Ahimsa Varsh 2600th Birth Anniversary of Mahavir Swami

Author(s): Naresh Jain, P Jayaraman
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 61

Post September 11 and Jainism
- Naresh Jain
utside my office window, the sky on September 11, 2001,
was clear blue and beautiful. Shortly before 9 AM I was checking my e-mail at work. My collegue Don suddenly appeared to inform that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I fast-walked 120 feet to the other side of my floor. I was thinking that I may see a few floors fallen down similar to a couple of top floors of the famous Kutub Minar in New Delhi which I gazed in my teenage years from my dorm room on the fourth floor. In the next two hours, I saw the second tower hit and collapse. I could not believe how the perpetrators could sink below any level of thinkable degeneracy and cause the deaths of thousands of people. Since then Sept. 11 has become a new word with a new meaning.
On September 13, Lincoln Tunnel opened and I drove from New Jersey into Manhattan to attend the Annual Interfaith Service held at St. Bartholomew's Church near Rockefeller Center. I felt comfort in the company of my wife Sarla, HH Amrender Muniji and a friend Mary Van Abs. In the religious procession at the church prior to the service, a priest spotted my coat pin of a raised palm-a symbol of Jainism. He asked, "Are you a Jain?". I replied, "Yes sir". In a humble voice he said, "This is the time for Mahavir". I replied, "It sure is". The service included prayers for world peace from several religions including Jainism. The UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan spoke of a shared faith binding us to understand each other and to live in peace. What he spoke was Jainism to meParsparopagraho Jivanam (i.e., all life is bound together with
mutual support and assistance).
In the 20th century, several historical social changes were achieved in several countries through heroic adaptation of nonviolence by leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and Lech Walesa. I thought that these heroes had proved that nonviolence is an active process and more powerful than hatred. But, after Sept. 11 suddenly, I felt ignorant again, back to square one.
In the weeks and months that followed, the thirst for knowledge took a different direction. People wanted to know more about Islam and other religions. Now they question everything around them: America's place in the world, the perception of evil, the assumptions of different religions, and the relevancy of religion itself. Now people want a life where they understand each other and where there is hope for a better future.
After Sept. 11, I have participated in several panel discussions. At the panel discussion on 'Religion as Social Inspiration', on September 30,2001, in the American Museum of Natural History, I briefly reviewed the basic teachings of Jainism - "Ahimsa Parmo Dharmah' or nonviolence is supreme religion. As non- darkness would mean light all around, nonviolence would mean love all around. The principle of Anekantvad or open-mindedness will make us more tolerant and respectful to others. The follow-up questions reflected a craving for a better understanding of the nonviolence principle. Observations were similar in the subsequent visits to the opening ceremonies of the World Museum of Religions in Taiwan, and talks at the
Theosophical Society in New Jersey, and in the Surya Theosophical Society. During conversations with friends around the country, I gathered that after Sept. 11, Jain Center of Central Ohio had organized a Jain prayer and a tribute for the philosophy of Ahimsa in the Ohio Senate; Dr. Sushil Jain, Dr. Manoj Dharamsi, and Mr. Kanubhai Doshi in Washington metro area had participated in the memorial prayer at the Washington national Cathedral, in a CNN interview regarding Jain community's reaction, and in seyeral prayers for world peace and lectures in churches, mosques, interfaith, city, county and college gatherings. Mr. Pravin Shah had participated in similar programs in North Carolina. People are now more curious about exploring alternatives which could give more hope and better understanding.
Only 2 people out of every 1000 people on this earth are Jains, but their message is strong. A better understanding of the principle of nonviolence and respect for life will increasingly move the society toward a culture of peace and justice. The following of the teachings of Lord Mahavir would lead to the virtues such as tolerance, peace, respect, and harmonious relations; as well as care of our earth. These ethics can potentially avoid enormous funds that are spent on security, defense and environmental cleanups which can then be utilized for the welfare of the less fortunate world-wide. If we seize the moment and band together to foster the understanding of the philosophy of nonviolence- a gift of Jainism to make this world a better place for our children and grand children, then truly, this is the time for Mahavir.