Dear Sadharmik brothers and sisters,
Jai Jinendra!

Due to international demand, we've decided to extend JAINA Convention 2021 early bird pricing to March 14th! Do not miss this opportunity and register today. Please spread the word to your family and friends.

This year the virtual event is planned to be a global event and is expected to attract an even larger audience from USA, Canada, India, UK, Australia, UAE, Africa and many other countries. The daily sessions and discussions will be well complimented by refreshing Cultural programs in the evening including a high quality hilarious Hindi drama with famous Actors and huge cast, Jains Got Talent and entertaining cultural performances from across the world. Virtual kiosks and Exhibition Hall round out the experience for audiences with varying intrests. For additional information about this Convention and to register, visit www.jainaconvention.org

Thanks to the community, JAINA Vaiyavach Committee is just $ 175,000 away from achieving their goal of raising One Million Dollars. Request you to please help us reach our 2021 goal for the various Vaiyavach projects. So far, the committee has approved funds for 5 New Vihardhams, 2 renovations of existing vihardhams, and a clinic for Sadhu & Sadhvis near Sankheswara Tirth. We still need funds for two study rooms for Sadhu Bhagwants at Adhyan Kendra at Sankheswara ($30,000), two Vihardhams at Adarajmoti near Ahmedabad ($110,000), an Ambulance for Girivihar hospital at Palitana ($60,000) and additional $50,000 for general Vaiyavach causes.

Under the initiative ‘Know your JAINA’, the Academic Liasion Committee will hold a townhall type community meeting on Saturday, March 13th from 10:00 am to 11 am PST | 1:00 pm to 2 pm EST. Take this opportunity to meet committee members, learn of their programs, and ask questions. Join Zoom Meeting link Meeting ID: 923 7405 6105 | Passcode: JAINA

Attend a virtual lecture ‘Rekindle the Inner Light’ by Pujya Pramodaji Chitrabhanu on International Women’s Day! The event is being held tomorrow
Saturday March 7.

On March 2, 2021, Prof. Eva De Clercq from Ghent University with Jain donors, Mr. Surendra Patwari of Antwerp, and Drs. Jasvant and Meera Modi from Los Angeles agreed to establish the Acharya Mahapragya Jain Professorship in Jain Studies at Ghent University, Belgium with a pledge of $65K per year for 5 years.

JAINA Women’s Committee Chicago Chapter brings ‘Financial Awareness and Independence for Women’ conference on March 13, 2021, where you will listen from two women who are financial experts.

This week, Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai explains the four important Pillars of Spirituality that help us on our path to liberation.

Want to be a part of ‘Community Corner’ in the June 2021 issue of Jain Digest? You simply have to write us your experience of joy, peace, fulfillment as well as challenges you may have faced while living by Jain values and principles by March 31st. We would publish it in the June Jain Digest issue. The top 3 entries also stand a chance to get featured in JAINA Convention 2021 Souvenir book.

If you ever wondered why Jainism never claimed the existence of God as other religions, or why we refer Bhagwan to Tirtankars, this informative article ‘Concept of God in Jainism’ will answer all such questions.

Enjoy watching the Jambu Swami animated story with your children.

See this inspiring video from Rahul Kapoor and find yourself some one who can push you to the limits and help you ignite your inner potential.

Please see below for details or links, if any, on all the above items.

Sincerely,

Mahesh Wadher
JAINA President

JAINA Vaiyavach Committee is just $ 175,000 away from achieving the goal of raising One Million Dollars. We humbly request you to please help us reach our 2021 goal to support various Vaiyavach projects.

JAINA is truly grateful to all the generous donors who did their part in vaiyavach projects. The fundraising is still ongoing for all the projects related to the “Vaiyavach” of Sadhus & Sadhvi Bhagwant of all sects. We request you to come forward and donate a tiny share to this noble cause.

Click here to read more about JAINA Vaiyavach Committee

On the occasion of International Women's Day, attend the Virtual Lecture on Zoom by Pujya Pramodaji Chitrabhanu.

Topic: Rekindle The Inner Light
Date: Sunday, March 7, 2021
Time: EST - 11:00 AM | IST - 9:30 PM

Join Zoom Meeting | Meeting ID: 283 840 6351 | Passcode: 480872

If Zoom capacity is full, you can watch live on www.facebook.com/shashaholisticwellness

For queries, contact Usha Shah at shasha6879@gmail.com.

Ghent University in Belgium has been a premier Center of Jain Studies in Europe for several decades. They offer courses in Jain Dharma at Undergraduate, Graduate, and Ph.D. levels. Ghent University has several highly proficient scholars in Jain Agamic languages such as Prakrit, Sanskrit, and Hindi and offers classes in these languages too.

