17.03.2018 ►JAINA ►Newsletter

Jai Jinendra!

PM Modi joins the Bahubali Mahamasthakabhisheka Mahotsava at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka and said "Saints and seers from our land have always served society and made a positive difference."

The scion of Mysuru Royal family Yaduveer Wadiyar participated in the grand anointing ceremony in Shravanabelagola. More details are given below.

Congratulations to Balkrishna Doshi for wining 2018 Pritzker Prize.

Warm Regards,
Gunvant Shah
JAINA President
03-17-2018

One who cultivates an attitude of equality towards all living beings, mobile and stationary, can attain equanimity. Thus do the kevalis say.

Taking advantage of a huge gathering of devotees and the presence of Jain munis and Matajis either side of the dais, Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned his speech towards religious matters saying, the strength of our society is that we have always changed with the times and adapted well to new contexts.

It is our duty to provide good quality and affordable healthcare to the poor. Stressing the importance of education and health in the society, he added that people will be more active and will show interest when the religious aspects are raised but the same will be helpless and show a lack of interest when matters of social responsibilities are raised.

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue most cordially extends its festal greetings to all of you on the Birth Anniversary of Tirthankar Shri Vardhaman Mahavir which is celebrated this year on 29 March. May this commemorative occasion, besides advancing peace and enhancing happiness among you and around you, bring about a strengthening of caring relationships within your families and communities!

After twelve and a half years of severe austerities and intense meditation, Bhagwan Mahavira attained kevalgyan (omniscience). This auspicious event occurred on the 10th day of the bright half of the month of Vaishakh in the year 511 before the Vikram Era on the blessed banks of the river Rujuvalika, when Bhagwan Mahavira was sitting in the godohasan (the posture assumed while milking cows) when He was 42 years old. He spent the remaining 30 years of His life going from place to place, preaching the principles of Jainism to all.

A divine assembly hall, called samavasaran, was constructed for His sermons. Celestial beings, humans and animals, all sat together in harmony, listening to Him with rapt attention. He categorised His followers into a four-fold order which included sadhus (monks), sadhvis(nuns), shravaks (laymen) and shravikas(laywomen). This order is known as the Chaturvidh Sangh.

One day Satyavati was travelling by a train. There was a heavy rush in the train, so Satyavati closed her eyes and began to recite Namokar-Mantra. Sometime later, a woman told Satyavati, "Oh my daughter please sit on the berth". Satyavati opened her eyes and saw a lady also who was holding a child in her lap. Satyavati told her to come and sit in her place. She told the lady,"Your child is weeping, I can stand easily".

Suddenly another old woman started weeping. Satyavati asked her,
"Mother why are you weeping?"
The woman said that someone had stolen her five hundred rupees, which she had arranged for the treatment of her sick son. Hearing this Satyavati became restless. She decided to find out the thief. She looked into the face of each passenger, and stopped at once in front of a man. She said to him,"Oh brother, why did you steal the money of a poor lady?
Return her money." The man asked her,
"How do you know that I am the thief?"
She replied," I have read your face". After hearing this, the man felt ashamed and returned the five hundred rupees. From that day, the man took an oath not to steal in future.