Book Title: Sumati Jnana
Author(s): Shivkant Dwivedi, Navneet Jain
Publisher: Shantisagar Chhani Granthamala

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Page 223
________________ 200 Sumati-Jñāna objectives: a) to promote religious and educational activities, b) to promote charitable and humanitarian community services in North America, India and throughout the world, c) to promote vegetarianism and non-violence, d) to provide academic and cultural interchanges among Jains in North America, India and other countries around the globe, e) to foster interaction, dialogue and communications with Jain organizations throughout the world, f) to maintain good relations with governments of USA, UK and India, g) to assist existing associations and to promote the formation of new ones, h) to assist the establishment of Jain temples, "sthānakas", "pāthashālās” and other facilities for carrying on Jain activities, etc. Since, JAINA provides marriage information service for young Jains, directs numerous mittees, like charitable trust, media and public relations, education, publications, has founded a great library at “Los Angeles Jain Centre” with more than 10.000 books, magazines, audio and video recordings, etc. It organizes biennial great conventions that have always a great success by the number of participants and the quality of its lectures, prayers, rituals and educative plays. Nearly at the same period, important Jain organisations were created in UK, like: the “Oshwal Association”, the “Shree Digambar Jain Association”, the “Navnat Vanik Association", the “Digambar Jain Visa Mewada Association", "Jain Vishva Bharati”, “Jain Samaj”. The latter took, soon after, the name of "Jain Samaj Europe". A“Second Jain International Conference” was held in 1983 by "Ahimsā International in London (UK) attended by many religious leaders is. The same year on July was held the 2nd JAINA Convention (USA). In 1983 too, Ācārya Sushil Kumar established at Blairstown (New Jersey) USA a splendid Jain ashram (a resident community of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen) named "Siddhachalam” (Pl. 26.2) and founded the “World Fellowship of Religions" and the "Mahāvīr Foundation". He brought also recognition of Jainism by the United Nations Organisation (UNO) and introduced the study of Jainism at University in New-York He met the different religious leaders with a great tolerance and preached always non-violence and peace. In 1993, he made an address on "Non-violence in the modern world" at the "Parliament of the World's Religions" in Chicago 16. With the blessings of Ācārya Sushil Kumar Maharaj, Jain communities living in the USA have built temples, near the big cities where they are established. More than 30 main Jain or Hindu-Jain temples are now in USA and Canada at disposal of the followers practicing worship in them, without any distinction of category or sect. There are today: 4 temples open to Jain devotees in New-York State, 3 in California, 3 in New Jersey, 2 in Texas, 2 in Florida, 2 in Pennsylvania, 2 in North Carolina, 2 in Georgia, 2 in Massachusetts, 1 in each State of Albany, Philadelphia, South Carolina, Maryland, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia in the USA, 2 in Canada and many religious centres, schools, libraries, charitable activities in big cities in the USA, like: Albany, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago (Pl. 26.3), Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Detroit (Pl. 26.4.a & 26.4.b), Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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