Jain Spirit 1999 07 No 01

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 24

I FOUND IT
'I tried to find Him on the Christian Cross, but he was not there. I went to the temple of the Hindus and to the old Pagodas, but I could not find a trace of Him anywhere. I searched on the mountains and in the valleys, but neither in the heights nor the depths was I able to find Him. I went to the Caaba in Mecca, but he was not there either. I questioned the scholars and philosophers but He was beyond their understanding. Then I looked into my heart and it was there where He dwelled that I saw Him.'
NEEL BHUVA
For the past few years now, I have been fascinated with Jainism, have striven to understand it and through Jainism and its guidance, I have started to believe. Born and brought up in London, UK, where the mix of ethnic cultures in society still astounds me I was simply told to be vegetarian, told to be peaceful, told to say my apologies and my thank you's. This was the norm; these were simply the 'done things'. People would ask me why I am vegetarian and blindly, almost automatically, I would answer 'religion'.
One word, religion. As we grow up, we are taught at school about many religions and cultures, there is not simply one. We realise life is not always black and white, we start searching probing, the instinctive human curiosity takes over. Why is my answer religion? Which religion? What is religion? What is the reasoning behind its teaching? The answers do not come as easily as the questions.
What struck me was the phenom- dislikes, and complaints. Through enon of a working religion based these we show emotions, we hurt entirely on non-violence and and we harm mentally, physically, harmony. A religion that in itself, subconsciously. Yet, remember the its history and its myths, shows a words of Lord Mahavir, 'You are way of life we should all follow. that which you intend to hurt, Not a life dedicated to ritual or an injure, insult, and torment, image of God, but a life dedicated persecute, torture, enslave, or kill. to self-discovery, self-improvement, and motivation towards a One who neglects or disregards world of complete equality the existence of earth, air, fire, amongst individuals.
water, and vegetation, disregards
his own existence which is As I probed deeper into the entwined with them.' philosophies and began to put them into practice consciously, I As Jains these words are part of us
and these words. 1
have found through my "...Not a life dedicated to ritual or an image
study of Jainism, are
Him. Jainism teaches us of God, but a life dedicated to self-discovery,
to find Him and use self-improvement, and motivation..."
Him. The only place He will be found is within
us, our hearts, and our found this motivation to naturally souls. If we can find it in our hearts blossom from within myself. to see our faults and our flaws and Jainism's perspective is far greater improve, then Jainism is working, than the simple shell of our physical the Jain spirit is being kept alive bodies, our essence is our Atma, and if so, then the gift of life takes and the karma bound to our Atma a new meaning. determines what we are and what we are to become. It is clear that In whatever we do, we should look only through self-discovery comes to Him first. If we are ever unsure of the realisation of who we are and what to do, we should look to Him thus a basis on how we can first. If we have done wrong, we improve. With improvement comes should look to Him and we shall perfection and with that harmony. find forgiveness, consolation, and
compassion. Need we therefore The clarity with which Jainism look anywhere else...but to Jainism? expresses this moved me. Throughout life we look at things Neel Bhuva is eighteen years old and materialistically, we have likes, lives in London with his Jain family.
Then through Young Jains and the benefit of a school devoted to the teaching of our culture and heritage, the answer came, Jainism! In a word, compassion. This one word helped me to understand and through understanding came belief. Belief in myself, belief in others, belief in the principles that Jainism, in their simplicity, so eloquently promotes.
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Jain Spirit. July - September 1999
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