YJ International Newsletter 2004 Vol 18 No 03

SR No.: 527771
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Young Jains (UK)
Publisher: UK Young Jains
Publication Year: 2004
Total Pages: 28
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, UK Young Jains, & UK
File Size: 11 MB

Page 5

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Tasting The MangoTMTMM
TTM
Experiences of the Tasting The Mango Convention 2002, shared by Adarsh Shah (UK) and Shilpa Shah (USA)
-H
First of all let me tell you how I felt about the whole experience in Priti's words: "FANTASTIC & PHENOMENAL!" Having lived in India for 8 years I have attended many religious lectures and seminars. The one thing that differentiates most of those and the Convention was that learning was made fun and practical. It was not somebody just giving out information that you could not relate to that much, here the presentation team consisted of people that I can relate to who all are enthusiastic learners themselves. There was no sign of MBA (Mane Badhu Avde che) among them:- this was a refreshing quality to see.
معك
The energy created by the "Mango Dancing" was just amazing. The blood started flowing through the body and woke and geared me up!! Similarly the High-5s and the Mango Hugs created warmth and a sense of unity amongst the crowd. When people started to doze off the massages really to again wake up and feel alive. The style of the presentation was very creative and strikingly imaginative. I have never before seen people present Jainism in such a practical and easy way that we can easily relate to. This was evident all around me, as the audience were taking a keen interest in what was going on and accepting the various challenges that were set.
I really enjoyed being a facilitator and being trained up for the Drama Workshop. This was a very different experience for me as it gave me a better understanding of the impact that karma played in Mahavir Bhagwan's life as well my own life. It also gave me an opportunity to do a bit of acting, which was fun allowing me to apply the Convention Fun Keys, to play full out, have fun, and be silly as well. The discussion of the qualities of the different characters made me understand the karmic cycle much better. It also gave me an opportunity to make new friends from the group, whom I keep in touch with.
Adarsh Shah UK
Over the years I had been hearing great things about the Young Jains conventions from fellow Americans who had attended. Although I had always been active with Jain conventions in the US, I had never quite gotten around to going overseas to attend a Young Jains UK convention. After all, a trip to London from the US is not exactly a small matter. But for some reason, this year I felt compelled to finally cross the pond and check out the convention.
Although I was not successful in convincing any of my friends to join me, I was sure that I would run into other people I knew from the US, since several Americans had attended YJ conventions in previous years. When I arrived, however, I was surprised to hear that I was the only delegate who had come from America. Would I enjoy myself? Would I be able to find people to hang out with? Or would I just get bored and lonely?
When I arrived Friday evening, I was greeted with high fives by several enthusiastic committee members, who appeared happy to see me. I found the energy of these committee members to be contagious as I learned the "Mango Dance" and noticed the energy spreading all over the room. The theme, "Tasting the Mango"... what is that really about? Having been raised by a Jain scholar, and then having attended many other Jain conventions, the content itself turned out to be very familiar to me, but the style was quite novel experience. Never before had I seen ordinary Jain concepts presented with such creativity and imagination. Light sabres, sunglasses, beach balls, and of course, the music, proved to be quite an effective way to enliven concepts such as Atma, Karma, Samyak Darshan, Nav Tattva, and Moksha, and it was quite refreshing to see the audience take such a keen interest in learning the material. Although there were times when I was feeling a bit jet-lagged, I found that starting off sessions with mango dancing, high fives, shoulder rubs, and mango hugs was a great way to wake up and feel alive, as well as meet other delegates.
Although I hardly knew any of the delegates when I first arrived, I never felt lonely at any time. All through the weekend, people would approach me and talk to me as if I had always been part of their crowd. The organizers, as well as my host, especially made me feel welcome.
I just want you all to know that I really enjoyed the convention as well as the trip afterwards. I know you've all heard me say this before, but I really mean it. Usually, by the time my vacation is finished, I'm ready to come home. But this time it was different. This time, I was really sad about having to leave England and come back to my regular day-to-day life..
Shilpa Shah (USA)
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