|
__ISSUE 7
1)
JAINA
EC and Directors Meet at Niagara Falls
2) Jain Centers to Receive Teerthdarshan Encyclopedias
3) September 11 Gathering for Peace, Healing and Unity
4) Jainism in Orange County Register, California
5) Interfaith
6) Presidents Message
7) From the desk of the Editor
|
| |
| JAINA
EC and Directors Meet at Niagara Falls
The
JAINA Executive Committee and Directors held a meeting on October
2 at Niagara Falls in Canada. This was a triple treat for all who
attended, as they were able to take part in Ahimsa Day Celebration
along with members of Niagara Hindu Samaj and JAINA meeting of October
2nd and attend a Pratistha Mahotsav on October 3rd. Presence of
Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji made all the events even more spiritual.
Every
year, JAINA observes Ahimsa Day on the first Sunday of October and
pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. President of JAINA Anop Vora led the
Ahimsa Day program with a prayer and spoke of forgiveness as the
lubricant to make the human life smooth and harmonious. “This
idea is even more relevant today in these turbulent times. We are
all imperfect human beings. In spite of the best of our intentions,
we hurt our fellow human beings with our actions knowingly or unknowingly;
intentionally or unintentionally. JAINISM has recognized this fact
and designated a festival of forgiveness- once a year- for 8 or
10 days when we formally seek forgiveness from those whom we may
have hurt. It is in this spirit, I would like to say in all humility-”I
forgive all souls, Let all souls forgive me, I have friendship with
every one, I have no enmity towards any one.”
The
Pratistha of Sri Adinathji and Shri Mahavir Swamy at the Shiv Temple
on October 3 were indeed a joyous and very pious event for more
than 400 attendees who had come from as far as Texas, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Ohio and new York Widhikarak Shri Naresh Shah of New
York performed the Pratistha ceremonies under the guidance of Gurudev
Shri Chitrabhanu.
|
| |
| |
| |
| Jain
Centers to Receive Teerthdarshan Encyclopedias
Shree Jain Prathna Mandir Trust of Chennai India has decided to
present each of the 67 Jain Centers in USA and Canada a three volume
700+ pages encyclopedia of Theerthdhams of India. This colorful
work scholarly work took twelve years to compile and has more than
400 photographs. The Encyclopedia will most certainly be a valuable
addition to the center’s library.
|
| |
| |
| |
September
11 Gathering for Peace, Healing and Unity
The Spiritual Unity Network of New Jersey held a September 11 Gathering
at the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, Maplewood, NJ. The
program included guided contemplative meditation, a panel discussion,
poetry reading, Sufi greetings and Jain blessing. Naresh Jain representing
JAINA Interfaith Committee, International Jain Sangh and Educare Foundation
discussed reflections on the Parliament of World’s Religions
held in Barcelona during July, 2004. Regina St. Claire from New York
Theosophical Society arranged an acting presentation on ‘On
Oneness’ and Bishop Benjamin Evans from Interfaith Clergy of
New Jersey spoke from a Franciscan perspective toward a life of peace
and unity. Members of Jain community in this memorial gathering included
Ari Jain, Sarla Jain and Swati Shah. Contact Naresh Jain at njain52253@aol.com.
|
| |
| |
| |
Jainism
in Orange County Register, California
An
article on Jainism by Ann Pepper appeared in the Orange County Register
of September 22, 2004. The article explained the basic beliefs of
the Jain way of life, the Jain Center of Southern California and
their temple reconstruction project. The article also offered answers
to modern questions from Jain perspective, among them: How should
we respond to terrorism, how are women regarded by Jainism, does
God exist, and do miracles occur? Subsequently, this article has
appeared in several news papers around the country. Contact sateen_sheth@yahoo.com.
Presentation
on Jainism, Yoga and Meditation in High School
On
September 23 and 28, 2004, North West Area High School in Chicago
area included discussions on Jainism in their World Religions classes.
Jyotindrabhai Doshi of Chicago Jain Center explained the codes of
conduct and forgiveness in Jainism along with brief demonstrations
of yoga and meditation. Contact Jyindrabhai Doshi at jyotinjain@yahoo.com.
|
| |
| |
| |
Interfaith
Celebration at the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Center
Drs.
Hema and Manda Pokharna recited Namokar Mantra and conducted two
workshops on ‘Introduction of Jainism’ on September
30, 2004, in LaGrange at the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Center.
Contact Hema Pokharna at ahinsa@mdiaccess.net.
THE EXPERIENCE OF DIVINE PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES
Representatives
of several religious and spiritual traditions joined in a panel
discussion on October 2, 2004, on the theme of divine presence found
within the mystic heart of their respective traditions and within
their own lives. Dr. Andrew Vidich, author of Love is a Secret:
the Mystic Quest for Divine Love facilitated the day’s events.
