YJA Convention 2012 07 Tampa FL Tenth 027618

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

Page 78

YJA CREATIVITY CONTEST WINNER
ESSAY BY AVANI GANDHI
In today's time, a life takes a long time to be fulfilled. With crazy things like skydiving and climbing Mount Everest added to bucket lists everywhere, fourteen years doesn't sound remotely close to a full life. Therefore, it's hard for me to say that Jainism has made a huge change on my life. However, it has effected me in both the past and the present. I hope for YJA Convention 2012 to create an impact on me, inspiring my future.
Still a teenager, there isn't much of a past for me to reflect on. Of course, Jainism has given me the main principles like valuing other lives. As I continued to get older, I made altercations on my own views on some of this stuff. I stopped eating eggs, placed more luxury limitations on the days of Paryushan, and more throughout the past few years. Besides these small practices, I really have no other connections to my religion. I just turned the age to be able to attend YJA, I don't have friends that have this in common with me, and I only recently became curious about Jain principles and teachings.
As YJA Convention draws closer. I have become more excited to attend for many reasons. There is definitely the social aspect to my excitement. Coming from a small school, that's mostly Christian based, I don't have much exposure to Indian people. It's all fine, and I love my friends, but I'm excited to meet people who have something else in common besides my age, town, and school. I think and hope that meeting people who have the same views as me, and value other lives as I do will make a positive affect on my life. We can learn from each other, as well as create a friendship that can last for a long time. Also, because I'm so young still, I haven't gone to anything of this magnitude. The amount of people, and the fact that they are coming from all over the country, is something very foreign and appealing to me.
Obviously, the biggest reason YJA is so popular is because of the introduction to Jain teachings through the sessions during the weekend spent at the convention. I could sit here and talk about what I'm curious to learn, and the expectations for my weekend in Tampa. However, I am more interested in the application of what we learn. Going into high school, I believe the convention this year can teach me so much about morals and keep me balanced between having fun and doing the right thing. With all the peer pressure and the society in high school and college, it's hard standing your ground. I believe it's very important to have a strong foundation from your religion to keep the path to your future strong. I hope YJA can give me this foundation which will show me the path to help me make the right decisions through what can be tough years in life.
In conclusion, I can't wait until YJA. I have heard many stories from people that have gone in years past. I learn a lot in school, with good grades in math, history, science, etc. To me, in the long run that doesn't really matter. I mean, of course it matters, education is very important. But, my beliefs and morals mean so much more. The people I learn these things from mean a lot, too. Friends from school are great, and we have great times. But friends who share my core beliefs and overall lifestyle have a different kind of bond with me. As I count down the days until July 5th, it becomes more clear to me of how much I have yet to learn, and I only become more excited.
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YJA CONVENTION 2012 | Tampa, FL