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JAIN DIGEST .. May 2011
Mahamantra and the Mangalik. "The Wave of Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji was also the first Bliss-Impact Of Chitrabhanu on the Western
Jain to celebrate Mahavir Jayanti at the U. N. World" by Dr N.P.Jain (Indian Ambassador to The Chapel. He was the first Jain Master to be an United Nations) chronicles Gurudev's work and inspiring messenger of Ahimsa and a founding massive following in the West.
father of a Jain Center in the West. This is similar Jainism in the West
to building an airport where the plane of Dharma As the first Jain Master in more than 2600 years,
can land. For this cause, he traveled thousands in the year 1970, Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji
of miles from the East to the West. brought to the Western world, Ahimsa and
In 1973 he founded the Jain Meditation Reverence for Life, the essence of Jain Dharma.
International Center - JMIC - in Manhattan, New His life story is an inspiring account of how he York City near the United Nations. This Center touched millions of lives
became the mother of all in a new land. He
Jain centers conducting established the sound
various activities and principles of Lord
events. To arouse Mahavir's teachings in
people's awareness of the West.
the beauty of Ahimsa,
Anekantavada and Early Years:
Aparigraha (the simplicity The first five years of his
of life) - the nectar for of his monastic life, were
mankind's survival - he spent in silence
spoke at various (maun).During this period
academic and learning of maun he also traveled
institutions such as by foot in the mountains,
Harvard, Princeton, woods and villages and
Cornell, New York experienced the silence
College at Purchase, and that stills the logic of the
United Nations. Today mind and awakens from
he guides people by within the deepest
sowing in them the intuition of the spirit. It
seeds of Dharma and was in 1969 that he was Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji
then nurtures them like a invited to speak at the
gardener. Second Spiritual Summit Conference in Geneva,
In 1975 he sponsored a dynamic personality from Switzerland for the Temple of Understanding. It
India, Acharya Sushil Kumarji to come to the was not a simple decision for him to take, but in
West. With the tireless efforts of Pujya Gurudev his mind he knew it was time for the world to learn
Chitrabhanuji and Acharya Sushil Kumarji, Jains of Lord Mahavir's teachings of non-violence, multiplicity of viewpoints and the law of karma.
today are a vibrant, throbbing community in North
America under the umbrella organization of The law of karma is the consequence of one's
JAINA: Federation of Jain Associations in North actions and all are inherent potential souls to be
America - which now has more than 100.000 free from demanding desires of mind and its sensuality. He flew to Geneva in 1970 and
members, 67 centers and 12 affiliated
associations. inaugurated the conference there. His presentation was received with a standing
For the last 37 years Gurudev Shree ovation. He also received an invitation to the Third
Chitrabhanuji has been helping transplant and Conference in 1971 from the Dean of Harvard
expound the age-old essence of the Jain Divinity School, Boston, Massachusetts in the US.
teachings on Western soil and because of his The Secretary of the Vatican also extended an
vision, thousands of Westerners have become invitation to him to have an audience with Pope
vegetarians and have started practicing the Paul VI in Rome. His arrival to the United States
essence of Reverence for Life and Jain Dharma in of America and these events were clearly, what
their daily life. opened the door of Jain Dharma to the West. Further Spiritual Growth
ucation International
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