Sumati Jnana

SR No.: 012067
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Shivkant Dwivedi, Navneet Jain
Publisher: Shantisagar Chhani Granthamala
Publication Year: 2007
Total Pages: 468
Language: English, Hindi
Classification: Smruti_Granth & Articles
File Size: 14 MB

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Sumati-Jñāna 2005 was published an interesting paper by Achal Shah, entitled "The challenges of being American and Jain", in which he regrets that American Jains, spending large time at work or business, seem to have very few moments to practice their religious duties, to meditate, to study Jainism due the lack of good teachers, to go to a temple or to a sacred place, etc. He recommends to establish a place at home to meditate, study, worship and to devote time each day for doing what is necessary for the elevation of mind and spirit.
In 2006, was inaugurated the great new Jain temple, above cited, erected at Potters Bar, near London, by the "Oshwals Association in UK". In the same year, some American Jains took part to the pilgrimage organized by JAINA in India36 including, among other sites, a visit to Shravanabelgola (Karnataka) at the occasion of the ceremonies for the great "abhisheka" of the huge statue of Bahubali that takes place here, with a great fervour, every twelve years only. This year, the 14th biennial JAINA Convention is prepared to be held on the 5th to 8th July in Edison (New Jersey) USA with as theme "Peace through dialogue".
Now, according to Dr. Nathubhai Shah37 and Dr. Bhuvanendra Kumar338 in his academic journal "Jinamanjari" there are outside India about 130 Jain organisations: 84 in America, 30 in Europe, 10 in Africa, 5 in Asia and 1 in Australia, with special ones for the young, the women and the communities welfare. According to the same authors, lay Jain living outside India are about 40.000 in UK, 150.000 in North America, and a less important number in the other parts of the world where they have migrated, giving a total of nearly 200.000.
One may see above numerous facts and events related to Jains living outside India. Unfortunately, it has been impossible to mention all of them. They were so numerous! If some very important ones or some eminent persons have been unwillingly omitted, I pray to forgive me. Micchami Dukkadam!
As a conclusion, we see that Jains are living now in many countries in the world, We see also that practically all are Indians or native of Indian parents and they are not very numerous abroad, compared to those living in India (less than 5%). For they great majority, adults have high level of culture and occupations (engineers, physicians, accountants, jewellers, businessmen, Ph. D, etc). A majority of them know how to earn money, (some are very wealthy) but they donate largely to charitable, social, cultural and religious activities in their new home country, in India and possibly elsewhere. They are active in the maintain of their faith and the support of its followers but, till now, they have not big success to attract many converted in the countries they are established. That is essentially due to the great harshness of some of their religious practices. Nevertheless, they have obtained results on a limitation of cruelty towards animals and in favour of vegetarianism. They are not very numerous to face the great needs of the innumerable human beings suffering of poverty in the USA, in UK, (in India 350 millions) and elsewhere in the world. They have no more obtained the abolition of death sentences in India and in some American States. They preach non-violence in a world where it increases each day, of tolerance in a world day after day