JAINA Convention 1993 07 Pittusburgh

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

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Orthodox came together to plan a Parliament of Religions. Members of other religions were invited to meet on equal terms of welcome. The World's Parliament of Religions has been acclaimed as equal to if not greater than Ashoka's Council at Pataliputra, Constantine's at Nicaea or Akbar's meetings at Fatehpur Sikri. At its seventeen days of plenary meetings, contemporaries gave the palm to Swami Vivekananda. Admiration for his attainment does not prevent our acclamation of an unflamboyant personality, soberly presenting a faith based on reason and self-conquest. This was the faithful achievement of Mr V.R.Gandhi.
Mr. Virchand Gandhi's Role
The reporter of his first words introduces him as "a lawyer of Bombay and one of the chief exponents of Jain religion". Mr Gandhi said: "I come from India, the mother of religions. I represent Jainism, a faith older than Buddhism, similar to it in ethics, but different from it in its psychology and professed by 1,500,000 of India's most peaceful and law-abiding citizens". He added that at this point he only wanted to offer thanks on behalf of this community and Muni Atma Ramji, whom he especially represents. This kind of meeting" has been the dream of Atma Ramji's life". He is commissioned to offer congratulations on the achievement of the consummation of that grand idea, of convening a Parliament of Religions. Again in his main speech Mr. Gandhi reiterates that he speaks "simply as the mouthpiece of Muni Atmaramji, the learned high priest of the Jain community in India." (Of course the Muni himself was not able to travel except on foot.) He then gave a short no-nonsense, highly condensed and technical account of the ethnics and history of the Jains, their books, teachings and practices. Another contribution to the Conference plenary by him was to refute a speaker who had "cast reflections upon
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the chastity of the women who serve in the temples of India." He said that he did not want "to allow free scope to an un-Christian spirit which seemed to interpose from time to time." "I am glad that no one has dared to attack the religion I represent. It is as well they should not. But every attack has been directed to the abuses existing in our society. These abuses are not from religion but in spite of religion." He then spoke of Westerners who went to India to convert, when they failed "they return to pass a whole life in abusing the Hindu." He then easily showed that the charge about immoral priestesses was nonsense. He recalls how the Greek historian stated "No Hindu was ever known to tell an untruth, no Hindu woman to be unchaste." He refers to the refusal of the Hindu to criticise the character of Jesus. Similarly Akbar refused to do to the Bible what the Portuguese had done to the Quran. We may note Mr. Gandhi's use of the word "Hindu" in these speeches. He uses it in its generic and geographical sense as a person who follows a certain type of culture and originates in a certain area. He includes himself in this generic sense and it would almost seem Akbar as well, though that may be forcing the meaning. At the same time he insists his own religion is Jainism and it has not been attacked by the remarks on Hindu temple practice. It is important to note that Mr. Gandhi, who is not a monk, represents Jainism but points out that he stands there on behalf of his Muni and his community. Mr. Gandhi's closeness of thought to his Muni can be traced in considerable detail in a book of questions and answers prepared by Mahamuni Shrimat Vijyanandsuri - the official name of Muni Atmaramji - for use at the Parliament.3 It is a most valuable compendium of Jain doctrine of that day and age in logical and clear terms, refusing to believe in a Creator God but accepting the working of powers in the Universe somewhat like the
laws of science as interpreted in keeping with the idea of relativity.
Mr. Virchand Gandhi's Other Work in the West
Mr. Gandhi was a great success at the Parliament and he stayed on awhile in the United States. A paper by him dating from this time is to be found in The Arena of 1895.4 It is entitled "Christian Missions in India." He says since the Parliament he has spent considerable time looking at American institutions and found "much that is commendable-except its religion." He has failed to find spirituality, brotherhood and "love to those creatures dependent upon man." He notices that his remarks on the work of missions has aroused hostile comment. Yet if Christianity has done so badly in America, why waste effort and money overseas? Mr. Gandhi especially admires American secular free universal education and opines that if India really had a system where children could get a free education without having to abandon their culture, religion, and caste, then the results in development, prosperity and international trade would be rapid. If he came back today and spoke to a Chicana grandmother in the Central Valley of California it would break his heart to learn of the traditional Mexican-style catholic children being forced to abandon their faith, "class", raza and language to obtain "free" education geared to a well-off Anglo secular middle-class. We still need Jain "crusaders" like Mr. Gandhi, let us hope we can use such as well and with as much dignity as India did in her years of "modernisation" agony a hundred years ago. The connection between the coming of the missionaries, the Imperial government and the break-up of Indian traditional society with the introduction of alcohol, oppressive taxation without representation and irresponsible economic policies are brilliantly set side by side by Mr.
"Towards your fellow-creatures be not hostile. All beings hate pain; therefore one should not kill them."
7TH BIENNIAL JAINA CONVENTION - JULY 1993 For Private & Personal Use Only
-Mahavira
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