BIRTH OF JAINA
(Mahendra Khandhar)
Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) was founded on 15
September, 1979. After JCSC was well established and stabilized, our
visionary friend and Vice President of JCSC, Lalit Shah came up with a
brilliant idea in mid-1980 - to establish an umbrella organization forall
institutions - Jain Centers, Societies, Sanghs, Study Centers and others -
representingJaincommunitiesinUS andCanada.
His idea was discussed in the JCSC Executive Committee and with
thecommunitymembers. Everyonewasconvincedthatthe ideaand concept
wereworth pursuing. LalitShah and MahendraKhandharwererequested to
develop more information and discuss the concept with community and
spiritual leadersofvariouscenters.
At that time when we began to pursue the idea of having a central
umbrella Jain organization, Jain Centers were already established in Los
Angeles,NewYork,Boston, Chicago, PujyaGurudevChitrabhanuji'sCenter
(JMIC) and Pujya Acharya Sushil Kumarji's Mission (IMJM). Jain
organizations were in various stages offormation at several locations - San
Francisco, Cleveland, Toronto, Washington DC, NewJersey, Florida, Texas,
Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, Seattle and others. All ofthese centers were
trying to develop their own organizational structure without the benefit of
uniform and structured guidelines, while following their upbringing and
Sanskar.
The conceptofforming a CENTRALJain organization was pursued
atfourdifferentlevels:
First:WetalkedtothetwoJainspiritual leaders intheUSA- Pujya
Acharya Shri Sushil Kumarji and Pujya Gurudev Shri
Chitrabhanuji.Both were very happywith the concept and gavetheir
heartfelt blessings. Discussions with them yielded many useful
suggestions.
Second: WetalkedtoJain leaders in academia, ¢.g., Prof. Padmanabh
Jaini (Professor ofBuddhism and Oriental Studies at UC Berkeley)
and Prof. Jagdish Prasad Sharma (Professor of Ancient Indian
Historyatthe Univ. ofHawaii in Honolulu). Bothwerevery
