The Jain 1988 07

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Samaj Europe

Page 55

- 1din
He was well respected by the Indian leaders and they used to come to him for blessings. He was the friend of the poor and downtrodden. Though he was an Acharya of Jains, he loved all human beings and at one big meeting in Bombay he said 'Neither | am a Jain or Sikh, nor Muslim or Hindu or Buddha; I am a human being devoted to follow the path of nonviolence and truth as shown by Bhagwan Mahavira'. At the age of 84 his soul left his human body and the Jains lost a great Acharya and the country a great social reformer.
By Dr. Natubhai Shah
JAIN LAYMAN AND LAYWOMAN
and High School at Ambala (Punjab) are a few of the more important institu- tions which he was instrumental in establishing. These institutions have produced thousands of graduates, many of whom have reached high postions in various spheres. It may be worth mentioning that the founder president of Jain Samaj Europe and the General Secretary are both the products of Mahavir Jain Vidhyalaya, so is also the editor of the Gujarati Section of THE JAIN. He preached Maharvira's teachings in simple and effective language and told the masses that to achieve true happiness and peace, one should have amity. equanimity, integrity, honesty, goodness and tolerance towards all living beings. He believed that without changing the basic principles of Jainism, activities should be appropriate to the time and conditions for the welfare of the samaj. He believed in universal brotherhood unity of all the Jains and preached that all the Jains should unite under the banner of Mahavira and try to promote the message of non-violence and truth. He helped the welfare activities of mankind irrespective of caste and creed and his sermons were attended by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains and Christians. He had tremendous love for India and was a true patriot. He wore khadi throughout his life and believed that religion, the samaj or the country cannot progress without independence.
Many ancient Jain writings go into great detail as to the preferred pattern of daily life for the layman or woman. Written usually by monks in a more leisurely age, the daily routine they depict is often highly idealised and not easy to follow in actual practice. In modern days the speed and stress of daily life have made the ideal layman's daily routine still more difficult to achieve. In Europe and other places remote from India the problems are compoundes by isolation, often, from supportive Jain society, by distance from temples and other places of worship, by the absence of medicant teachers, and by many other factors. However, many do try to follow, as far as possible, the precepts of the old writings. For the pious Jain there is a guide to daily practice and, even if difficult in some circumstances, it is by no means impossible to follow, even in twentieth century Britain. Here is a summary outlining a typical day as envisaged by the serious practising lain. The shravak or shravika, layman or lay woman, should get up well before sunrise. The day
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Jain Education Interational 2010_03