Two of their scholars after PhDs will be faculty members in Jain studies at University of Toronto, Canada, and at California State University in Northridge, California. Currently, Ghent University is also preparing online courses in Jain studies in German, Dutch and French languages too.

To further expand the Jain studies program there, on March 2, 2021, Prof. Eva De Clercq (Chair of the Dept. of Jain Studies at Ghent University), Jain donors; Mr. Surendra Patwari of Antwerp, and Drs. Jasvant and Meera Modi of Los Angles agreed to establish the Acharya Mahapragya Jain Professorship in Jain Studies at Ghent University with a pledge of $65K per year for 5 years.

Its focus will be on Jain Academic education--training Undergraduate/Graduate and maybe Ph.D. level courses. In the past, Mr. Patawari ji has been supporting several other programs at Ghent University, but this is Jain community’s first major academic entry in Europe.

We are very proud of this news and congratulate the donors for their vision and generosity. Our heartfelt Anumodana.

JAINA Women’s Committee Chicago Chapter invites you to “Financial Awareness and Independence for Women” conference on March 13, 2021.

Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST | 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm CST | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm PST.
Meeting link:
https://zoom.us/j/98536078577?pwd=S25KcjI3SjhWZlJlRVhya0NxYlB1QT09
Zoom Meeting ID: 985 3607 8577 | Passcode: JAINA

You will be listening to two women Financial Experts with 15-20 years of experience in finances as speakers.

Session 1: Financial Services Professional, Lina H Shah, LUTCF with 20 + years of experience.
Session 2: Financial Educator, Veena Gandhi, with 15+ years of experience.

Free membership for Finance Webinars for all participants! Additional prizes may be available.

Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai explains the four pillars of spirituality to progress on the path to liberation. Religion is following the messenger. It involves practicing, protecting, and defending a package of beliefs and rituals. While spirituality is following the message. It is a personal experience, a process, a rediscovery, an inner growth, an expedition of exploring your true Self.

This can be attained by daily attending to four pillars of spirituality. These are four legs of spirituality that must be held on to for strengthening your spiritual muscles. If not followed properly, you will feel discomfort, incompleteness, discontent, and stress. The four pillars of spirituality are - 1. Study of ancient wisdom (Satsang), 2. Study of yourself (Swadhyay), 3. Meditation (Dhyan), and 4. Service (Seva). Let’s learn in detail about each of them.

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Are Body and Soul Separate? Many of the world religions believe in the existence of the Soul. However, many of us may wonder if the soul and the body are separate entities or not. In other words, when the body dies, does the soul also die? King Pradeshi was a staunch believer in the oneness of the soul and body. Based on a story in Jain Agam, this article shows how Muni Keshikumar convinced King Pradeshi that body and soul are separate. Read the whole article here.

Read the full February 2021 Jain Digest:

Jain Digest February 2021

How to be a part of “Community Corner” in the June 2021 issue of Jain Digest.

Jain religion is one of the world's oldest religions that is being practiced by its followers around the world. By practicing the core values and principles established by the Tirthankaras, the followers seek spiritual advancement in order to liberate themselves from the cycle of birth and death.

In this practice, many of us experience joy, peace, fulfillment as well as face challenges. Please write us about your experience in living by these values and principles. You may also share an incident from your life that helped you get a better understanding of the Jain teachings.

Please fill out the form at http://bit.ly/PracticingJainPrinciples by Wednesday, March 13, 2021. by Wednesday, March 31st. The Jain Digest Editorial Team will review your entry and selected entries will be published in the June 2021 issue of Jain Digest. The top 3 entries will also be featured in the 2021 JAINA Convention Souvenir book.

You can also read all the past Jain Digest issues by clicking on the below button.

Jain Digest

Jainism believes that the universe and all its substances or entities are eternal. It has no beginning or end with respect to time. The universe runs on its own accord by its own cosmic laws. All the substances change or modify their forms continuously. Nothing can be destroyed or created in the universe. There is no need for someone to create or manage the affairs of the universe. Hence Jainism does not believe in God as a creator, survivor, and destroyer of the universe.

However, Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being. When a person destroys all his karmas, he becomes a liberated soul. He resides in a perfect blissful state in Moksha. He possesses infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite power, and infinite bliss. This living being is a God of the Jain religion.

Every living being has the potential to become God. Hence Jains do not have one God, but Jain Gods are innumerable and their number is continuously increasing as more living beings attain liberation.

Jains believe that since the beginning of time every living being (soul) because of its ignorance, is attached with karma. The main purpose of the religion is to remove this karma through self-knowledge and become a liberated soul.

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