YJA Convention 2000 07 LA Fourth

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

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New Avenues
He decided he would not remain a traditional sadhu but instead lead the life of a lay sadhaka (aspirant). He visited Africa and Europe, and at the invitation of Harvard Divinity School and the Temple of Understanding he came to the United States in 1971.
In the Spring of 1970 in a simple ceremony, he married his spiritual companion Pramoda Shah who was a graduate student of psychology and whose spiritual quest had led her to join his mission. He envisioned he had to go through all aspects of life to complete his cycle of evolution. They now have two sons, Rajeev and Darshan.
Work
True to his poem "Maitri Bhavanu" and his beliefs, he is living the life of a Sadhak. Gurudev realized that before him great speakers such as Virchand Gandhi came to America and delivered inspiring messages but their work did not flourish because because of a lack of Jain centers in this country and a lack of follow-up. His past-life connections, at home and aboard, were waiting to lead them to the path of Ahinsa and the understanding of Anekantavada. The invitation to address The Second Spiritual Conference paved the way to manifest his insights.
He was the first to celebrate Mahavira Jayanti at the UN Chapel. In 1973 he founded the Jain Meditation International Center in New York City, near the United Nations. In his lecture tours to arouse people's awareness of the beauty of Ahinsa he spoke at various academic and learning institutions including Harvard, Princeton, New York College at Purchase, and the United Nations. In 1975 he also sponsored a dynamic personality from India, Acharya Sushil Kumarji, who would go on to found the Siddhachalam Jain Tirtha in New Jersey.
He inspired American Jains to create religious centers from the east coast to the west, guiding them in sowing the seeds of nonviolence and reverence for life, and understanding the mechanism of karma and self-realization.
JAINA
He helped inspire Jains to have a federation of all Jain associations in the US and Canada. The result was the founding of JAINA, or the Federation of Jain Associations in North America, the umbrella organization with more than 100,000 members and 57 centers. For the last 29 years, he has helped transplant and expound the age-old essence of the Jain teachings on western soil. Because of his vision thousands of Americans have become vegetarians and practice the essence of Jainism in their daily life. With the tireless efforts of Pujya Gurudev Chitrabhanuji and Acharya Sushil Kumarji, Jains are a vibrant community in North America.
The new generation of Jains migrating to or born in North America has found Chitrabhanuji's teachings inspiring. The bubbling energy of the youth as shown in the roaring success of YJA, an arm of JAINA, gives hope that the seeds he sowed in 1971 have taken root in fertile soil and shall blossom forever.
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written by Devendra T. Peer