughter, born Jan 1981, 5’ 5”, 115lbs, Pharm.D., employed as a pharmacist. Call:815-986-8160. Email:jayendrashah99@yahoo.comF00830209: Gujarati parents invite response forcharming religious, smart daughter. Born June1985, 5' 4", master in pharmaceuticalmanufacturing from well educated, vegetarian,family oriented boys Call: 973-932-4221 E mail:shahshruti85@gmail.comF00840209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalswith bio-data & photo from cultured, professional,US raised vegetarian boys for very beautiful,attractive, fair, accomplished, compassionate,vegetarian daughter. US born. June 82, 5'1", MD,currently in third year of Med/Ped residency. Call(832) 268 – 0163 Email:vimal.mani.25@gmail.comF00850209: Gujarati parents invitecorrespondence for beautiful daughter, Born Feb1980, 5' 0", from cultured well educatedprofessional. Call: 201-795-3077. Email:shahmatri08@gmail.comF00860209: Gujarati parents invitecorrespondence from well-educated, cultured,non-smoking, vegetarian gentlemen for theirbeautiful, witty, talented and compassionate, USborn, 1984, daughter who is completing her finalyear in medical school. Please reply with photoand bio-data to caeyedoc@gmail.comF00870209: Gujarati parents invite proposalsfrom educated, cultured boys for their for beautifulcultured US born daughter, born Dec 1981, 5'3",BS (CS), pursuing MBA. Please respond withbio-data and photo. Call 732-297-2757. Email:hvrcs@hotmail.comF00880209: Gujarati Jain Parents invite proposalwith photo & bio-data from well educated,vegetarian, non-smoker, non-drinker boys for theirbeautiful, cultured, divorcee daughter. Has 7yr.old son. Born 1977, 5'1", realtor & having ownbusiness. Call: (M)(404)513-1978 (R)(407)574-7059 or Email:Raksha1127@hotmail.comF00890209: Gujarati parents invite proposals withprofile-photo for pretty, outgoing, US raiseddaughter, Feb 1974, 5' 1", BS (Biology), BS73

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009(Microbiology), well positioned in a Bio-ScienceCo., from educated professional boys. Call:847/394-3547 Email: modyv840@bigplanet.com.F00900209: Gujarati parents invite proposals withphoto/bio-data for slim, fair, charming,compassionate and cultured vegetarian daughter(Malaysian citizen) born July 1973, 5' 6", 120 lbs,M.A. (communication management), employedwith national airlines in Singapore, from welleducated, cultured vegetarian professional youngmen. Call: 510-713-1987. Email:bls267@yahoo.comF00910209: Gujarati parents invite proposals forpretty, talented, and cultured vegetarian daughterwith a JD (Law) and a B.A. with Honors, who alsoenjoys writing and yoga. She was born in May 79,is 5'4" and a U.S. citizen. Email:dcshah2009@yahoo.comF00920209: Parents invite proposals with biodatafor their very beautiful, slim daughter, 28years old, 5' 4", 110 lbs, working as managementconsultant at reputed global firm. The parents/brother have consulting and IT companies.Looking for handsome, 28-30 year old educatedproven professional or business person with goodfamily and culture. Call: 508-963-5043. Email:alljaywork@gmail.comF00930209: Jain parents from US inviteproposals for a very beautiful, vegetarian, Indianborndaughter brought up in US. Born in Nov.1982, 5'2, 105 pounds. Bachelor of ScienceDegree from New York Univ. From cultured,educated and vegetarian Jain family. Bio-data andphoto available. E-mail - vjain85@gmail.comF00940209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalswith photo and bio-data from Jain well-educated,vegetarian, non-smoking, cultured professionalsfor their pretty, talented, family oriented, culturedU.S born daughter. Born Dec 1985, 5' 2'', Pharm-D (Doctorate of Pharmacy. Call: 847-372-0419Email: sshah1585@gmail.comF00950209: Jain-Gujarati parents invite proposalsfor their beautiful, slim, talented, family oriented,caring, vegetarian, U.S.raised, citizen daughter,29yr. old, 5' 4", B.S.(O.T.), Master in HealthcareAdmin; well positioned in Healthcare system, fromprofessional & cultured boys. Call: 561-373-1829Email: kbs1215@gmail.comF00960209: Jain Gujarati parents invite analliance for their U.S. born, beautiful, daughter, 5’4”, 110 lbs, Lawyer in NYC. Professionalmen, non-smoker, family oriented, 5' 8" min., age30 to 35, are encouraged to send info w/photograph. Email: minyc77@yahoo.comF00970209: Jain Gujarati parents invite analliance for their U.S. born, beautiful (5’4” 110 lbs)lawyer daughter. Non-smoker, family oriented,5'8" min., aged 30 to 35 professionals areencouraged to send info w/ photograph tominyc77@yahoo.comF00980209: Jain Parents invite proposals withphoto and bio data for their US born, beautifulvegetarian girl, born October 1982, 5' 3", M.D.2nd year resident, from professional culturedhandsome boys. Call: 913-894-6594. Email:upendra2@hotmail.comF00990209: Gujarati parents invite proposals forbeautiful cultured talented (widowed, oneson)daughter, born March 1975, 5' 2" 112lb,M.com.