Jain Spirit 2004 10 No 20

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

Page 11

First Jain Chaplain in North America
Dr. Bruce Costain (known as Balbhadraji) is a Canadian citizen, who now lives in the United States, practising and propagating Jain philosophy for over twenty years. He has visited almost all Jain centres in North America and provided discourses on Jain philosophy to people of all ages, participated in children's camps where he taught young Jains, and also has
become the first official Jain hospital chaplain in North America. He completed the Hospital Chaplain Programme in August 2003 at the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education in Nashville, Tennessee. For a further understanding, he travelled several countries including India. He came in contact with Gurudave Shri Chitrabhanuji in 1980 and since then got involved in Jainism and its
philosophy of life. He did his PhD from University of Toronto. Recently the second edition of his book, Applied Jainism, has been published, which is a combination of his Master Thesis and PhD Dissertation.
Digambara Jain Mahasabha Opens Branch in Bangkok
At a meeting of Digambara Jains held on 17 April 2004 at Bangkok, Thailand, at the residence of Shri Amar Chand Gangwal (Kuchaman, Rajasthan), a Chapter of Shri Bharatvarshiya Digambara Jain (Dharm-Sanrakshini) Mahasabha was formally inaugurated. Shri L. L. Jain was
nominated as president of Mahasabha this chapter. Other office bearers are - Shri Pramod Jain (Luharia) and Amar Chand Gangwal. The meeting was addressed by Shri Nirmal Kumar Sethi on behalf of Mahasabha. It is the third branch outside India, the other two being in Kuwait and North America.
Mumbai University in India has organised the "Dinesh Mody Prize 2004" Essay Competition. The theme is "Jainism Theory and Practice" in Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi or English. It should be the writer's original, unpublished contribution, on not more than 40 legal-size pages. Three copies
MUMBAI: Essay Competition Jain Religion Recognised
By Ohio Bicentennial Commission
are required to be sent to Asst. Registrar, Scholarship Section, Room No. 35, 1st Floor, Vidyanagari, Santa Cruz (East), Mumbai 400 098. Write "Jainism Theory and Practice 2004" on the envelope together with your name and address inside the envelope. Entries should arrive by 30 October 2004.
Pramukhswami Blesses Jain Spirit
H.H. Pramukhswami, global leader of the Swaminaryan Hindu Mission, visited the world famous Swaminaryan Temple in Neasden, North-West London. A special event was organised to which leaders from all sections of the Hindu and Jain communities were invited. At this event, he gave blessings to
Dr. Atul K. Shah, Executive Editor of Jain Spirit, encouraging him to continue the propagation of ancient Indian values
in the modern world. H.H. Pramukhswami
NEWS IN BRIEF 09
went on to North America, where he spent H.H. Pramukhswami receives a copy of June and July opening several new temples. Jain Spirit
Visit www.jainway.web.edge.net or mail: jainway@bellsouth.net for more info or ordering the book.
In recognition of Ohio's Bicentennial Commission 2003, the Religious Experience Advisory Council of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission was established to celebrate the state's religious diversity. The result of their research is a book, published in June 2004, Religion in Ohio: Profiles of Faith Communities, edited by Tarunjit J. Butalia and Dianne Small. The book traces the religious history of Ohio from the traditions of its ancient Native American peoples, through the period of settlement and immigration to the pluralism of today. There are chapters of over forty Christian groups, as well as the Native American, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Baha'i, Jain and Zoroastrian presence in the state. Dr. Tansukh Salgia, as member of the council, wrote the Jain chapter with the help of his wife, Bharati. For more information, contact: tsalgia1@netzero.net or: jwilson 1@ohio.edu