Jain Spirit 2003 03 No 14

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

Page 16

NEW BOOKS TEERTH DARSHAN -
The Lessons of Ahimsa and Anekanta for Contemporary Life, edited by Tara Sethia, 2002. This collection of papers from a highly successful conference at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, is fascinating for those interested in Jain scholarship. Contributors include Kristi Wiley, Kim Skoog, Padmanabh Jaini, Kamla Jain, Anne Vallely and other prominent people. For order details, email tsethia@csupomona.edu
You Are, Therefore I Am, A Declaration of Dependence, by Satish Kumar. Published by Green Books, UK, ISBN 1-903998-18-2. This book traces the author's spiritual journey - child monk, peace pilgrim, ecological activist and educator. Also, the Jain influence on his life is extensively discussed. It is in four parts: Encounters with Meaning, Quest for Wholeness, Travels in India, A Relational Philosophy.
History of Oshwals, by Mangilal Bhutoria. The Oshwals are a very illustrious community of Jains originating from Rajasthan. Among them have been many chief ministers, army commanders and finance ministers, not to mention businessmen and scholars. This book is an abridged translation of the original Gujarati version, which is much more thorough and wellresearched. It has six chapters on origins, history, development and present day. The modern Halari Oshwal community has its roots in Osia, and are also originally from Rajasthan. It has been published in 2002 by Priyadarshi Prakashan, Calcutta. Tel: 4117517; 248 0260.
ROBERT RADIN
GLOBAL NEWS
A UNIQUE COLLECTORS ITEM
All over the world, we see examples of Jains who sacrifice a huge amount of their time, money and resources to do their best to preserve and propagate this beautiful heritage. In Chennai, the Jain Prarthana Mandir Trust led by its founding Secretary, Shri U. Pannalal Vaid has been working for the last forty years to publish and propagate a collection of all the sacred Jain sites throughout India. Their latest work, Teerth Darshan, which is an English translation in three volumes, is a large and detailed compilation illustrated throughout with photographs, printed and bound on very high quality paper. Without doubt, it is a collectors item, costing US $ 100 for three 250-page volumes. A bargain for the price to someone who values Jain heritage and is curious about its history and impact. Mr. V. Ramnik Shah of Canada translated the Gujarati version into English through a lot of meticulous effort.
Throughout India, there are Jain temples and historical sites. This is because Jainism's impact on India has been widespread. However, if we were to visit India as a tourist, it is frustrating to find the lack of information and literature about these sites. I am quite sure that western tourists often come out of Jain temples not even knowing that they are Jain or that there is a distinct Jain tradition. Could the same happen to our grandchildren in fifty years' time? Hopefully, not. Each temple has details about its antiquity, deity, approach route and amenities for Jain pilgrims. For a Jain explorer, this is invaluable information. The beauty of this collection is its non-sectarian content and good quality research with photographs. There are detailed maps of each site, which are also a rarity in India. I often feel disappointed that very few of our youths travel to India for their holidays or gap year, and those that do, very rarely visit Jain places of worship or heritage. Goa, Kerala and exotic Mumbai seem more popular than Mt. Abu, Palitana or Shravana Belgola. We have a lot of work to do to educate young people and even their parents about the beauty of Jain heritage and the tremendous variety of its art and architecture.
All Jain libraries should obtain these copies as a minimum as they are a resource for research. The books are a compilation so they are not meant to be read cover to cover; it would be difficult to read them in that way anyway. It is best if readers try to discover information on places which are of particular interest to them and then explore around that. Scholars can use this to identify all sacred sites in a particular geographical area they are studying. Students at Jain patshalas can do projects based on the material here, and through the challenges they discover our heritage.
Alas, I hear you say, but there is so much to read and so little time. If so, then share a set amongst your extended family. Donate it to your local public library after you have finished. Give a set to central educational libraries like the British Library or the US Library of Congress. This would be invaluable for scholars anywhere in the world.
Reviewed by Atul Shah.
The book can be ordered by email from: teerth_darshan@yahoo.com
Jain temple at Palitana, India
March May 2003 Jain Spirit
.
13