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On Saturday, November 5, Lord Mahavir's Nirvan was celebrated with pomp and joy. Acharya Sushil Kumar addressed the gathering on the occasion eloquently on the theme, Should Nirvan Be The Coal For Everyone ?. The General Body Meeting of the Center was held on the same day to conduct its business and hold elections for the new Executives.
Buena Park, CA. The Jain festivity celebrations organised by the Jain Center of sothern California coincided with the activities of the Annual Meeting of the Jain Center and its Mahila Mandal. The festivities were held on November 19, 1988 at the Jain Bhavan 8072 Commonwealth Ave, Buena Park.
The program began at 3.30 PM with Satranjay Pat Darshan for an hour and half. At 6.00 the General Body Meeting was held. Aarati and Mangal Divo, cultural program by children and devotional songs were the main highlights of the evening.
Toronto, ON Lord Mahavir Nirvan and the commencement of the Jain New Year, Vir Samvat ( V.S. ) fall on Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10, this year respectively, based on the Lunar positions and calculations made in India by Jain Astronomers, Astrologers and the Jain Shastris. in accordance with, numerous Jain families in greater Toronto celebrated Mahavir Nirvan and Vir Samvat New Year on thse days. There were bright colourful illuminations of the houses filled with the sound resonance of the Namokkar Mantra, singing of hyms in praise of Tirthankara Mahavir prayers and the worship to reveal the nature and essentials of Jaina doctrines. It was a sort of an enactment of the scene of Mahavir Nirvan event. That was followed by the happy and joyous exchange of the New Vir Samvat Year greetings among friends and relatives.
The Jain Society of Toronto organised Nirvan and Vir Samvat festivities, for its members, on Sunday, November 13 at 50 Winterton Dr in Toronto. The program began at 1.30 PM with Jain worship performed in Hindi. Lecture and cultural program by children and the devotional songs were some of the main events. A delicious dinner was served at the end of the festivities before the Sun went down.
JAIN ETHICS AND ETIQUETTE
The ethico-spiritual essence of Jain Religion substantiates the notion of self without overlooking the loftiest mystical heights ... The basis of socio-spiritual ethics, in Jainism, is Ahimsa, the love and respect for life ... The socio-economic equality and mental equanimity of Jainism is samata ... The development of sensibility to sense sufferings is
karuna.Compassion and kindness are the creative expression of karuna. The depth of kindness is the criterion of the spiritually evolved souls. The value of Ahimsa, Samata and Karuna are of prime importance in Jainism, and these values colour the Jaina outlook with democratic flavour. Social freedom, socio-economic equality, welfare of all beings and ethico-spiritual secularism and equality of sexes form the foundation of democratic setup, and thus Jain philosophy subscribes to the development of democratic social conscious.
- Dr K.C. Sogani
Editorial, Third International Jain Conf.
February 1985, Delhi, India For Private & Personal Use Only
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