Jain Digest 2016 08

SR No.: 527140
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 2016
Total Pages: 44
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Jain Digest, & USA
File Size: 6 MB

Page 16

Zeel Kothari, Age 18 Loyola University, Chicago.
I was born in India and came to North America at age one with no knowledge of the person I was and the religion I belong to which is obviously expected at that age. The fact is that now everyone will forever consider me as someone who was born and brought up in North America, a place with different cultural values, a place that is also a melting pot due to the variety of ethnicities here.
In my childhood, I grew up in a smaller city with very few Jains compared to other larger cities, but the Jain society where I lived was closely knit and was also dedicated in educating the youngsters about Jainism. It was here where I learned the fundamentals of Jainism and other sutras. It was here where I also learned the importance of vegetarianism in our religion and why we do not consume certain foods. Understanding the concept is one thing but applying it to your day to day life is another thing. So growing up in a Jain family, we strictly followed vegetarianism and made sure we restricted ourselves as much as we could on important occasions, especially during paryushan. But sometimes you realize that not everyone is on the same page as you because they might be taught different things as they are growing up which brings up a small incident that happened in my early childhood.
My cousins had just recently moved to North America from India and came over to visit us. At that time I was still little, and did not have much knowledge about the fact that there are many Jains that do not consume root vegetables at all times. My cousin's family was one of those families. So I remember offering my cousin a potato chip to eat and she denied it. I asked her why and her response to me was, "I do not eat potatoes because I am Jain". Well even though I was little, I still knew I was Jain too and at the same time I was eating a potato chip. So I ran to my mom and told her what my cousin said and asked her, "Mom, does that mean I am not Jain?" Then she explained to me that the food we consume is not everything that defines us as Jains, and that there is more to it. Saying the Navkar Mantra, bowing down, folding hands and not eating certain foods is one of the first things that a young Jain is taught, but certainly not everything that is taught.
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Jain
Growing up as a Jain in North America, you usually are living in a place where you are constantly surrounded by people with diverse beliefs of different religions. That is when you are expected to represent your religion, but also understand different perspectives or in other words, practicing Anekantvad. When people around me want to know more about my religion, I learn with them. Often times the questions they raise, make me curious and along the process I end up learning with them. It makes me want to know the reason behind it and not just what I need to know. For example, when I was little I always knew that we are not supposed to eat root vegetables but never knew why up until later on when one of my friends asked me why, and I did not know what to say. So I asked, learned why and educated my friends about it. So the exposure of different religions all around me made me curious about the different beliefs. This gives me an opportunity to educate myself and try to answer my own questions.
Even though I may not always be able to walk to the temple, meet Maharaj Sahebs and attend their lectures all the time, or able to visit holy temples, there is so much I can do and educate myself from where I am living. Technology here allow us to virtually listen to a lecture, watch a diksha happening in India, and just stay in touch with all the Jain related events constantly happening around us. Being a pathshala student, I have many opportunities to learn and then educate others around me about Jainism. Besides going to the temple every other Sunday, I can get involved in different activities such as the Jain Academic Bowl, going to Jain conventions, and taking part in Mahavir Jayanti programs. In pathshala here, emphasis is more on the fundamentals and the science behind the religion rather than just learning the sutras. Growing up, I learned the basic sutras and the meanings, but it later I understood the meaning of Jainism and why we believe in what we believe in. That is something that has helped me out a lot because it gave me a reason for doing what I do every day. As a high schooler, I was given an opportunity to participate in a Jain Academic Bowl. That was a great opportunity for me to grow as a Jain because I learned so much about Jainism through that at the convention. It really helped me dig deeper into the fundamentals of Jainism. Additionally, going to conventions and