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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own family and other very close friends in a peaceful surrounding. Here in the camp, we tried to plan activities in such a way that we got the best of everything in the two days we spent there. We would have visiting scholars stay with us to provide some lectures on Jainism and to fulfil our religious quest. There were games for everyone to participate in to make it fun for all, morning walks or yoga or meditation for the uplift of mental and physical health, and enough delicious food so that everyone was fed well. In this way, we have provided enough activities for people of all ages so that it has become a very popular event. Everyone has participated in it very enthusiastically and has come out of these camps very relaxed and peaceful and charged up to face the wild and crazy world that we live in, hopefully with a better frame of mind.
In summary, hopefully by now you know why we feel very fortunate to belong to this group since its inception and why it has had a great impact on us, and our children. You can understand how the visits of numerous scholars, to our center, have impacted us in our spiritual uplift. You also now know how the teaching and explanation of the Jain philosophy by Honorable Pravin Shah of our center (recipient of JAINA Ratna Award and a well known scholar) has helped us tremendously in our growth religiously and socially. Finally, coming to Raleigh and being associated with a good group of Jain families maybe due to our past good Karmas.
Jai Jinendra.
Lalit and Rekha Banker
Lalit Banker is an environmental engineer and Rekha Banker is an analytical chemist; they live in Raleigh with their children, Sapna and Sumeet.
The Magical Red Book
by Tejas Mehta
I was 6 years old when we moved to Raleigh in 1984. I did not really know what Jainism was when we went to our first Jain Meeting at the Varia family's house. There, we did prayers that I did not really understand then. But I came to realize more about what Jainism is after we received the red folder, which contained prayers, stories, and the basic tenets of Jainism. For every Jain meeting we were to go through the book and learn something new and recite it in front of everyone for the next meeting. Over the two years we were in Raleigh, I memorized a small portion of that book to recite for the Jain group. I may not have remembered everything soon after, but it provided me a basic foundation to help me learn and understand my religion. It got me asking my parents questions and brought Jainism into my life.
Unfortunately, our stay in Raleigh was short; but being a part of the Jain Center for that period of time had a profound effect on my life. We moved to Florida and joined the Jain Center in Orlando, where my father introduced that magical red book to the group there. Thus, our education in Jainism would continue strongly for years to come. This is a testament to how important the Jain Center of North Carolina has been in the lives of all of us who have benefited from the hard work and dedication of those who made it possible.
Tejas Mehta is a college student studying medicine in Gainesville, Florida.
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