Jain Spirit 1999 10 No 02

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

Page 73

VIEWPOINT
DIVERSITY AND IDENTITY
VALEDICTORIAN ADDRESS
Raju Shah
As top student at his school, Raju
Shah was invited to address all graduating students and their parents. He decided to focus on Ahimsa and Anekantvada.
Mohandas Karmachand Gandhi said "Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." The ability to distinguish between violence and non-violence is just one feature of human kind that sets it apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. This, and the ability to verbally communicate, not by grunts and Asian Indian to Native American Indian, groans, but by intelligent and deep from Christianity to Buddhism, just to conversation. The combined power of name a few. these two abilities is an unstoppable, no an unsilenceable force at the We are about to graduate from our disposal of humankind.
school into our society, and as new
participants in our society I challenge One of the growing problems today is you, a fellow graduate of Meade Senior miscommunication, which often leads High School's Class of nineteen to numerous violent aggressions, hundred and ninety-five, to take on which can all be avoided if we sit down your responsibility as a citizen of this and talk to one another. But talking great nation and help it grow. I won't solve everything. In order for challenge you to do this by finding out
more about the diverse "Non-violence is the greatest force cultures of this world that
come together to make up at the disposal of mankind. It is
America, try to spread your mightier than the mightiest weapon own view to others on all
parts of life, be open to new of destruction devised by the
things. Many of us have ingenuity of man."
grown up together for over
a decade, but don't let your that to happen, you have to under- mind stop growing to new ideas just stand me and I have to understand because we are about to graduate. you. Without this understanding our Accept the glory of man's diversity, society will collapse under the shear and gain from it a greater understand - weight of our ignorance. But, we willing of your own mind and your own not let this happen. We, as graduates of soul. Through this self enlightenment, Meade, have one of the most culturally apply yourself to making our world a diverse schools in the county, if not in safer and a friendlier place to raise kids, the nation. We represent a wide range our kids, the next generation. Do
of nations and ethnic groups, from everything you can to insure that our
72 Jain Spirit . October - December 1999 Jain Education Interational 2010_03
kids will be able to exist peacefully together, with the notion that just because one's skin has a different amount of pigment than another, does not mean that either one is superior, or just because one's tongue does not speak the same language as another, does not mean that either one is more intelligent, or just because one's soul doesn't have the same god than another, doesn't mean that either one is morally better. Do not let the prejudice of our ancestors be passed on. Do not forget that our kids need a planet that can tolerate the existence of all of us together. This planet needs to be safer, not only with less violence, but safer ecologically. Take care of our planet every way you can. By emerging from a use it, trash it society, and by recycling every little scrap, we can all make sure that the environment that our kids grow up in will be able to hold life, precious life. As Mahatma Gandhi also said, "I want to realize brotherhood or identity not merely with the beings called human, but I want to realize identity with all life, even with such beings as crawl on [the] earth." On this planet we are all family, just as we have been part of the Meade family for four years. And as a family we must treat each other as such. And to my family: Nana, Nani, Mom, Dad, and Meena, thanks for being my family, supporting me for 18 years. If we want to live as a family we must learn to stop the violence, and increase the peace.
In my religion, Jainsim, there is a word: Jai, it means long live, and another word: Ahimsa, it means non-violence.
Jai Ahimsa, and peace out.
Raju Shah is past Chairman of the Young Jains of America. He is a graduate of Yale University and presently lives in Maryland.