Jain Journal 1998 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 37

IT
INDIAN RELIGIONS JOIN HANDS Temple event shows U.S. adaptation
Lord Mahāvīra-or rather, a 5-foot marble statue of him-takes up residence in the Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati this weekend amid lectures, feasts and an aerial shower of flowers
The event brings together two religions that have flourished in India since ancient times : Hinduism, which covers a wide range of beliefs and practices, and Jainism, founded by Mahāvīra in the sixth century B.C. The interreligious event is made possible by the close ties that Indian immigrants have forged here and in other U.S. cities.
"In India, you wouldn't find this," said Vir Jain, a member of the Jain Center of Cincinnati and Dayton. “This temple is a Hindu temple that represents Hindu culture, and Jain is a part of Hindu culture. What we represent here is Hindu culture rather than Hindu religion.”
Cincinnati-area Jains and Hindus had talked about building a combined temple, but as fund raising for the Hindu temple dragged on, the Jains built their own in the West Chester area a few year ago. An estimated 1.200 Hindu families and about 100 Jain families live in the area.
Jains stress non violence, a multiplicity of viewpoints and freedom from possessiveness, and they believe in the peaceful co-existence of all living beings. Hindus believe the ultimate reality behind the universe is manifested as deities that vary from region to region. All Hindus share belief in the law of karma and rebirth, and the fourfold goal of human life (righteousness, worldly prosperity, enjoyment and liberation).
From the beginning, the local Hindu temple stressed unity by including deitles from all regions of Inda. South Asian religion expert Raymond Williams said this ecumenism grows out of the surge in Indian immigration since 1965.
"The community created here (in the United States) is different than any group of Indians that exists in India itself,” said Mr. Williams, a Professor of religion at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind, “These people are in the process of re-creating what it means to be an American Hindu and that negotiation, as it shapes identities and commitments,