YJA Convention 2010 07 New Brunswick NJ Ninth

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

Page 78

2010 ESSAY COMPETITION
AGE GROUP: 14-17
WINNER: PRIYAL GANDHI, ASHBURN, VA
To Inspire
What makes an artist create a beautiful painting? What is it that helps the author write an award-winning book? What power aids the musician in playing a heartfelt piece?
It is the same power that makes non-Jain, non-Indians do upvas. The same power that convinces them to search Wikipedia for more information about the Jain religion. What is it? The power of inspiration.
If the words of my gurus can move me, imagine what sticking to Jain vegetarianism and performing fasts during paryushan can do to non-Jain friends and teachers. It's not easy to stick to a strict Jain diet in a foreign country, especially one such as the U.S. It's also not easy to explain to every person you meet why eggs are considered non-vegetarian or why root vegetables are unacceptable in a Jain's diet. But the awe that comes from watching a Jain stick to their diet every day is exactly what drives them to try it themselves or quench their curiosity by learning more about the religion.
A simple "I can't eat that" prods them to ask why. Stating religious restrictions is not enough for them- they must know what religion, what principle, what concept drives that restriction? And if your answers aren't satisfactory enough, they'll ask Wikipedia. My friend, intrigued by my queer dietary restrictions, fired question after question about Jainism. I gave him the regular responses: "I have religious restrictions. You've probably never heard of my religion before. Okay, it's called Jainism. What's that? It has to do with non violence and just becoming a better person. Why can't I eat eggs? Well..." I love being a Jain. When explaining what it means to be one, I literally glow with excitement to be able to show how unique it is. But, at some point, you have to give up. You have to say, "Oh, it's complicated, or oh, it's hard to explain." You know you want to dive into the philosophy of Jainism- but you know you can't. So we parted ways, and the next day, he comes in with this excited look on his face: "Guess what! I know all about Jainism! I looked it up on Wikipedia!" As he starts spitting out fact after fact, I sit there and grin, but at the same time, I'm saddened. What he learned from the web undermined what our religion was really about- in fact, it gave the wrong idea about our religion. His inspiration to research Jainism fueled my inspiration- to really show non-Jains what Jainism is about.
Telling them about Jainism is one thing, and showing is another. It was paryushan 2008, and I had my mind made up- I was going to perform atthai for the first time, and I did it. The day of parnu, members of our Jain group attended, along with other family and friends- most noticeably two American friends and two American teachers. Feeding me the first few drops of liquid after eight entire days of not eating fascinated them. The unimaginable gave them so much awe-it carried over into the sanji celebration, where my two friends learned how to play dandiya and watch other cultural customs. My friends gave vivid descriptions to their family, and my teachers showed their exuberance to other colleagues. I couldn't have been more thrilled. My fasting had inspired them to spread the word about an amazing religion people knew very little about.
Paryushan gave rise to other incredible stories too. One year, I had taken up the vow for upvas on a day I had gym- much against the wishes of my parents. They insisted on giving me a note to excuse me from gym if needed, but I chose to run and exercise anyway. My gym teacher was impressed- he asked what I was allowed to eat and drink during fasting, and raised his eyebrows in shock when I said, "Nothing." I didn't think much of it; I was used to expressions of surprise when it came to Jain fasts and diets. Two days later, I had gym again- and my excited teacher came up to me and said, "I tried it! I didn't eat for an entire day." I was speechless- my mouth dropped open. I never knew the extent of his curiosity in my fasting. I ran home with a huge grin on my face- telling my parents my gym teacher performed upvas because he was inspired by me surprised them as well. How secretly lucky are we to live somewhere where we can spread the word about our religion! It makes the fasting, the ridicule, and the difficulty, everything about being a Jain in the US, worth it. I love to inspire.
78
YJA CONVENTION 2010 I New Brunswick