15.04.2017 ►JAINA ►Newsletter

Jai Jinendra!

Mahavir Janma Kalyanak was celebrated with great enthusiasm at many Jain Centers across USA and Canada. Gujarat CM Vijaybhai Rupani attended special celebrations on banks of Sabarmati. 

We bring you life story of Muni Tarun Sagarji Maharaj - an eminent and vocal Jain Leader of 21st Century. JAINA Convention 2017 is bringing popular and award winning drama –Yugpurush. Details are given below.

Sincerely,

Ashok Domadia
JAINA President & Chairman

As the fire quickly consumes dry wood,even so an adept whose soul is equipoised and unattached causes the accumulated karma structure to disintegrate

- Mahavira (Acaranga, 4/3/33)

Muni Tarun Sagarji was born as Pawan Kumar Jain on 26 June 1967 to Pratap Chandra Jain and Shanti Bai Jain in a small village Guhanchi in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, India. He was initiated as Kshullaka at the age of 13 and as a Digambara monk by Acharya Pushpdant sagarji on 20 July 1988 in Bagidora, Rajasthan at the age of 20. He emerged as a prominent personality when GTV initiated a program called "MahaviraVani".

In 2000, he gave an address from the Red Fort, Delhi. After wandering through Haryana (2000), Rajasthan (2001), Madhya Pradesh (2002), Gujrat (2003), Maharastra (2004), he arrived in Karnataka in 2006 for the occasion of Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations at Shravanabelagola after having walked for 65-days from Belgaum. By this time he had emerged as a "progressive Jain monk" for his criticism of violence, corruption and conservatism, and his speeches came to be called "KatuPravachan".He agreed to have his Chaturmas in Bangalore.

Vriti Sanksepa - is third Bahya tap. In this one takes abhigraha (make some resolutions). This tap is carried out in four ways:

1) Dravya - to have pre-determination of having certain item is called Dravya abhigraha.
2) Kshetra - to take food at a specific location is called kshetra abhigraha.
3) Kal - to fix a specific time is called kal abhigraha.
4) Bhav - to get the food only from a particular individual or certain type of person is called bhav abhigraha.

Such type of abhigraha was undertaken by Lord Mahavira. He vowed that he would accept food only if soaked black peas were offered to him from a winnower,by a princess in chains,with shaved head,who had fasted for three days and who had tears flowing from her eyes. All these conditions should be fulfilled at one time.

For months he used to go for alms and came back without food because his stipulations could not be fulfilled. After six months of fasting,Mahavira saw a princess in chains with cleaned shaved head,having fasted for three days,offering black peas from winnowing pan,but one thing was missing that was tears in Chandanbala’s eyes so Mahavira declined the offer and turned back.

Chandanbala started crying because Mahavira did not accept the food. The lord looked back and saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. Now all his hard stipulations were fulfilled and he willingly accepted the food offered by her.

This tap is very important for developing the will power.

The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word Karma is deeds, including thoughts and words. Karmas are invisible, fine particles of matter prevailing all around us just like the air particles.

The Jain Dharma considers Karma as an independent and separate entity. It has been calculated in terms of Pudgalas because the body is made up of Pudgals. Hence Karma is also made up of Pudgals.

About 3000 years ago, King Ashwasen was ruling over the Kingdom of Varanasi, which is also known as Banaras, situated on the bank of Holy River Ganga. They had a son named Parshva Kumar. Parshva Kumar later became the 23rd TirthankaraParshvanath of present age (Avasarpini).

At that time there was a mendicant named Kamath. He had lost his parents in childhood and was raised as an orphan. Being disgusted of his miserable life, he had become a monk and…

For the salad:

Mung Beans (½ cup, uncooked)
Cucumber (1 cup, chopped)
Tomatoes (1 cup, chopped)
Bell pepper (½ cup, chopped)
Handful of fresh Cilantro (roughly chpped)
Salt and black pepper to taste

For the dressing:

Lemon juice (2 tsp)
Olive oil (2 tsp)
Cumin powder (¼ tsp)
Freshy ground black pepper (¼ tsp)
Dash of salt

Directions:

You can soak the mung beans overnight. This will speed up the cooking time.

1. Cook the mung beans in salted water until tender, but do not overcook. (You can pressure cook it as well)
2. Drain the excess water from cooked mung beans and let it cool. Then, combine it with all chopped veggies in medium sized bowl.
3. To prepare salad dressing, combine lemon juice, olive oil and spices and mix well. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
4. Dress the salad with prepared dressing and mix it well. Refrigerate the salad for 15-20 min.

Have this vegan salad as breakfast or serve it along with meal.

Active teenagers of JOY at Jain Society of Detroit organized an awareness for homeless teens on 31st March in Temple, where JOY members attended Covenant House presentation and heard eye opening stories of homeless youth in Detroit.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi became Mahtama Gandhi is something we all know about but one of the persons who played a vital role in his young days was none other than Shrimad Rajchandra. Shrimad Rajchandra believed in the philosophy of Bhagwan Mahavir.

JAINA convention brings you a play YUGPURUSH during one evening where we can experience the conversation between two great souls about Ahimsa. This play will make you proud as a Jain that Mahatma Gandhi learned a lot about Ahimsa and principles of Jainism directly from Srimad Rajchandra.

The YJA Executive Board had the opportunity to meet with JAINA's Long Range Planning Committee in Chicago, IL this past weekend to discuss current projects and brainstorm about new initiatives for the Jain community. We left with a brand new perspective on how the next one to five years will look for young Jains in the United States and how YJA can best serve them. We are excited to collaborate on projects in the future!

Join the Young Jain Professionals Executive Board and be the change you want to see! As an Executive Board member you have a chance to engage with the diaspora, gain valuable skills to further your professional and personal development and build a strong network with fellow Jain professionals.

Sign up to be a part of a diverse and amazing team!

Don’t think you can commit to about six hours a week, but want to be involved in the Young Jain Professionals community, then join one of our YJP 2017 Sub-committees .

Read the story of Result of Pride andanswer the below questions. (Mark you answers in the puzzle)

There were two brothers. Both into gur (a sweet) business. The elder brother was proud and vain but the younger brother was a simple, peace loving man. One day the elder brother disrespecting his younger brother, said with pride, "dear brother, you have nothing and I have millions of rupees with me and also, one house and one car".

The next day, the elder brother saw that gur was full of insects and because of this there were many losses. He finally lost his house and his car. Therefore, a man should not be proud of his money. The money can make you a King in a movement and a beggar in another moment.

Question:

1. What business two brothers were into?
2. Which brother disrespected other?
3. Next day, the gur was full of _________.
4. The money can make you a King in a movement and a _______ in another moment.

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