Jain Study Center NC Raleigh 1999 08 Twenty Years

Author(s): Jain Study Center NC Raleigh
Publisher: USA Jain Study Center NC Raleigh

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Awards
Starting from 1991, our Center's members and youths are honored at every JAINA convention and receive national recognition for their contributions toward the promotion of Jainism. During the last five JAINA conventions, four adults and eight youths have been recognized. Including JAINA's highest award - the JAINA Ratna Award - was awarded to Pravin Shah in 1999. Please refer to the chart on page 35 depicting members' recognition by JAINA.
Education
Jainism on Internet (www.jainism.org)
The Center established a computer-based Jain Education and Information electronic Bulletin Board System (Jain BBS) in February 1993. With the use of a home computer and a modem, anyone can use the Jain BBS obtain a wealth of information on Jainism at no cost.
Also, at that time, the Center started Jain education programs via E-mail. Once a month we used to e-mail Jain article to about 100 participants. The members appreciated our activities and learned a great deal of Jainism through e-mail. In 1995, the activity migrated to Jain Web site 'www.jainism.org'. Our Jain web site has more than 10,000 pages of Jain literature and information including education articles, scholar articles, books, stories, rituals, and youth essays.
In the beginning, the Jain web site was hosted by the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. It is now hosted under the Pluralism Project of Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Jain Workshop for Youths, Adults, and Pathshala Teachers
Pravin Shah, has prepared a sixteen-hour basic course in Jainism for youths (ages 15 and above), adults, and pathashala teachers of North America. The course emphasizes a basic understanding of the Jain principles and how to apply them in our daily life. The course has been offered at several Jain centers such as Atlanta, Washington DC, Chicago, Houston, Rochester, and New York. More than 400 youths and adults have completed the workshop. The key topics included in the workshop are Jain Religion Workshop, Fundamental Concepts of Jainism, Philosophy of Karma, Path of Liberation, Fourteen Spiritual Stages, Anekantwad, Jain Literature, Jain Sects, Jain Geography, Comparative Religions, and Application of Jainism in Daily Life.
Jain Literature
Jain Library
The Center has a good collection of audio and video tapes. Also, the Center has full access to Pravin Shah's library that has more than 1500 Jain and other religious books. The library consists of all Jain scriptures (Aagams), and many books on Jain philosophy, spirituality (adhyatma), conduct, ethics, karma, arts, and rituals.
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