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agitation, female feticide, dowry, business rectitude and sectarian frenzy which to them
seemed specific to India. Many of my respondents reported feeling that they are much
better off in the United States than their counterparts in India.
Anne Vallely, a prominent scholar of Jainism, characterizes the views of second
generation American Jains as follows: "They reject the social dimensions of the tradition
and espouse a universalistic, modern interpretation. They emphasize the values of
vegetarianism, animal rights, environmentalism, meditation and non-sectarianism
and
actively promote interfaith activities."121 I agree with her assessment and found that many
of my respondents wished to discuss the ways in which these values were important to
them in formulating a distinct American-Jain identity.
Vegetarianism
In my interviews, I inquired whether, a modern diaspora movement should make
vegetarianism a requirement or not. Vegetarianism is a requirement for being a Jain, but
how should it apply to non-Jain Anuvratis? The following response from a samani
(liberal-nun) addressed my question. She said: "Anuvrat is concerned with basic human
values. It does not expect people to give up their culture, tradition or religion."122 She
meant that being a vegetarian is not a strict criterion for the movement. It seems that
Terapanth's drive to transcend religious and geographical boundaries significantly
influenced their view in favor of allowing non-vegetarians' to participate.
121 Anne Vallely, Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life (Center for the Study of World Religions, 2002), 195.
122 Samani, interview by Shivani Bothra, August 22, 2012.
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