Jain Digest 2005 07

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

Page 43

DECLARATION AND PLEDGE
FOR GLOBAL JAIN UNITY
JAINA IS ENTERING ITS SILVER ANNIVERSARY YEAR. IN THE LAST 25 YEARS. JAINA HAS GROWN FROM 4 JAIN CENTERS AT ITS INCEPTION ΤΟ 65 JAIN CENTERS WITH A MEMBERSHIP EXCEEDING 100.000 IN NORTH AMERICA. ON THIS AUSPICIOUS OCCASION LET US ALL PLEDGE TO STAY UNITED AND WORK TOGETHER UNDER JAINA TO MOTIVATE THE WORLDWIDE JAIN COMMUNITY TO FOLLOW THE MANTRA OF "UNITY IN
DIVERSITY".
FOR CENTURIES WE HAVE SEEN OURSELVES BELONGING TO DIGAMBAR OR SHWETAMBAR OR STHANAKWASI OR TERAPANTHI OR TO ONE OF THE OTHER SMALLER SECTS, CONTRARY TO BHAGWAN MAHAVIR'S TEACHINGS. OUR DIFFERENCES ARE IN RITES AND RITUALS, NOT IN FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. OVER THE YEARS THIS DIVISION HAS HINDERED OUR PROGRESS AND MADE US LOSE THE OWNERSHIP AND USE OF JAIN HOLY PLACES RECENTLY. FOR A RELIGION WHOSE FOUNDATION IS IN AHIMSA, ANEKANTWAD AND APARIGRAHA, THIS IS HIGHLY UNFORTUNATE: ESPECIALLY FOR A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY OF OURS. WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT WHAT UNITES US IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT THAN WHAT MAY APPEAR TO KEEP US DIVIDED AND SPLINTERED INTO SECTS AND SUB-SECTS.
A
WE ARE AT JUNCTURE. ΤΟ INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE OUR NEXT GENERATION WE MUST UNITE THROUGH RESPECTFUL AND INTERTWINED CO-EXISTENCE AND INCLUSIVENESS. WE MUST EMBRACE THE DIVERSITY OF RITUALS AND PRACTICES, SHOW RESPECT FOR THE VIEWS OF OTHERS AND ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF ALL TRADITIONS, WITHOUT IMPOSING ONE'S VALUES ON THE OTHERS. THIS UNIFIED APPROACH, REFLECTING THE TRUE SPIRIT OF ANEKANTWAD, WILL BIND US ALL TOGETHER AND HELP US PRACTICE AND COMMUNICATE BHAGWAN MAHAVIR'S MESSAGE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. OUR NEXT GENERATION WILL BE "JAIN" WITHOUT BEING LABELED BY ANY TRADITION OR SECT.
MOMENTOUS
TODAY, WE ALL PLEDGE TO SUPPORT JAINA IN FULFILLING THIS DREAM. JAI JINENDRA!!!
(NOTE: THIS DECLARATION WAS PRESENTED AT THE TIME OF 2005 JAINA CONVENTION BY ANOP R. VORA, READ BY GURUDEV CHITRABHANUJI AND SIGNED BY SEVERAL RELIGIOUS AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS. IT IS CURRENTLY BEING REFINED BY JAINA TO GET SIGNATURES OF OTHER PROMINENT LEADERS. Por Private & Personal Use Only