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ipants in this behavior. It's amazing to see how rigid and unyielding all parties are in dealing with each other. The most common statements you hear are "my way is better than theirs", "they are violating sanctity of the worship process", "their scriptures do not accurately represent Lord Mahavir's teachings" and on and on. In the process we forget that all traditions have had great Acharyas, great teachers and great religious leaders who inspired and defined processes, rites and rituals. Many of the great Acharyas had traceable lineage to Lord Mahavir. And we still have very eminent Acharyas and religious figures in all traditions. If all traditions have had great Acharyas, we cannot justify one group saying to the other "you are wrong". It all boils down to one thinking "I am better than you", a form of Mithyatva - a manifestation of ego. Ironically, it is contrary to the most fundamental teachings of Lord Mahavir. Ego breeds insecurity, or vice versa. The leaders are afraid they will lose their position, their community standing, their fellowship etc. if they come closer to the other tradition. It all may sound too simple, but let's not forget, the root cause of most highly complex problems is usually very simple, and also, many times the best solution to complex problems starts from a simple and objective first step. I happen to believe the differences can be bridged amicably. It is a long and arduous process, but achievable. Who would have thought in early nineteen sixties that Rev. Martin Luther movement would succeed, but it did.
Jain integration will happen, and Jains outside of India will lead it. We have no
choice for otherwise the religion will not survive and thrive in the West. The second and subsequent generations of Jains will be just "Jains", not labeled as Digambar or
Shwetambar or Sthanakwasi, and it is not only the duty but an obligation of the first generation Jains to encourage that, lest our children will lose the Jain identity itself, leave aside the sectarian identity.
For the Jains outside of India there is one more excuse for separation that is driven by language or regional background. Since the activities in India are localized the impact of regionalism is not that profound. However, outside of India, for instance in the US, local Jain communities comprise of people from multiple Indian regional backgrounds and languages. In most cities, these groups are very small individually, and they join hands to form a common organization. Here again, minor misunderstanding or "not-so-careful" actions may easily result in getting the community splintered.
Jain community of San Francisco Bay Area under the auspices of Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC) and some other centers in North America and other parts of world have taken the first step towards building a unified Jain community. In creating a unified Jain Bhawan, JCNC has adopted a new but commonsense paradigm based on Jain Unity in Diversity. Some of the key aspects of the initiative are as follows.
Jain Education International 2010_03
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Extending Jain Heritage in Western i
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I happen to believe the differences can be bridged amicably. It is a long and arduous process,
but achievable.
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