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Samani Bhavit Pragya | Samani Sangh Pragya |
Art of Living
Life begins with birth and ends with death. Both the body and the soul form life. Where there is only body, there is no life and where there is only a form of consciousness, life cannot exist, either. Combination of body and soul is what we know as life. Every embodied being in this world whether human, animal, bird, or plant, represents life. But just living is not enough for the human being. What humans should aspire for is to lead an “artistic” life.
An "artistic" life is inspired by religion and dexterity. Humans strive for expertise in multiple spheres and may attain perfection in some. A person may learn and even master all of these arts, but that does not imply he has learned the art of living. In fact, he has probably not learned anything at all!.
In his poem "Vyavahar Bodh," H.H. Gurudev Tulsi writes:
All arts are maimed,
All scholars are ignorant.
If they don’t know how a life should be spent,
They are only overwhelmed with grandeur”
The purpose of an artistic life is to remain in a state of happiness, peace, and equanimity till the end. To attain such a life, one needs to change the outlook and learn to introspect.
"In the silence of midnight, let a man look within himself and contemplate: what I did, what remains to be done, and what I can do that I am not yet doing." Such contemplation is self -observation or introspection, the process of seeing yourself through you.
Views of Acharya Mahashraman from “LIFE, Twelve Golden Principles for Holistic Living"
On the morning of Diwali, on Oct 23, Samanijis led a session of Jaap at the JVBNA center. The session started with the chanting of Bhaktamar followed by Viratthui - an ode to Bhagwan Mahavir, Mahavir Swami and Gautam Swami Jaap, and ended with Mangal Path.
Diwali Milan & Acharya Tulsi Centenary Celebration
The festive occasion of Diwali Milan and Acharya Tulsi Centenary Celebration on October 25th at the Six Mile Run Church started off with dinner and an assortment of sparkling cultural performances by the students of Gyanshala and other members of the JVBNA family.
Master of Ceremony, Ashish Jain guided the program smoothly. The program started with the chanting of Namokar Mantra led by the Samanijis. After this, the Gyan group kids performed Hum Ko Mann Ki Shakti Dena, a melodious bhajan. President of JVBNA Madhumita Sacheti welcomed everyone to the auspicious occasion by speaking of the different ways Diwali is celebrated around the world and paid a tribute to Acharya Tulsi, who founded the Saman shreni of Jain religion. Information about upcoming events was shared with the audience. The Darshan group performed a skit about Acharya Tulsi to illustrate moral values and the importance of teaching children this because they are the future of society. Valmik Nahata played Hum Ko Mann Ki Shakti Dena on violin, followed by Manu Nahata, who sang a melodious rendition of Ganesh Vandana. Charitra group presented a narration of different professions and how one can be successful, but the most important trait was to be a good human being. The narration was titled Khushi Ka Khazana.
Surendra ji Kankariya introduced special guests - Mr. Sapan Shah, Mr. Harshad Shah, Mr. Jigar Shah, and Mr. Gunvant Shah. The guests from JAINA gave information on the upcoming JAINA convention in Atlanta, GA, in July 2015.
After this, there was a classical dance performance by Shreen and Siddhi Bhansali. The dance was followed by Pravachan by Samani Sanghpragyaji, who spoke about Mahavir Nirvan. Next, Kamal ji Daga, and his group comprising Sanjay Jain, Sunil Bothra, and Nitin Chordiya, sang a bhajan for Mahavir’s Nirvan. Kamal ji also sang four lines dedicated to Acharya Sri Tulsi. Samani Bhavitpragyaji spoke about Acharya Tulsi and how he spent his life working towards the betterment of society. The cultural program concluded with a debate on the motion - Violence is acceptable for self-defense. The debate was moderated by Sanjay Jain. Participants for the motion were Sheetal Daftary, Ashish Jain, Sanjay Tated, Prachi Shah, and Navin Surana. Participants arguing against the motion were Hansraj Nahata, Kiran Jain, Sunil Bothra, Rajiv Mohnot, and Sudhir Jain. It was an interesting and thought-provoking discussion. The evening closed with the Mangal Path led by Samaniji.
Please click on the YouTube link below to watch a documentary on Acharya Tulsi. The video was released on his 100th birth anniversary.
Legacy of a Legend: Acharya Tulsi - http://youtu.be/Dul71QLR_lA
Upcoming Events
- Upasak Dasha Agam 8 Day-Weekend Course - Nov 15, 16, 22, 23, Dec 6, 7, 13, 14 -- 10AM - 12:30PM -- JVBNA Center -- Registration is required. Please register by clicking here.
- New Year Jaap, Annual General Meeting, & EC Oath -- Thursday, Jan 1, 2015 -- 3PM - 5PM -- JVBNA Center.
Ongoing Activities
Wednesdays - 6:30PM - 7:30PM - Yoga - JVBNA Center
Thursdays - 7:30PM - 8:30PM - Swadhyay - JVBNA Center
Saturdays - 10AM - 11:30AM - Prayer, Meditation, Swadhyay - JVBNA Center
Sundays (Twice a month) - 3:30PM - 6PM - Gyanshala - Franklin Temple