JAINA Convention 2007 07 Edison NJ

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

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Dr. Hema Pokharna www.journeysoflife.org hemapokharna@hotmail.com 1-866-NONVIOLENCE
Dr. Hema Pokharna is a researcher at the University of Chicago and Director - Journeys of Life. She serves on the Board of the Council for the Parliament of World Religions and Play for Peace.
She is a member of JAINA Interfaith committee. She is a Nonviolent Communication trainer and mediator.
ROLE OF JAINISM IN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
What Is Interfaith Dialogue?
William Isaacs, author of Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together shares - Dialogue is a conversation in which people think together in relationship. Thinking together implies that you no longer take your own position as final. You relax your grip on certainty and listen to the possibilities that result simply from being in a relationship with others possibilities that might not otherwise have occurred. "Most of us believe at some level that we must fix things or change people in order to make them reachable. Dialogue does not call for such behavior. Rather, it asks us to listen for an already existing. wholeness, and to create a new kind of association in which we listen deeply to all the views that people may express. It asks that we create a quality of listening and attention that can include but is larger than any single view."
Interfaith dialogue involves people of different religious faiths coming together to have a conversation. Interfaith dialogue is not intended to be a debate but it is aimed at mutual understanding, not competing; at mutual problem solving, not proselytizing.
Jainism more than being a religion, is a way of living with a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts. Jains have a responsibility to share and model this way of life by helping the world tackle with the root causes of violence and to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations. The 3 fundamentals of Jainism Enlightened world view, Enlightened knowledge and Enlightened action can be key in facilitating the interfaith dialogues. Jain participation can facilitate and demonstrate deeds of reconciliation which are usually much more effective than engaging in conversation. Jains can truly participate with the understanding and action that the underlying feature of interfaith dialogue is reverence for life, the shared devotion to high ideals. Reverence will enable participants from different faith traditions to jointly affirm transcendent ideals such as honor, justice, compassion, forgiveness, and freedom.
It is time for Jains to step forward and share with the world their central principle of Ahinsa as a positive force to make each casual encounter heartfelt, empathic connection, a relationship that creates a deep sense of the fundamental humanity of the other. The Jain doctrine of Anekantavada (the theory of multiple perspectives, 'non-one sidedness') which is all encompassing and based on equality and friendliness. Based on these principles Jains need to actively participate in interreligious dialogue and mediate actively to promote hospitality towards other religions, interfaith harmony and mutual co-operation. What the world needs at this point is what Jainism has addressed thousands of years ago - to be at ease with the mystery and the ambiguity that invariably comes with globalization and its
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PEACE THROUGH DIALOGUE