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Quotations from scriptures: Ever wondered how a soul interacts with inanimate karmic matter? |
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Quotations From SAMAYASAAR An aspirant believes that each soul is distinct, not an
owner, |
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From Religious Books: According to Jainism, the solution to the worldwide problems of inequity, injustice and poverty is the virtue of non-possessiveness. |
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by Dr. Kamala Jain Both modern literature and the vast and rich ancient Indian corpus of texts repeatedly state that happiness does not come from the things we possess and consume. On the other hand, to enrich one's life one has to streamline one's material world, one's possessions and consumption. |
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What are the real causes of solicitude and unhappiness in life, and how can an individual achieve harmony and peace of mind? |
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by Dr. Chandrakant P. Shah According to Jainism, ignorance about reality is the root cause of solicitude. So we have to understand and accept the nature of reality to attain evenness of mind. Indeed, the perception-deluding and conduct-deluding karmas prevent us from accepting reality. They make us to indulge in attachment and aversion, which, in turn, bring about anxiety and imbalance of mind. |
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What kind of activism does Jainism teach? The present article describes the teachings of Jainism that encompass different aspects of healthy activism at a personal level. |
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by Duli Chandra Jain Increasingly sophisticated security measures are being adopted to combat terrorism. But nobody considers that discrimination and hateful rhetoric towards people of different religious persuasions and background combined with societal inequity and injustice are the root causes of such behavior on the part of some individuals. |
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From July 1991 Issue: Are we following and practicing the teachings of Jainism in name or in their real spirit? |
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When a person prays to God or some deity, he asks for blessings for himself or for his family. Generally, prayers are for wealth, health and the betterment of the person who prays, and not for the good of others. . . . The seeds of selfishness are ingrained in the very prayers which are made. |
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Observations & Views: It is hoped that our readers will find the following items of the column 'Observations & Views' enlightening and thought-provoking: |
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Readers' Comments: |
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Ram Gada, Minneapolis, MN As always we enjoy and get inspired to read each article in the Jain Study Circular. Chandrakant C. Shah, Carteret, NJ Jain Study Circular is the only bridge between Jain youngsters and the real meaning and beliefs of the Jain religion. Some people, especially in western countries, believe that culture and civilization, religion and philosophy, art and scientific knowledge were adopted by eastern countries from the west. However, study of our ancient books and scriptures indicates that some markedly significant developments in the fields of religion, philosophy, spiritualism, science and mathematics were made in the east in ancient times. This belief is supported by the article 'Some Facts About India', published in the Jain Study Circular, April-July 2000, pages 23 and 24 I have a question: Please explain the literal meaning of the SHANTI MANTRA in detail. OM, HREEM, ARHAM, A, SI, AA, U, SA NAMAH; SARVA SHANTIM KURU, KURU. Duli Chandra Jain: In my view, a mantra consists of words and phrases that generate good thoughts and feelings. It also imparts certain basic teachings of religion. SHANTI MANTRA (a prayer for peace) is one such mantra. It consists of the auspicious words: OM, HREEM, ARHAM, and two sentences: A, SI, AA, U, SA NAMAH and SARVA SHANTIM KURU, KURU. Dr. Trilok Chandra Jain Shastri, in his English adaptation of Shri Jugal Kishor's Worship Of Dev (Supreme Souls), Shastra (Scriptures) And Guru (True Sages), published in the Jain Study Circular of January 1989, explains the meanings of the words OM and HREEM as follows: In Jainism, OM is considered to represent the five beneficial supremes, ARAHANTs, SIDDHAs, ACHARYAs, UPAADHYAAYAs and SADHUs to whom we pray in NAMOKAAR Mantra(1). HREEM represents the first phrase of NAMOKAAR Mantra, NAMO ARAHANTAANAM. A supreme human being, ARAHANT, devotes his entire life for the uplift of all living beings of the universe. Thus HREEM is symbolic of the well-being of all. ARHAM is synonymous with ARAHANT. The sentence A, SI, AA, U, SA NAMAH means we revere ARHANTs (A), SIDDHAs (SI), ACHARYAs (AA), UPAADHYAAYAs (U) and SADHUs (SA). Lastly, the sentence SARVA SHANTIM KURU, KURU means that we aspire for peace for all. (For a detailed explanation of OM, please see Studies In Jainism: Reader 1, published by Jain Study Circle, 1990, page 3.) Dear Readers, We greatly appreciate your interest in the Jain Study Circular. - Directors of JSC |
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From the Jain Study Circle: |
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Jain Study Circle holds quarterly meetings in the New York Metropolitan Area. The next quarterly meeting will be an annual meeting of the Jain Study Circle. It will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2000. Those who wish to attend the meeting and participate in the discussion of the principles of Jainism published in the Jain Study Circular should write to: Jain Study Circle, 99-11 60 Avenue, #3D, Flushing NY 11368-4436 OR call (201) 967-9344 or (718) 699-4653 OR send us an e-mail at contactus@jainstudy.org The annual meeting of Jain Study Circle was held at Sunita & Duli Chandra Jain's residence in Flushing, New York on May 21, 2000. After Dr. Jayantilal Shah's and Mr. Vinay Vakani's opening remarks, the annual report and the account for the period from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999 were presented. The account accepted at the meeting is presented below. The detailed account was available at the meeting for the perusal of all members. The Financial Statement for the year 1999, audited by Mr. Krishna K. Mehta, C.P.A., includes: Jain Study Circle Inc. is a corporation formed in the City of New York on January 25, 1987. The corporation received approval for the status of tax exempt organization from the Internal Revenue Service under section 501 (C) (3). This corporation has been organized exclusively for religious and educational purposes. All of the income has been derived by the unsolicited contributions received. Mr. Jaykumar Shah presented the report of the nominating committee and submitted four nominations for directors. The names were unanimously accepted. The new directors will assume their positions from January 1, 2001. A sincere vote of thanks was extended to the four directors whose term will end on December 31, 2000 and a warm welcome was extended to the new directors. Mr. Anil Jain gave a demonstration of the web site of the Jain Study Circle. Everybody enjoyed the presentation and expressed their appreciation to Mrs. Richa Jain, who maintains the web site. The members present at the meeting expressed their sincere gratitude to the individuals who participate in editing and proofing the Jain Study Circular. They are: Mr. Vinay K. Vakani, Mrs. Sunita Jain, Dr. Ahamindra Jain, Mrs. Richa Jain, and, Sanjeev and Rajeev, sons of Mr. Krishna K. & Mrs. Chandra Mehta. Quotations for mailing the circular by Progressive Mailing Services, Mineola NY were discussed, and it was approved to secure their services for mailing the circular, if necessary. At the end of the business meeting all members who were present enjoyed a discussion about the 'Concept of Non-violence In Jainism'. The meeting was adjourned with a vote of thanks to the host family. Accounts Accepted at the Annual Meeting held on May 21, 2000
Balance Sheet
- Board of Directors Readers are requested to send their comments on the articles published in the Jain Study Circular. Also please send articles for publication in the Circular. We make every effort to answer our readers' letters, and mail books and back issues ordered by our readers as soon as possible. If you do not hear from us within a reasonable time, please send a reminder. We greatly appreciate your interest in the activities of the Jain Study Circular. - Board of Directors |