Ahimsa Times 2009 03 SrNo 105

Author(s): Ahimsa Times
Publisher: Ahimsa Times

Page 3

AHIMSA TIMES - MARCH 2009 ISSUE - www.jainsamaj.org
Page 3 of 16
Jainism.
5 JAINS
UK
JAINS IN THE UK UNITE TO CELEBRATE MAHAVIR JANMA KALYANAK - 10 & 11 APRIL, 2009 - Once again, the UK Jain community has joined hands together to celebrate Bhagwan Mahavir's Janma Kalyanak this April. Organised under the banner of JAINS UK, this year's 'Mahavir Janma Kalyanak Celebrations will be held over a two-day period on Friday 10 April and Saturday 11 April 2009 and be held at Harrow Leisure Centre, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow HA3 5BD. During the day two day event, Jains of all ages will be able to explore Bhagwan Mahavir's teachings and their relevance in modern day life, look at the Jain way of life and celebrate Mahavir's birth with a series of lectures, workshops, seminars, a Navgaraha poojan, a drama by young people from Shri Chandana Vidyapeeth in South London, a cultural show and an entertaining raas garba event. Eminent speaker to address include Pujya Chitrabhanuji, Pujya Jin Chandra Maharaj (Bandhu Triputi), Pujya Acharya Chandnaji, Pujya Sadhvi Subhamji, Puyja Kumarpal Desai, Dr Will Tuttle and Hemal Shah.
JAIN MONK INSTALLED LAKSHMI IDOL OF KUSHANA PERIOD, MATHURA Shri Lakshmi in Jainism: In Jaina Literature , in Kalpa-Sutra the abhisheka (abhiseya) of Siri is one of the fourteen auspicious dreams of Trisala Devi, Before the birth of Mahavira. In Paryusana Kalpa the Abhiseya of Sri is described. The worshipful shri seated on a lotus of the lotus lake amongst the heights of Himalayas anointed by the waters poured upon her by the strong, thick trunks of the elephants of quarters. In the Bhagavati Sutra the same theme, as one of the fourteen dreams of Queen Dharini is designated as abhiseya In later Parisistaparvan of Hemachandra, Shri is referred to as Shri Devi who held in her hand a lotus to worship the gods with and her residence in the Himalayas is called Padmahrada.
There is detailed description Goddess Lakshmi or Shri has been very popular in India. It has been common in the merchant communities. Some Jains do not worship any gods or goddesses other than the Tirthankaras and Some worship no idols at all. Lakshmi indicates prosperity. Worship of Lakshmi indicates an admiration of prosperity and a sense of liability towards it. Idol of Lakshmi is occasionally found in some Jain temples. There is a view that the Jains have taken worship of Lakshmi from the Puranic Brahmanism. This does not appear to be correct. The oldest known independent idol of Lakshmi is from Mathura from the Kushana period. It was installed under the supervision of Jain monk Aryadeva by an iron-merchant (or iron-smith) Gottika. They had also installed what is now the oldest known idol of Saraswati. Source : Mr. SANJAY KUMAR JAIN, E-Mail: vishwajains@yahoo.com
SAINTS
JAINS ARE PART OF HINDU SOCIETY-JAIN ACHARYA VIJAY RATNASUNDER SURISHWARJI - Jain saint Shri Vijay Ratnasunder Surishwar Ji Maharaj said in New Delhi that the Jains are part of Hindu society and any move to separate them from the Hindu society would be disastrous. He was presiding over a Dharma Sabha in Delhi organised at Mahavir Kendra on March 1. All the speakers and the saints participating in the
Sabha stressed the need to warn the political leadership in clear words not to divide the society any more. The Dharma Sabha was organised by Indraprastha Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He further said the recent decision of the government to extend minority status to Jains would lead to separatism. "Every section of the Hindu society believes in harmony and togetherness. We need to first decide whether we wish to bridge the gap or want to create a wall of differences. Despite the diversity of various ways of worship, communities and Gods we all are one. Jains can never think of seeking separation from the Hindu society. Any move to extend minority status to any section of the society today is equal to attacking the integrity of the country. It should be seen as an attempt to destabilise the harmony between various sections of the Hindu society.
He reminded the gathering of the Supreme Court decision delivered by three judges bench headed by the then Chief Justice Shri R. C. Lahoti in 2005 in which the court had clearly said the main task of the Minority Commission is to suggest the ways and means to create the social conditions in which first the names of various
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