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"Extending Jain Heritage to the Next Generation"
From the Editor...
by Surender K.Jain, Jain Digest
Federation of Jain Associations
in North America
JAINA By Sulekh C. Jain, President of JAINA “Extending Jain Heritage To The Next Generation"
A Mission We Must Not Fail
Dogmatism, sticking to one's viewpoint, and disregarding others lead to controversies and unprovable phenomenons many times. The disciples of the Lord Mahavira wrote and professed the doctrine of Anckantvad (= Syadvad) by arguing that any categorically asserted view, whether true or false, is not the only possible value of a statement function. These followers of Mahavira implied the avoidance of two extremes. Even in Buddhism, Lord Buddha is said to have told Katyayana to identify "it is" as one extreme, or "it is not as the other extreme and has stated that the part of Tathagata must avoid both so as to resort to the middle-path. In brief avoidance of two extremes was the hallmark of Buddhism. However, Jainism goes a bit further in the sense that, while disallowing acceptance of any extreme, it respects both by reconciling between them. Jainism asks for openness and non-one-sidedness. But then how can we answer to such curiosities from our youth that Jainism's Anckantvad is indeed a paradox? That is, how can we prove our point by accepting that something is "A" as well as "B"?
A simple-minded answer is that Dharamendra is a father to his children, a doctor to his patients, and a professor to his students. The major argument in the theory of Anckantvad (= Syadvad) is to show that there are indeed multiple facets to the nature of reality. Whatever is revealed to any observer at any given place and time or whatever, is revealed to any other observer at any other given place and time, is only partially right.
Further a question may be asked: "How can the same thing be both existent and nonexist. ent?" According to Haribhadra, it is clear, even to simple-minded individuals, that something is existent in so far as its own substantiality or its own location, it is also non-existent in so far as a different substantiality at a different time and location.
We shall have many different view points expressed during our discussions and seminars in this Sixth JAINA Convention. We as followers of Jainism-whether in the capacity of a Shravak, Shravika, pandit, monk, nun or in any other capacity—will come out with constructive roles to fulfill our goals in the months and years to come through openness and nonone-sidedness while offering our humble salutations to Arhantas, Sidhas, Acharyas, Upadhyayas, and Sadhus for their blessings.
In the history of Jainism, it is probably the first time that over 100,000 Jains are settled outside India. Remarkably, it is now possible to find Jains in all the five continents of the globe.
About 35 to 40 thousand of these Jains make their home in North America. Jainism, therefore, is no longer confined within the geographical boundaries of India, and is now a global religion.
Many of the Jains living outside India were born and raised in India. Those who have immigrated are living under a very different, socio-economic, religious, cultural, linguistic, ethnic, technical, and scientific environment. Along with this, a whole new generation of Jains have been born and raised outside of India and their links to India or Indian Jainism are only through their parents, family, friends, and Jain organizations. Their knowledge, perception, faith, and beliefs are, therefore, much different than those of their parents.
Since Jainism is now a worldwide religion, it must change and be perceived as a worldwide religion. Of course, the fundamentals and basic principles and philosophics do not change, but the rituals, customs, traditions, and means or language of communication are never static and must change to suit the needs of the new/adopted environment, time, and place. We must adapt because we cannot ignore change. A case in point is the significant change in Christianity from the time of Galileo and Copernicus when religion and science were at odds about the rotation of the earth. If religion would not have changed, either science would not have progressed, or Christianity would not have prospered.
Coming back to our own environment, more than 60 or so Jain centers and organizations have been established in North America since 1965. We have close to twenty places of worship and temples. The Jains here are a dynamic and vibrant community.
The Federation of JAINA was created in 1981 and is now ten years old. It is a unique institution and does not have any parallels in the Jain world. JAINA is not an organization of individuals, but rather, an association of associations. During its first decade of existence, it has strived to unite all Jains as Jains (in spite of our diversity of religious beliefs, traditions, customs, language and regional origin).
Many of us born and raised in India are aging and a whole new generation of Jains, born and raised in North America, are becoming the most visible and influential members of the Jain community. The question is how and what type of shape and structure they will impart to the emerging Jain community here.
We are living in a very quickly-changing, scientific, materialistic, and JudcoChristian world. Our youths don't accept things on faith alone and they ask WHY and HOW COME for everything. They want North American answers. Indian answers will not do.
The entire Jain community, all the Jain centers and JAINA have to discuss, debate, and decide on these important issues. The need is right now and we cannot procrastinate these decisions any longer.
The theme of the Sixth JAINA Convention is very appropriately chosen as "Extending Jain Heritage to the Next Generation." This convention must devote
JULY 1991
13
6TH BIENNIAL JAINA CONVENTION
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