Jain Digest 2001 07 Vol 19 No 03

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

Page 7

HEADQUARTERS NEWS....
about Jainism, its practices and also help acceptance by new gen- timely fashion. He has to wait as long as 6-9 months before he
eration.
collects all yearly dues
Temple Guidelines:
Khasgiwala, Many new Jain centers are being formulated on very regular basis. How can JAINA help implement non-sectarian formats and practices?
Jagat Jain stated that JAINA adopted its first temple format in 1991 held at San Francisco convention. Since then we have revised our formats as follows:
1. On one continuous bedi there will be one idol of each Shwetambar and Digambar Sect and Navkar Mantra (for all non murti pujaks) in the center of bedi. Navkar mantra will be a cohesive factor for all three sects, as it is universal and acceptable to all three sects.
2. Equal number of idols for each sect, could be three or five and Navkar Mantra (for all non murti pujaks) in the center. The point is to keep the entire community together. Dallas sangh was the first one to follow JAINA format. Many other centers have followed the tradition since then such as Buffalo, NY, Edmonton, Canada and Hartford, Conn.
Girish Shah- stated temple guidelines are only guidelines. It should not become a reason for the disunity. Each center has its own unique facility requirements.
Communications: Prem Jain observed, though JAINA started 20 years ago; we still have not overcome the problems of proper infrastructure to allow the communication with the Jain centers.
We need to get Jain Centers involved and participate in JAINA.Ask each director to come up with list of top 10 problems they have been facing with JAINA, local centers, etc.
Kirit Gosalia, remarked that external communication is very important. JAINA should make press releases available for major ceremonies and events. Each Jain Center should be sent out on a regular basis upcoming events such as 2600th birth anniversary of Mahavir Bhagwan. If you let enough people know about Jainism, vegetarianism, etc. then you would be noticed.
Sudhir Shah said JAINA should survey Jain Centers to find out its expectations of JAINA. JAINA should become resource center for many issues faced by Jain centers, such as education, temple guidelines, etc.
Sharad Shah suggested JAINA should have leadership conference at the national level to create harmony.
Jagat Jain: Each Jain Center's president should become JAINA's director to facilitate better communication.
Kamlesh Shah said that each Jain Center needs to update the list of its President and directors ASAP, and send yearly dues in
Surendra Singhvi: Define jobs of regional vice presidents. Once every two years there should be a JAINA day in each Jain Center. Regional vice president along with JAINA executive committee members should attend this. This will make JAIN centers
Jain Education Intemational 2010_02
aware of JAINA activities. It would be also a good opportunity to renew and make new patron members of JAINA.
Ila Mehta felt that there was a lack of link between directors and regional vice presidents. Directors were not responsive for/to their centers. She suggested having teleconference between vice presidents and directors on a quarterly basis.
Focus your energy on youth. You need to cultivate youth to get them active in JAINA. When your generation burns out from
He further suggested that we should put JAINA and other the current executive committee who are you going to look at to activities on Internet. Take advantage of the technology. replace you? Youth would not have time to participate in JAINA they are made available to you. So you need to start looking at till their family is raised and gone. That will be a long time before youth NOW.
It was felt that Pathshala books were not widely available, though Dr. Gada's education committee carried out substantial work. Birud Zaveri, suggested that these Pathshala books should be put on the net. This way it can be printed out on as needed basis.
Convention:Chandrakant Shah suggested that there was not enough time to attend all the lectures. We should offer extra days of daylong workshops prior to the beginning of the convention. Need to get bigger rooms for lectures. Some of the lectures rooms were overcrowded.
Some felt that Keynote and opening ceremonies were too long. It was suggested that in the future, we should limit the speeches and the opening ceremony.
YJA Nirav Shah, All YJA wants to do is convention. He wanted
JAINA to be available to them as their resources.
Incoming President, Dr. Bipin Parikh presented his and his incoming executive committees' vision as follows:
JAINA should become a household name. JAINA will become financially independent, so JAINA can support many of its own worthwhile activities and help centers. He wants to establish better communication with JAIN centers. And last but not the least, he wants JAINA to become a unifying force for JAINS all over the world.
Kirit C. Daftary and Vinay Vakani adjourned meeting with Khamemi Save Jiva.
Kirit C. Daftary, Regional Vice President - JAINA
JAIN DIGEST FALL 2001/5