Jain Digest 1999 01 Vol 15 No 01

SR No.: 527074
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 1999
Total Pages: 40
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Jain Digest, & USA
File Size: 7 MB

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forget to give to us, before they move on to their next life. There is always that something that they will forget. And what about Pathshala? Yes, they might teach us those remaining things, but remember, they are someone's parents too! What is the solution to all of this? Read, explore, and question. What I mean is that reading Jain books is a key part of learning. They are fun to read, and they give you never-before learnt knowledge. (Wouldn't it be better if we knew everything like the people who remembered the agams, all 45 of them, in their head? That is another example of forgotten knowledge, except that time, it eventually was written down.) Just go to your temple's library, and keep reading. Exploring is something you do if you are willing to get inside of something. You cannot just sit on the bench, and wait for the coach to call you to go out in the field, you have to get out onto the field, and be willing to play. (In relative terms, you have to go out and be willing to learn.) -You ask other friends about things you do not know about Jainism, and you also ask elders, like gurus, teachers, and yes, your parents. This is something you do, in my opinion, if you are a true Jain, and want to pass the Jain religion on to others.
Finally, questioning is like exploring. You have to ask other people about certain things you do not understand. It is all part of learning more, and keeping the Jain tradition alive. And even if you are learned, and know many things, another concern of the Jain religion in North America, is not knowing what the meaning of what you are saying. Ask anyone what "Namo Arihantanam" means, and they will say, "I bow down to the Arihantas." Yes, that is true, but for many kids, that is how far the meaning of sutras goes. As many parents would say, what is the purpose of singing a sutra, without knowing the meaning? In fact, many of our parents do not know the meanings of certain sutras and stutis. That is all part of the generation-knowledge gap, that must be filled. We can fix this, as simple as going to a prayer book, and looking up the meaning of the Jain prayer you are singing.
Another problem, in keeping the Jain tradition alive, is interreligious marriage. If a Jain marries a non-Jain, and they have kids, the kids will tend to go towards the more mainstream religion. I can say this, because I have 3 or 4 friends whose parents are Jewish, and Christian, and they have all chosen to be Christian, with Jewish being a "little" thing to them. Sometimes, not always, if a Jain marries a Hindu, things tend to work out, religion wise. But, if tradition breaks apart, we will lose Jains, to other religions. I hope this does not happen. And, nowadays, divorces, a seemingly "unknown" word to Jain couples, are popping up in the Jain world, which is not a good thing! Only time and faith will tell, whether these marriages work out, or divorces can stop. There is little we can do to stop these things, except to hope that people will come to their senses, and realize, that the Jain religion must go on, and that they should not break tradition. At a young age, if we tell them these things, it will get into their minds, hopefully, and if the parents of
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a Jain child are both Jain, that is a big boost, in itself. Another big problem, as mentioned earlier, is the split tradition, for teenagers, between the American society, and the Indian values. As said, many people like me, live with this kind of society, and integrate both things, into their daily lives. But, some Jains have quit on their religion and started to eat meat, and I know Jains who drink in moderation, which I am not proud to admit the least bit. A way we can work around this, as said, is to get the Jain fundamentals into the kids at a very young age, and it is up to the parents to put good Jain values into them, and send them regularly to Pathshala. This is the only way that we can prevent this from happening.
In my own time, I read Jain books and magazines, such as the Jain Study Circular, and the Jainism Non-Violence and Vegetarianism, by Dr. T.J. Salga. It would be hard to list all of the books I have read over the 10 or so years I have been able to read, but I can tell you something form each book I have read. For example, I can tell you a lot about the stories in Introduction to Jainism, by Bharat Shah. (That is one book my friends and I have read at least 3 or 4 times, back to front.) The books I read I put to use in my daily life. For example, in the Studies In Jainism-Primer 2 by the Jain Study Circle, there is a story called Jainism for Young Jains, which I read in another book when I was a little smaller. It influenced me in the way that I should realize that I can't make people Jain. I just have to let them be the way they are. A newly found book/magazine that has come around is the Diwar Chakra Katra series on famous Jain Tirthankars, and teachings, such as "The Miracles of Namokar Mantra." I do samayik, especially during Paryushan, with my family. I am learning in my Pathshala class, how to do it myself. During this summer, I plan to do many samayiks, and do a lot more Jain reading. I also perform darshan, everyday of the week. As my mother says, "Going to school without doing darshan, is like not eating breakfast." Our temples have guest people who do lectures, but I never get around to asking them about Jainism. I have the most questions about cosmology, and the different worlds. These are just some of the things I do. I think rather than reading and going to the temple, an equally important part of Jainism, is practicing it in your daily life. And that's what I do, with a said, darshan, samayik, and pachchakhana, which I do on the weekends.
In conclusion, I would like to say that for Jainism to be carried out into the 21st century, we need to learn from our elders, as much as we can, and we need to go out and do our own work. Our goals of non-violence and compassion towards all, can be achieved through hard work. This is the only way that we, as Jains, can uprise in a North American society, and carry on with the hundreds of thousands of years of Jain tradition. The children are the future of Jainism, the future of Jainism is in North America, and North America will know who we are. We, are the Jains of the 21st century. Thank you, and Jai Jinendra!
JAIN DIGEST SPRING 1999/19 www.jainelibrary.org