Jain Digest 1996 05

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

Page 12

Giv Daya and Vegetarianism News
parks, picnics, a visit to a Buddhist Temple, participation in youth debates, and planning for the YJA convention. For more information, please call Shayna Parekh at 310/8651679.
An architect has been selected to begin the design of Phase II of the Jain Bhavan. The new and renovated facilities will include a large meeting hall, a dining hall, several classrooms and swadhyay rooms, a library, an exhibition hall, bookstore, and an expanded Derasar. A carved wooden replica of the Temple of Palitana, will be integrated into the project.
vegetarians? Their silence leaves us questioning if they can be trusted. In other words: "get with it, Pizza Hut!" Explain yourselves, and prove that you
San Diego, CA
The Jain Society of San Diego has elected a new Committee under the leadership of Sukumar Shah, President.
A question/answer-type meeting was held on March 29, 1996 with Professor P. Jaini of the University of California, Berkeley. Over 100 people attended Mahavir Jayanti on March 31, 1996. The children presented an outstanding program.
VEGETARIAN COOKING CLASSES
IN YOUR HOME A Fun Way to Spread Ahimsa!
More and more North Americans want to become vegetarian for various reasons: health, respect for animals, and environmental concerns. But many of them need help with the most important part of becoming vegetarian - making vegetarian meals! Because, they don't know how to cook! We, as lifelong vegetarians, can easily support them in changing their lifestyles.
We have started offering vegetarian cooking classes in our homes. We have discovered how wonderful it feels to see our students progress, and to see people who never thought they could cook vegetarian, making delicious meatless meals with our help! So if you feel like being interested in getting involved, or if you need any help, or have questions, or need a little encouragement, call:
Madhu Gangwal919-544-3612 Devi Teli
908-745-7205 Surabhi Shah 919-833-2548
Sacramento, CA
The Jain Center of Greater Sacramento was established in 1995. About 45 families meet every Sunday at a warehouse facility which serves as a place of worship that was donated by Manharbhai Patel. Every second Sunday of the month, a host family serves dinner. Anyone who has Jain beliefs is invited to participate with these families in chanting Namokar Mantra and bhajans. For more information please call Naresh Jain at 916/ 488-2601.
MAD COW'S DISEASE We are deeply saddened to learn of the millions of cows in the U.K. which will be put to death, due to concerns about Mad Cow's Disease, or, BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy).
How did it spread to such a large number of cows? The animal industry's view of the cow as a machine results in their complete disregard for ethics, or the health and well-being of these gentle creatures. Cows are routinely rendered remains of other dead cows, sheep, and other animals!! This unnatural act thus has turned a vegetarian animal into a non-vegetarian - or worse yet, a cannibal!
Why would the animal industry 'feed dead animals to other animals? As Howard Lyman explained on "Oprah", it costs about a hundred dollars to properly dispose of a diseased dead cow. But by "rendering" her, and using it as feed for other cows, agri-businesses not only avoid paying this amount, they save on feed also. This has accelerated the spread of bovine disease. So recently it has been banned in the U.K. as a result of concerns about B.S.E. but is still widespread in the U.S.! So far the U.S. FDA and the USDA have turned a blind eye to this issue.
Let the FDA and the USDA know your views. Write a brief postcard to:
Food and Drug Commission 5600 Fishers Ln., #1471 Rockville, MD 20857 Department of Agriculture 14th St & Independence Av, SW Washington, DC 20250
Tell them that it is time that the animal industries paid for proper waste management, and that they should not get any special treatment from the government. Remind them that public health and ethics come first.
We liv Daya Committee) have written letters to U.K officials, in protest to this large-scale disregard for life.
PIZZA HUT UPDATE The Jain Community should be proud of standing up to Pizza Hut! Hundreds of Jains called them to express their displeasure at finding out that their pizza sauce contained beef base. But their Customer Service representatives were trained to distract and diffuse all inquiries on this issue they did everything from pleading ignorance to denying that beef base was ever used! But many Jains were not satisfied with this ambiguous response, and asked for a written statement.
The various written statements from them, however, conflicted with each other! Some letters said that their pizza sauce contained beef base; others said that only their bread stick sauce and stuffed-crust pizza sauce have nonvegetarian ingredients. Has the public pressure now made them switch to a veggie base? Or do they not know what they're using? When asked to explain these contradictions, they were unable to provide an explanation.
So where does this leave pizza-loving
San Francisco, CA
The Young Jains of America will be hosting the Second Biennial Convention this year in San Francisco, CA from July 4 to 7, 1996. The theme “Jainism: Integrating Philosophy and Practice will provide a unique forum to explore Jain philosophy, rituals, beliefs and ideas among groups of Jain young people from the United States, Canada and Europe. A record number of young people have registered to attend this event. For more information and registration, please call Srenik Mehta at 510/649-1615 or Rakesh Shah at 510/623-8981.
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JAIN DIGEST
May 1996 www.jainelibrary.org