Jain Spirit 2003 12 No 17

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

Page 19

New Books
Vastupal Parikh, Ph.D, Jainism and the New Spirituality
Peace Publications, Toronto, 2002 ISBN 0-9689863-0-7
Reviewed by Aidan Rankin Vastupal Parikh is a scientist by training. Moving to Canada from India as a young man, he gained his Doctorate in Chemistry from Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario and spent his career lecturing and writing chemistry textbooks. This background made him a rationalist by instinct and, as he explains, a sceptic in matters of religion. It was in this critical spirit that he began to investigate his Jain roots at the behest of a theologian colleague, who asked him to address her class. As Dr. Parikh recalls: "She had heard that I was a Jain, and knew that I was a vegetarian, showed an extra sensitivity to the plight of plants and animals, and that I treated the ecosystem around me with a rather unusual reverence. By the North American norms of the mid-60s this was considered to be odd behaviour. To me, however, this was simply the way I lived."
The result of this invitation to talk was twenty-five years of study, of which this book is the culmination. It is
written in a scholarly yet approachable style, well suited to the university student but valuable to anyone with an inquiring mind. Jainism and the New Spirituality reflects its author's
M
R. SATISH SHAH, founder of this unique organisation for the welfare of elderly people in the UK, continues to organise regular meals, seminars and trips to care for a large number of people. The events cover practical issues such as pensions,
background as an academic chemist. Dr. Parikh's approach is detailed, rational and methodical, and it is these qualities in the Jain tradition that he most strongly admires. The three-fold path, he reminds us, is about rational belief, rational conduct and rational knowledge. "This is interesting," he writes, "because the message does not emphasise just the right conduct and belief, but stresses that the conduct and belief must be backed by knowledge to make the path to liberation truly rational." In other words, an ethical life is based on rational choices. Dr. Parikh also points to the non-theistic essence of
Jainism as evidence of a humane and
reasoned approach to faith. Through meditation and study, Jain ascetics reached conclusions about our complex universe that are mirrored by many of the latest insights of quantum and particle physics. In Jainism, science and spirituality are reconciled.
Unlike many studies of Jainism, Dr. Parikh's book makes little reference to the Digambara-Shvetambara divide. He chooses to emphasise the qualities that Jains share, and not the relatively small points that divide them. Dr. Parikh is concerned with the decline of organised religion and the simultaneous hunger for spirituality. In addressing the problems associated with globalisation, war and ecological overload, he believes that we can whatever our
backgrounds - draw strength from Jain wisdom. The 3 As: ahimsa, anekantvada and aparigraha - the doctrines of non-violence, acknowledging multiple viewpoints and limiting
Cheery volunteers prepare lunch for the elderly
GLOBAL NEWS
OSHWAL ELDERLY WELFARE REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
housing, health and social matters. A team of volunteers assist him in coordinating the activities, and the highlight is the bi-monthly meals where over 500 people come together to enjoy a freshly cooked vegetarian lunch in North-West London.
possessions - could give a spiritual underpinning to conflict resolution, human rights and the need to consume less rapaciously. At one stage Dr. Parikh moves onto shaky grounds where he likens modern political activists to 'high priests' of the new consciousness. Too many of such campaigners lack compassion and tolerance, are violent in action and rhetoric, and fettered by totalitarian dogmas. Yet Dr. Parikh's insights might pave the way for a different type of activism, more holistic and humane in its approach, and to a distinctive Jain contribution to international relations. His proposal for multi-faith, ahimsainspired Peace Academies should be taken very seriously indeed.
Jainism and the New Spirituality is useful both for non-Jains who wish to learn more, and for Jains who wish to give a modern, or post-modern, context to their heritage and values. To order email: vastup@hotmail.com
Applied "Jainism" by Dr. Balabhaddra Bruce Costain, 2nd Edition, 2003. A book on how to make decisions that will result in increased peacefulness, happiness and love for ourselves as well as for other living beings.
Jain Philosophy and Practice - 1. JAINA Education Series 302 Level Three. By JAINA Education Committee The Federation of Jain Associations in North America. The book focuses on the Jain spiritual path: right perception, right knowledge and right conduct lead to liberation.
December 2003 February 2004 Jain Spirit 17
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