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show, there are things one can do as individuals.
as to material progress. However, among Jains in North America there are two big barriers to truly knowing Jainism.
teaches them the basics about Jainism without preaching any point of view. It is her way of giving back.
The first is not giving a high enough priority, and hence time, to culture. The emphasis on self-progress demands success in one's career or business. We regard material success as a condition of lasting happiness and in order to achieve this we tend to spend large portions of our lives at work. Whatever free time remains is rapidly eaten up by family and social engagements. As Jains, we are meant to study and reflect, to ask questions, to look for answers - all this takes time which we do not seem to have.
Paying attention to children is one key. Ensure that they have regular contact with other Jains, that they attend a pathshala if possible and that they have Jain friends. Cultivate a sense of pride about Jain practices and disciplines. These views were echoed by Neil Shah, a young Jain in his latetwenties who grew up in California. He credits his parents for providing such an environment. He is now pursuing that quintessential American dream: building a software company he cofounded. He is very much aware of the compromises he has to make to some Jain values (e.g. simplicity), but
this awareness is half the battle. On staying vegetarian, he does not compromise. During his time at high school and college, this was his only link to Jainism.
Jains here do not often have ready access to temples or to Jain centres. The advice of Prakash Jain, a software engineer, is to create a sanctuary in your own home - perhaps in a spare bedroom. You can use this space like a temple - to withdraw from the world and retreat to study Jainism. He feels strongly that Jains in North America should pay a lot of attention to studying Jainism. He admits that this is not easy Even in his native Indore, he found that it was a big step for him to attend Jain study group sessions. It was the kind of thing young people just did not do.
But if one can devote half an hour or an hour daily, immersed in the study of Jainism, it will pay huge dividends. If one has a family and children, this practice can be extended to include the whole family. It is also important to link up with other like-minded Jains, to share knowledge and ideas on a regular basis.
AS JAINS, WE ARE MEANT TO STUDY AND REFLECT, TO ASK QUESTIONS, TO LOOK FOR ANSWERS ALL THIS TAKES TIME WHICH WE DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE.
About three years ago, Prakash and a small group of interested Jains started weekly Jain classes for adults in the Seattle area, starting with the most basic fundamentals. The group started with the Balbodh Pathmalla series of text books, books normally used in pathshalas. Currently the group is studying advanced Jain fundamentals, the Tattvartha Sutra and Samayasar - they have made significant progress in such a short time.
Secondly, it is difficult to find good teachers - people who have a fair knowledge about Jainism and who can guide others in their own pursuit. The largest North American Jain population centres may be exceptions but most Jains here, who are interested, have to rely on visiting scholars from India. While these visits are at times valuable, they are like kindling to a fire - without sustained, continuous effort their benefits dissipate quickly. However, even medium-sized North American cities have a number of Jain families - often enough to start study groups and pathshalas for children and adults. Also, as the following examples
In order to be comfortable with being a Jain in North America, it is cool when your personal beliefs are aligned to Jain and American values. Then you're not doing something simply because you have this Jain label - instead, it is the values
which influence your daily activities and actions. You preserve your individuality. This is the opinion of Alina Misra, a teenager from Washington. The influence of the Jain pathshala and the summers spent in India with her grandmother teaching her about Jainism when she was a young child are evident. She is a vegan, tries to live as simply as possible and keeps her material possessions to a minimum. She is deeply interested in the philosophy of Jainism and tries to educate herself by reading contemporary works and reflecting on them. Once a month, she holds a pathshala session for a small group of young children where she simply
It is clear that in order to make progress as Jains, it is vitally important to know Jainism. Most Jains will say that they know the Jain rituals and practices, but these by themselves are not enough. They are important though as a bridge -a means of crossing over to where one can start knowing Jainism at a deeper level. The problem is that people tend to linger on the bridge, never quite making it to the other side, For us in North America, the other side can seem very far away, but it really is not. And small efforts can bring instant peace and renewed self-confidence to live and experience eternal truths..
Achal Shah lives in Redmond, WA where he works as a software engineer. He learns about Jainism with a small group of people who meet regularly to study it.
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