Jain Network 2010 11

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Network

Page 11

Inter faith dialogue helps to build the understanding of the values held in common such as integrity in public life, care, compassion and respect, and collaborative social action involving different faith communities and wider civil society.
Both face to face dialogue and side by side collaborative social action can help to build cohesive, active and empowered communities for a successful and effective Big Society.
Jain Society
Most of Jains now living in UK migrated directly from India in1950s; others came in 1960s and 1970s from east African Countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and in recent years some who came for studies from India have settled after qualifications. Many of the Jains in UK live in around Greater London area and in Leicester, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Luton, Northampton, and Wellingborough. Jains have long been engaged in business and finance. In the UK they are well represented in the professions of accountancy, medicine and pharmacy.
Jain Community or Sangha has two main monastic groupings the Shvetambara and Digambara; these terms are also used derivatively to describe their lay followers. The Shvetambara has further groupings of Deravasi (murtipujak), Sthanakvasi and Terapanthi. Because of their vows of strict 'non-violence and reverence of all life' the monks and nuns do not travel by vehicle and hence cannot come to UK, resulting in the absence of the lay followers' guiding force of the ascetics. The prayers and rituals for majority of Jains are performed in Gujarati language; few who originate from Northern India perform them in Hindi language.
Typical of Jain activity in the United Kingdom since the 1980s is the establishment of groups for community activities, resulting in 30 Jain Organisations. They have established consecrated major temples in Leicester and Potters bar and small Digambar one in Harrow; semi-consecrated temples in Kenton, Colindale, Croydon and Manchester. Most of the Jains have some short of shrine for worship at home. They hire halls for observance of their sacred days, for community activities and religious education of their children, but they feel it is not the ideal situation and aspire to have their own places for their activities.
Jains are peace loving, law abiding people, tolerate other communities and try to live together as a cohesive unit. They are enterprising, hard working and settle well in communities where they live.
Jain Values
Jains believe the aim of human life is to attain spiritual liberation. Their sacred texts describe living beings as 'worldly' or liberated. Worldly souls are engaged in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth due to attached karma, while liberated souls are eternal in permanent happiness and bliss, and do not have to take rebirth. The texts further mention that by following the path of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct together, humans can attain spiritual liberation and live eternally in total bliss in the abode of the liberated souls.
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