Jain Digest 1993 01 Vol 20 No 01

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

Page 16

Jain Digest
sin of modern life is not being in style. This is an unpardonable sin. This is the greatest force in modern society. People will do anything to be in style. Being out of style is a fate worse than contracting horrible disease. This creates tons of used clothes and is quite expensive. Raising teen-agers
How difficult it is for a person who tries to live a Jain life today and who is raising teen-agers. Their friends may reject them because they don't have brand name clothes. How can a parent respond to a teenager's anguish and peer pressure and live according to Jain values?
Please think and let us know how you are dealing with this dilemma in your daily life.
Chaturmas from page 3
and scientific aspects of Preksha Dhyana. They explained the relationship between Preksha Dhyana and Jain philosophy.
There were experiences of curing asthma problems, high blood pressure, chronic headache, constipation, and quitting bad habits (e.g. eating excessive amount of sweets). Lectures to Jain Community
There were over 60 lectures conducted by Saman Shri Shrutprajnaji. The topics covered a wide range of spectrum: from food awareness to how to prevent and cure heart disease; from anuvrata (minor vows pertaining to common persons) to science of living about Jain philosophy from how to cure stress to how to achieve moksha and from accu-pressure to Preksha Dhyana and many topics pertaining to daily life.
The saman is a lively orator. He mixed his lectures with humor, appropriate examples and great simplicity, provided scientific basis, and used a great deal of Jain philosophy that appeals to one's common sense.
Lectures to Outside Organizations
Saman Shri Sthitprajnaji conducted several lectures at various universities and organizations where the audience was essentially consisted of non-Jains and Americans. Samanji gave lectures on Ahimsa (non-violence), Preksha Dhyana, science of living and Jainism exceeding expectation of the listeners and the organizers. Camps
There were two camps organized. A youth camp for three days had about 45 youths and 35 adults. The camp not only had the samans but it also had Bruce Constain (Balabhadra, a Jain Scholar with a doctorate in Jainism from Toronto, Canada). The second camp had about 70 adults. This camp was completely devoted to Preksha Dhyana because of the samanjis' inspiring, dynamic, upbeat, scientific and simple method of teaching, interacting and demonstrating of Preksha Dhyana tech
niques. Shri Kiranbhai Parekh Visits
For about a month, Shri Kiranbhai Pareksh, a well-known Jain scholar, conducted convincing lectures on various topics. About 35 to 40 youths regularly attended his lectures.
His way of informing his teaching style and his vast knowledge inspired many youths to look beyond the surface of Jainism and dig deeper into its science.
Chaturmas Purnahuti (Completion) Program
His holiness Acharyashri Tulsi kindly sent his best wishes and blessings for the completion of the Chaturmas program. Shri Sulekh Jain, President of JAINA, and Dr. Manibhai Mehta, Vice President of JAINA, were present in addition to about 400 community members at the Chaturmas Purnahuti Program.
Samanjis had a three-dimensional objective to initialize Anuvrata Movement: Preksha Dhyana and the science of living (Jivan Vigyan) per the Jain doctrine during the Chaturmas in Bay Area. It turned out to be a multi-dimensional success. The Chaturmas provided continuous opportunity to learn to understand to practice and to realize the benefits of Jainism. All community members came together worked together with great enthusiasm to assure the success of the first ever Chaturmas in North America. It was a phenomenal success.
A new, positive movement and beginning took place, and a new environment was created. Many felt that a void of satsang (presence of Guru), sant vani (holy teaching of Guru), Guru-margdarshana (guidance of Guru) and Jain education was generously filled by the samans during the Chaturmas.
Any Jain Centers can obtain more information about this Chaturmas event from Shri Harilal Shah at (510) 487-9380.
Saman Sthitprajna
took place such as Preksha Dhyana - train the trainer program camps lectures to the Jain community visits to various local universities and other organizations. Preksha Dhyana Training
Preksha Dhyana improves and enhances physical social, mental, emotional, intellectual occupational and spiritual health. By regular practice one can open the door of moksha.
To learn the best meditation technique as many as 29 persons including 3 youths signed up for the train-the-trainer course. The training course of Preksha Dhyana was first ever offered outside India.
The course was very detailed with the objective that they will be able to train other people. The samans taught theoretical practical
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