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not understand what they or their significance were exactly. I also had never been to a Jain temple. Though I have always considered true practice more important than ritual. I wanted to learn more. This was very difficult. I found that many Jains whom I met were unfamiliar with the meaning behind the rituals. I had the opportunity to stay with a nice Jain family in Houston. They were very hospitable and also quite knowledgeable about different Jain rituals. I went to the Jain Center in Houston and attended the Young Jain Association Southwest Regional Conference in 1996. This made a tremendous difference in my understanding by allowing me to see how others practiced Jainism.
I found that like any other path, there were many who were uncertain about their faith. There was also confusion among younger people as to whether Jain concepts were truly practical in this society at this time. I met many who possessed incredible knowledge about Jainism but admitted their practice was not always as it should be. I was amazed that there were a number of non-vegetarians. I was disillusioned to find that Jainism was taken for granted by many of those who had been born into it. How could the 'true path' be ignored?
In thinking about it, I came to realize that I was dealing with a phenomenon that happens in all religious traditions. It had happened to me; I had not accepted my own religious upbringing and had questioned much of what my elders told me was the "right" thing to do. If I had simply accepted it all, I would have never been exposed to Jainism (or for that matter many other interesting and beautiful philosophies). How else could one ever really know if Jainism was the true path?
I began to realize that unless one had really done some self-examination or already had a strong inner knowing, then there would probably always be a level of doubt about this or any path. On top of that, we live in a society where we are inundated with marketing that encourages us to
live our lives as the corporate giants see fit. At every turn, there is a McDonalds or KFC fast food restaurant. Even schools encourage us to eat and behave in ways that are contrary to the teachings of Jainism. Following a code of Ahimsa may appear impossible when we are strongly urged to do things that violate it and are surrounded by those who contradict it constantly.
No wonder there is so much confusion among Jains living in North America. I had felt the same confusion about Catholicism, though I had not had quite the same struggle between the rules of Catholicism and the standards of society. My confusion had led me into a search for true spirituality that resulted in tremendous growth for me. I never returned to Catholicism but did come to appreciate it more as a result of my quest. I was truly lucky because I had examined other religions before coming to find Jainism; thus I was able to see the essential differences and saw that Jainism had some characteristics that were very unique. These unique characteristics made me realize that Jainism was a path unlike any other.
I will now explain some of what really had an impact on me. Jainism recognizes that we alone are responsible for our destiny. This is both frightening and liberating. It is frightening to those who have been conditioned to believe that by worshipping the proper god in the proper religion their ultimate goal will be achieved. These worshippers rely on an external agent rather than on their own soul. It is also frightening to those who engage in activities that violate the sanctity of the soul, because they realize that they will have to experience the consequences of their actions. It is liberating because we realize that we hold the key to the ultimate goal. We can do it, and we have instructions on how to do it. No one else can do it for us. Those who achieved the goal of liberation were humans too. We can transform ourselves to be like they are, step by step.
Ahimsa is found to a certain extent in most
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