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AFFILIATE NEWS
International Mahavir Jain Mission, Siddachalam, 65 Mud Pond Road, Blairstown, NJ 07825, 908/362-9793, or Fax 908/362-9649, or E-mail Siddhachalam@cpatch.com and now on the World Wide Web. You can listen to Namokar Mantra and Manglik in Guruji's own voice by WWW.IMJM.ORG on the Internet. Siddachalam was visited by 10 monks and nuns with a dramatic increase in the number of yatris, groups and sanghs that have made a pilgrimage to this Tirth.
Extensive renovations have been planned. Three of the upper cabins have been fully renovated at a cost of $30,000. All donation are gratefully accepted.
A 14 day pilgrimage to India with Triputi Bandhu Maharaj is being planned. He will guide the yatra (pilgrimage) which will visit Tithal, Palitana, Girnar, Taragaji, Abu, Ranakapur and other places. The voyage will begin on January 15, 1997 and will cost $450 inclusive of transportation, lodging, boarding and donations to the Tirths.
Very special gratitude to Laharchandji, Pundit Mauji Ramji, Shantichandra Shah, Shravan Kumar and Mew Singh who have help made our work at Siddachalam possible. We would like to thank all of the volunteers who help made our work a success.
Jain Organization of Youth (JOY), Detroit, was formed to provide an opportunity for young people to become more involved in Jainism. JOY committees include: Neel Chokshi, President; Veeral Shah, Vice President; Rupal Shah, Secretary; Kajal Badani, Treasurer; Palak Sheth and Sonal Shah, Public Relations, and Arpita Shah, Publications Officer. One of JOY's goals is to boost the attendance of young people at the monthly Study Classes which aim to develop a deeper understanding of children, youth, and the adult. JOY members participated in a number of activities throughout the year which included bowling, Haunted Hollow, picnics, a 3-hour Navkar Jaap in memory of all the turkeys killed during Thanksgiving, fund raising events for the Salvation Army, the Temple Fund and Walk America. A debate on three topics Jain Rituals Versus Beliefs, How do we compromise our Jain values in the Western World? and Legal Violence: Death Penalty, Abortion, and Assisted Suicide, provided an excellent opportunity to discuss and gain insight in such challenging subjects.
Jain Social Group, Los Angeles, c/o Dhiren Metha, President, 4980 Ariano Dr. Cypress, CA 90630, 714/826-3579 and the Jain Center of Southern California jointly organized the Sixth Annual Medical Expo at the Jain Bhavan in May, 1996. More than 200 people took advantage of this event by consulting over 30 medical specialists representing different medical fields. Onsite and offsite services were provided. The JAYA young people acted as volunteers throughout the day assisting patients and doctors.
November 1996 Jain Education International
About 175 members and guests participated in the Labor Day outing organized by the Jain Social Group at Lake Isabella.
Jain Study Circle, Inc. 99-11 60 Avenue #3D, Flushing, NY 11368-4436, held its Annual Meeting on May 5, 1995 at Vinay K. and Vimala V. Vakani's residence in Oradell, NJ. After completing necessary Annual Meeting related deliberations which included reading of the financial statement, there was a lively discussion on the main topic of the meeting Prayers: A Jain Concept.
Jain Study Circle conducts Quarterly Meetings in the New York metropolitan area. On August 4, 1996 our Quarterly Meeting was held at the home of Anand and Ratna Nahar. The topic for discussion was Samyag Charitra (Rational Conduct).
At these meetings no one gives discourse or lecture, but each participant is encouraged to express his or her own thoughts on the topic of discussion. Any one interested in attending these meetings, please call: Harshad Doshi at 718/961-7408.
The Jain Meditation International Center, Box 244, Ansonia Station, New York, NY 10023-0244, Phone and Fax: 212/362-6483. Gurudev Chitrabhanuji will be in India from October 20, 1996 through April 12, 1997.
Concept of God in Jainism
Jainism believes that the Universe and all its substances or entities are eternal. It has no beginning or end with respect to time. The Universe runs on its own by its own cosmic laws. All substances change or modify their forms continuously. Nothing can be destroyed or created in the Universe. There is no need of some one to create or manage the affairs of the Universe. Hence, Jainism does not believe in God as a creator, survivor and destroyer of the Universe.
However, Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being. When a person destroys all his karma, he becomes omniscient and omnipotent. He is a liberated soul. He lives in the perfect blissful state of Moksha. This living being is a God of the Jain religion. Every living being has the potential to become a God. Hence Jains do not have one God, but Gods are innumerable and their number is continuously increasing as more living beings attain liberation. Source Unknown
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