Jain Digest 2004 01 Vol 23 No 1

SR No.: 527091
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 2004
Total Pages: 48
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Jain Digest, & USA
File Size: 9 MB

Page 32

GURUDEV CHITRABHANUJI'S
visit in Ahmedabad - GUJARAT International Conference on world peace
War Is Dehumanizing
Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji, visited Ahmedabad - Gujarat, India from the 31st of December 2003 to the 4th of January 2004. Invited to attend the International Conference on World Peace, organized by the Department of Philosophy of Gujarat University, as one of the Chief Guests, he chaired the afternoon session of the conference, where a large number of the scholar-delegates presented papers on various aspects of World Peace. Gurudev summarized his message by saying that, "War is ugly and Peace is beautiful. There cannot be a good War or a bad Peace! So, we have to heighten our awareness to a level of unconditional Love and Compassion for the other. Only then can we bring about peace in our lives and in the lives of others, which is the very foundation of World Peace."
Next morning, in the plenary session of the conference, Gurudev delivered a lecture on the subject "Universal Peace through Ahimsa and Friendship." He gave the message of Bhagwan Mahavira that only through Ahimsa and Amity one can get real peace. Ahimsa envisions one's counterpart in others. Now there is no 'others'! It is a state of universality of total consciousness. For this purpose one has to make his/her own efforts without passing on responsibilities to others. More than five hundred scholar-delegates, coming from over forty different countries, listened spellbound.
Be Universal Man
On the 2nd of January 2004, Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji presided over a function conducted by the Gandhinagar Kelwani Mandal, Madhuri Mansukhlal School at Koba, near Gandhinagar, Gujarat. On this occasion, he honored the outstanding students of the school. While addressing them, he narrated beautiful stories about how they should endeavor to enrich themselves with knowledge and culture, and to acquire discerning sense of awareness for right action. He said, "Our two eyes are for seeing the outer material world. But Knowledge is our powerful third eye which makes us see our inner selves. This leads to selfknowledge, which is the basis for our becoming Universal Man. This is the key to true success in life." Suresh Hiralal Kobawala and Ravindra Kobawala, who attended this function, were pleased to donate Rupees One Lakh each to the School. Chitrabhanuji has always been supporting this school with his generous donations. This school has been making great progress in excellence.
30/JAIN DIGEST⚫ Spring 20004
Banks of Discipline
On the same day at noon, he visited Tapovan Sanskar Pitha where he delivered a speech about the essentiality of discipline and decorum in student life. "Without discipline our energies are dissipated and our actions and life lack focus. It is only when the iron of Body and Mind is tempered with the fire of discipline that we acquire the strength and flexibility of steel. Lack of decorum in our lives reflects on our lack of sensitivity for the feelings of others, and it becomes a hindrance in living in Amity."
Service to Living Beings Is Service to God
In the afternoon on the same day, he specially visited Manthan,' a Non-Government Organization working for the welfare of the Handicapped, Disabled and Mentally Retarded young, teenage girls. Smt. Niruben and Shri Girishbhai Patel, who have been working hard to run this center, welcomed Gurudevji and others. Gurudev blessed the children, who were smiling and happy. Despite their handicapped condition, the girls gave beautiful performances of dances, garba, songs and enactments of scenes, etc. on the stage. Gurudevji donated a cheque of Rupees one lakh to this Organization on behalf of Divine Knowledge Society of Mumbai. He explained that when we see any physically or mentally challenged people, it is not enough to ascribe their fate to their Karma and to close the matter in our minds. By being a passive sympathizer without Karuna, we are in fact earning negative karma for ourselves. Therefore, it is necessary for us to actively contribute in as many ways as is possible, to help those who are less fortunate than we are.
Pramodaji in Ahmedabad 2003
Pramodaben Chitrabhanu - visited Ahmedabad the middle of October, 2003, there she delivered a talk on Jainism in Foreign Lands. An interesting note is that a great number of people in North America have adopted a lifestyle of non-violence and non-dairy products out of compassion for animals, such as cows and buffaloes that are cruelly treated to obtain more milk.
(continued on Page )