Jain Digest 1993 01 Vol 20 No 01

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

Page 27

Jain Digest
JAINA Executive Committee Elections - Nominations Invited
The JAINA Executive Committee elections will be held at the next JAINA Convention in Pittsburgh, July 2-4, 1993. The positions open are that of the President, First Vice President, six Regional Vice Presidents (one from each region: Canada, West U.S., Southwest U.S., Southeast U.S., Midwest U.S. and Northeast U.S.), Secretary and Treasurer. The term is for two years.
To be eligible, a candidate must be a practicing Jain, of good moral character and a director of JAINA (to be appointed by a member Jain center or society) at the time of the convention. Nominations for the JAINA Executive Committee should be sent to Chairman of JAINA Nomination/Election Committee, Dr. Vinay K. Jain, 83 Fuller Brook Rd., Wellesley, MA 02181. Tel: (617) 2375997; FAX: (617) 235-2531)
Seventh Biennial JAINA Convention Celebrating Centennial Anniversary of
Jainism in the U.S.
July 2-4, 1993 Site: Expo-Mart, Monroeville, PA Theme: Jainism: Past, Present, and Future
If you plan to volunteer or seek information related to the convention, please contact:
Vinod Doshi, 140 Penn Lear Dr., Monroeville, PA 15146, (412) 856-9235, or Dr. Surendra K. Sethi, Program Committee Chair, 230 S. Washington St., Butler, PA 16001, (412) 282-2995, or FAX to (412) 282-3336.
See following pages for more details.
All are cordially invited.
The Jain Faith by P.K. Jain (Kasaliwal), Ontario Canada Origin
Jain comes from the Sanskrit work Jina, "one who has conquered his/her inner enemies" of anger, greed, ego and deceit and implies conquest over all pain and bondage of birth and death. Jains believe their region to one of the world's oldest, predating Hinduism and handed down from the remote past by a series of enlightened sages and teachers called Tirthankaras.
The 24th and last Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira, was born in 599 B.C. in Bihar, India. He brought together in a systematic form Jain beliefs and philosophy. Mahavira was an elder contemporary of Buddha. At the age of 30, he gave up his family and possessions, even his clothes and lived or 12 years as a wandering ascetic, fasting, doing penance and practicing deep meditation. He is
then said to have reached enlightenment and until his death in 527 B.C. he spread the message of Jinas, founded an order of monks and nuns and laid the foundation of modern-day Jainism. Scriptures
Jainism's beliefs, principles and philosophy expounded by Lord Mahavira were preserved orally until being written down about 800 years after his death. Many of them are now preserved in India. God
Jains believe in God, but not in the sense of a creator. They believe that God is neither the creator nor the destroyer of the universe. He is merely a silent observer and omniscient. They believe that every individual soul is potentially god and this is the state of the soul which has attained Nirvana. Everybody can attain Godhood by making supreme efforts in the right direction. The emphasis is on the individual's action to attain Moksha (Salvation). Major Beliefs
Ahimsa, non violence and noninjury towards all living beings, is
the cornerstone of Jainism and strict vegetarianism is an integral part of this principle. Jains believe in reincarnation based on cause and effect (law of karma). The salvation is to be attained by one's own efforts. All souls are alike. None is superior or inferior. A Jain's main aim in this life is to strive for the liberation of the soul from the cycle of death and rebirth and the achievement of nirvana, a state of eternal bliss and knowledge.
Jainism's three guiding lights are the "three jewels": right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. Living by these three principles, Jains try not to harm any living creature, to be absolutely truthful, not steal, to be chaste in thought and deed and to practice non-attachment to the world by strict limitation of possessions. Adherents
Estimates range from 7 to 10 million. Although there are pockets of Jains scattered around the world, the vast majority of them are in India. The Jain temples are among the most beautifully constructed in India.
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