Dr. Hema Pokharna of JAINA Interfaith Committee represented Jainism
on the panel moderated by Dr. Art Stein, Professor of Peace Studies.
Contact Hema Pokharna at ahinsa@mdiaccess.net.
INTERRELIGIOUS
WORSHIP SERVICE IN EVANSTON, ILLINOIS
Ninth
annual world wide community Sunday Service featuring seven different
religious and spiritual traditions was held at the Lake Street Church
in Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Hema Pokharna represented Jain religion
and spoke on ‘Nonviolence is only a Breath Away’. The
event was sponsored by the Buddhist Council, Chinmaya Mission, Jain
Society, Jewish Congregation, Muslim Community and the Sikh Religious
Society in Chicago metropolitan area. Contact Hema Pokharna at ahinsa@mdiaccess.net.
A CALL TO ACTION TO STOP THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR, SUDAN
Tuesday,
October 5, 2004: The Interfaith Candlelight Prayer Vigil held at
7:30 PM on the steps of the Bergen County Court House was a call
for action to stop genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Members of many faith
communities called on the people of conscience everywhere to take
action to bring an end to the atrocities by demanding massive worldwide
governmental support, a call for a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate
war crimes, helping in the relief efforts by supporting organizations
giving aid, and several other efforts. Dennis McNerney, Bergen County
Executive greeted the gathering and Maria Sliwa of American Anti-Slavery
Group who recently visited Darfur, gave a first hand account of
the crimes against humanity. Members of Baptist, Sikh, Jewish, Arya
Samaj, Baha’i, Islam and Jain communities recited prayers.
Jain community members included Vinay Vakani of Jain Center of New
Jersey and Naresh Jain of JAINA Interfaith Committee and International
Jain Sangh. Contact Naresh Jain at njain52253@aol.com
|
| |
| |
| |
Presidents
Message
Jai Jinendra!
I would like to bring to your attention a few important developments
that have transpired over the last few weeks:
First, the Pratishtha at Niagara Falls went very well. Over 200 people
took part in this important event. We would like to thank the Niagara
Jain Community for inviting JAINA to participate in the festivity.
Special thanks to Dilip V. Shah and Lataben Champsee for making the
Mahotsav a grand success.
Second, Jain Center of Greater Boston, under the leadership of my
brother-Jitendra Vora- has undertaken a very ambitious project of
publishing/distributing a Revised Jain Directory to all Jain families
in North America at no cost. He and other members of his committee
will contact you for your membership list and financial help. Please
help them to the best of your ability in making this great communications
tools available to us all.
Third, we are very grateful to Dilip V. Shah and Dhrumil Purohit for
revamping the JAINA website. This was long overdue. Please use it
and give us your feedback. We would like to make the website a potent
tool to integrate all Jains residing in North America
Fourth, JAINA EC has decided to form two new committees: (1) Exhibition
Committee will be responsible for arranging Jain exhibitions and chaired
by Sudhir Shah of Connecticut. (2) Jain Centers Resource Committee
will provide assistance in developing centers and temples, in procuring
Murties of all faiths from India, in sharing temple fund raising ideas
and techniques, and in passing on the know how of the existing Jain
temples to those who are interested in building new ones. Dr.Nitin
Shah of Los Angles will chair this committee.
We believe JAINA was founded to serve you. The formation of the new
committees is in line with this philosophy. Please come forward and
help us in any way you can.
Thank you for your time.
Anop
R. Vora
JAINA President
November 2004
|
| |
| |
| |
From
the Editors Desk
Over
past several months, myself and a group of designers have been diligently
working on the new jaina.org website. Today, exclusively through
JAINA Spectrum, we are announcing the launch of the beta version
of the site.
Our intensions for jaina.org have been four fold:
- to take the
previously existing material from the JAINA website and bring it
up to a standard that would exemplify the energy of JAINA and unify
its brand identity
- to make JAINA news, documents, text, pictures and books universally
accessible and searchable
- to use the website as a vehicle for uniting local centers by providing
event and news updates
- and lastly
to educate and update our general membership on the efforts and
projects that make up JAINA.
We
will continue to add more material to the site as it is collected
from various centers and committee chairpersons. You too can suggest
ways to improve over website so that the community is better served.
So go to newly designed www.jaina.org Use it, Tell a friend and
Contribute to it.
If you have comments, suggestions or article to contribute, write
to me at dilipvshah@aol.com
Sincerely,
Dilip V Shah
Editor, JAINA SPECTRUM
|
| |
|
| |
|
