Editor Carla Geerdes
On Saturday, March 27, there was a celebration of Mahavir Jayanti in Trupti Traudel Pandya’s yoga school in Berlin. Trupti Traudel Pandya is a student of Gurudev Chitrabhanu ji since more than 20 years. She had invited her students and Jain friends to celebrate the event and have a home-made Gujarati Dinner with her. 25 people, among them two toddlers, had come together in honour of Lord Mahavira’s birthday.
Trupti Traudel Pandya opened the evening conveying Gurudev Chitrabhanu ji’s blessings and a message to the audience, in which he expressed his happiness that in far-away Berlin people were gathering for the celebration of Mahavir Jayanti.
The function was started with the chanting of Namokar Mantra, followed by a short introduction to the historical facts of his life and the personality of Lord Mahavira. Traudel Trupti Pandya accentuated Lord Mahavira’s compassion for life in all his facets, recited the Song of Immortality (Maitri bhavanu pavitra jharanu), and then quoted from Hemchandracharya’s Yogashastra, appealing to treat all living beings equally to oneself and to lead a life where this consciousness is activated and present in all actions.
In her lecture Trupti Traudel Pandya spoke on how the attitude towards life is influenced when focused on the principles of Ahimsa and Aparigraha. She explained the importance of forgiveness in Jainism and recited a Jain Pratikraman Sūtra (Vanditu).
To demonstrate the quality of Anekantvad she showed the sheet of paper to the audience where on her side the mantras, but on the audience’s side an empty sheet of paper was visible. She asked how the sheet looks like. Everyone understood that a one-sided answer might cause the trouble of a conflict.
The session was finished with the universal blessings for the cosmos and all living beings (Shivamastu Sarvajagatah). Hand-outs of all recited mantras and shlokas were available in German language.
Afterwards everyone enjoyed the Indian dinner and used the opportunity for talks.