One of the many great things happening even in this time of peril is financial support. All around the world, billions of dollars are being donated to relief funds, hospitals, and many more worthy organizations. These donations are absolutely necessary to our recovering society. In Jainism, we believe that one should keep only what they need, and be content with all they have. This belief fits right into the billions of dollars being donated all around the world. Many people in this world have much more than they need and others have much less. This is why donations are key. This assists those who may not have the money to visit a hospital even if they have this virus, and helps them with their financial needs. Donations have been necessary not just during this pandemic but throughout all of time. Donations are key to other’s success and wellbeing. Just a couple of dollars, while it may not seem like much to you, could save someone’s life.

Another great thing coming out of this pandemic is that people have more time to reflect, think, and have conversations about religious topics. Prior to this pandemic we all had extremely packed schedules. The only time we had to reflect on our religious values was pathshala. Now that we have much more time on our hands, lots of people are starting to ask their parents, or even talk to friends about topics in Jainism they have a hard time understanding or just find interesting. We had many conversations in virtual pathshala about how Jainism will play a huge role in our future. The conversation topics ranged from simple ones such as splitting a bill with someone who is not vegetarian, or the ethics of vegan meat, to serious ones such as alcohol, drugs, and whether Jains should enlist in the military. Having these in-depth conversations helped me clear up how Jainism says to approach these topics. These conversations also sparked new ones with my parents and sister in which we talked about our personal opinions about these topics. Thinking, and talking about Jain topics is a great way to learn other’s perspectives, and at the same time advance on the Jain path of life. These conversations are very interesting and it is nice to hear other’s opinions on how to approach different topics in our world today. Conversations are a key to knowing how to handle situations with a Jain perspective.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, temples all over the US have been closed, and we have all been prevented from doing Darshan. We all have felt this burden in our own ways, however, many of us have taken the time to make our own homes our temples. Prior to this time, some may not have had a spot in their homes to do darshan, but now, they have created one. Having a place to do darshan in your home is a great way to make up for lost time at the temple, and to commit to doing daily darshan. Having a place every morning and night to do darshan, not just in these times of a global pandemic, but all the time, brings peace, prosperity, and happiness. Recently Chaumasi Chaudas also rolled around - typically, many would go to the temple to celebrate the beginning of this highly religious 4 month period. However, many also would not have time to visit the temple on days they may have been in school or working. This year, although we couldn’t visit the temple, many of us did what we would typically do at the temple at home. This is an astonishing accomplishment as we became more religious than we may have been in the past because of the free time we had. If we think about all the times that we went to the temple and did samayak or pratikraman in a typical year, or even went to the temple just to count beads on a rosary, we would be able to count that number with our fingers. However, since we have been home, many of us have started setting goals for ourselves such as doing samayak at least once a week or counting beads on a rosary once a day. All over the world, during this small period of time, it seems everyone's homes have become their own temples.

Lastly, another improvement throughout this pandemic has been some outstanding technological advancements. Our usage of technology has skyrocketed over these 4 months, whether it be for school, work, or to hang out with family and friends. Either way, technology is accelerating at a greater speed than ever before. Many video meeting services such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Webex, have been used more and more to host meetings and webinars all over the world. Webinars range from gardening to learning about some of the most complicated topics in today's world. They educate many individuals all over the world, about things they may not have had the time to learn about before. Jainism encourages us to learn new things and see them from other perspectives, and webinars offer us a chance to do so without leaving our homes. Many webinars were also about Jain topics and were used to help individuals understand Jainism’s standpoint about matters all over the world, even during this global pandemic. Advancement in technology over this period of time did not just stop there. Many doctors have also been doing visits online with their patients. This method of performing doctor appointments has saved time, money, and the environment. Another marvelous event that has been happening every single day for about 4 months straight is our temple’s (JSMW) prayer program to restore peace all over the world. Anytime before this pandemic, if we were to start this prayer program, no one would have been able to attend as we all had many things going on in our lives. However, now that everyone is home and free we can execute something like this and pray for a countless number of jiv around the world. These advancements have been a magnificent way to continue praying, learning, and teaching even during this tumultuous time.

Conclusively, this pandemic, though it has brought much suffering to many people around the world, has brought moral benefit in ways you may have overlooked. In times of peril like these, good is still around the corner waiting to be found. The only way we will win this battle is with strength and courage. A countless number of individuals pray, and mourn, but the only way we can win against this dreadful virus and restore peace and prosperity is with a maximal amount of morality in the world.