(costing), Financial Advisor; fromvegetarian, cultured, well educated/settled boys.Call: 992-497-9099 Email: toral.shah@gmail.comF01000209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalsfrom well educated, professional, vegetarian boysfor their beautiful, educated, cultured, US borndaughter, born Jan. 1981, 5’ 2”, 127 lbs., M.P.A.in Health Policy and Management. Call: 732- 499-7586 or Email: Kamleshshah51@yahoo.comF01010209: Proposals with photo and bio-datainvited for beautiful, smart, slim and fairvegetarian Gujarati girl with a good sense ofhumor, born Dec 85, 5' 1", MBA (Finance),employed as Financial Advisor/Broker, from welleducated, cultured gentlemen, Chicagopreferable. Email: shah1285@gmail.comF01020209: Gujarati parents invite proposal fromwell-educated professional boys for successfulvegetarian, US born daughter. Born June 1975, 5’6”. MD - Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. Email:dms101@Verizon.netF01030209: Jain parents welcome proposals fortheir well cultured, educated, beautiful andhumble daughter from loving and caring Jainfamily. Our daughter is born in 1985, BE incomputers from MIT, Pune, currently doing MBA.Please contact her brother at 408-582-3049 or hersister-in-law at sarika.shah@gmail.comF01040209: Gujarati parents invitecorrespondence for US born, 27 yrs old/5' 3'', very74

eJAIN DIGEST .. Oct 2009attractive daughter, third year resident inOphthalmology; from suitable professional match.Email with recent photos and bio-data at:vsc116@gmail.comF01050209: Gujarati parents invite proposals fortheir U.S. Citizen, vegetarian daughter studyingjournalism. Good looking, fair skin. 100lbs, BornJune1979. Call: (206) 781-8285.Email: roxy4u2@msn.comF01060209: Correspondence invited from asuitable serious man for 1953 born widow lady. Ihave no children and live in Philadelphia. Pleasecall: 215-869-8221F01070209: Proposals invited from suitableeducated, professional boys for a very prettydaughter. Born Nov 1980, 5’ 6”, 135 lbs. BS(Health Sciences), working as a cardiac deviceconsultant with Boston Scientific (NY). Call: 603-598-6576. Email: CChitalia@aol.comF01080209: Hindu parents invite proposals withbio-data and photo, fro preferably MD, cultured,vegetarian boys for beautiful, 5’ 5”, athleticdaughter, born 1976, MD, MPH, finishingfellowship. Ivy league education. Call 856-435-9148. Email: sgandhi5@comcast.netF01090209: Jain parents invite proposals fromprofessional, educated boys with photo and biodatafor beautiful, cultured, vegetarian US borndaughter, born Aug 1978, 5’ 2”, MD, finishingresidency in family practice. Call: 631-271-2859.Email: renujain@gmail.comF01100209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalsfrom suitable boys with photo and bio-data fortheir charming, vegetarian, US born daughter.Born Sep 1977, 5’ 4”, 115 lbs. Masters in PublicPolicy at Columbia Uni. Working in NY. Call: 832-771-9881. Email: kjvs123@yahoo.comF01110209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalsfrom well educated, professional vegetarian boys ,for beautiful, cultured, vegetarian US borndaughter, born Jan 1980, 5’ 3”, 115 lbs. Recentlygraduated in nursing and Masters in Public Heath.Call: 248-879-6981. Email: nsap30@yahoo.comF01120209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalswith photo and bio-data for their beautiful, welleducated, well cultured daughter, born Jan 1983,5’ 3”, 103 lbs, MS (ECE). Call: 734-716-7260.Email: shahrupal81@yahoo.com.inF01130209: Gujarati parents invite responsesfrom well-educated, US citizen, vegetarian boysfor their beautiful, vegetarian US citizen daughter.Born May 1977, 5’ 2”. MS (Uni. of Penn.) andemployed at Ivy League Uni. Call: 973-471-7292.Email: kgudani@yahoo.comF01140209: Jain physician parents inviteproposals with profile-photo from educated,professional, vegetarian boys for their pretty, slim,charming daughter, born April 1982, 5' 4",finishing Pharm. D this year. Call 808-780-3883/Email: jneeraj21@gmail.comF01150209: Gujarati parents invite proposals forbeautiful cultured US citizen daughter, born Aug84, 5' 0", M.S.(Accounting) well employed, fromwell-educated, cultured, with good family value,vegetarian boys. Call: 201-933-5510 Email:Ashah104@aol.comF01160209: Gujarati parents invite matrimonialproposals for beautiful, vegetarian Canadiancitizen daughter, born in Mumbai, Feb 84, 5' 4",130 lb, CPA, manager in a major bank; from welleducatedcultured, vegetarian boys. Call:416/497-6478. Email:ktg10@hotmail.comF01170209: Gujarati Jain parents invite proposalswith photo and bio-data from professional,vegetrain, non-smoking, US born boys forbeautiful, slim, talented, vegetarian, US borndaughter. Born April 1976, 5’ 2”, 105 lbs, DDSand working as a dentist. Email:spkr09@gmail.com75