TORONTO JAIN ENEWSLETTER [J E
#11/26Jan04]
Toronto, Canada. Maha Sud 5, 2060(Vasant Panchmi);
January 26, 2004
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-
Your editor visited London Dec. 5 to 11, Mumbai Dec. 12 to
Jan. 8 and Dubai Jan. 8 to 11. Shibir at
Dharampur and Pilgrimage (Jaatra) to Palitana and several
places in Madhya Pradesh with Pujyashri Rakeshbhai were
the highlight of the trip. Few Jain books from Mumbai were bought
and talked to local Jain leaders in Dubai.
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Forthcoming Jain Holy-day: April 3: Mahavir Janmakalyanak.
24th and last Tirthankar of this era, Bhagwan Mahavir
(Vardhman Swami's) birthday is celebrated on this day.
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“Jainism Through
the Life of a Follower” was the theme of a television show
“Vision 360”. It
was telecast nationwide on 26 November 2003 by Vision Television. The
show focused on the three main principles of Jainism - Ahimsa,
Anekantvada and Aprigraha.
Ahimsa was highlighted by showing how vegetarians
faced survival difficulties in Canada as recently as 30 or 40 years
ago, how and why Jains would not carry leather goods such as shoes,
belts and wallets inside their sacred temples, why Jains would not
use jackets, furniture and even car seats made from leather. The
topic of Anekantvada was highlighted through Dr. Vastupal
Parikh’s concept of Multifaith Peace Academy as discussed in his
book. The host of the
show, Mr. Kevin O’Keef expressed hope that the general public
would be inspired by Anekatavada to bring about global
peace and by Aparigraha to arrest the rapid deterioration
of our environment. The visual excitement created by Snatra
Puja also
underscored the fact that Jains regard their Tirthankaras as
exceptional human beings and celebrate important events such as
conception, birth, diksha, etc. in the lives of these Tirthankaras
in the same festive and informal manner as they would in the life of
human being. The host
was particularly impressed by the fact that anyone could participate
in the joyous ceremony.
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The
Young Jains of America (YJA) Bi-annual Conference will be held in
San Francisco from July 1 through 4, 2004. For details
and registration go to YJA website www.yja.org This
year the theme is Y Jain?- To see, to know, to
realize. The weekend will be filled with sessions, speakers,
entertainment, forums, debates, ice breakers - and its a great
way to meet a variety of people, and network all around
America. Accommodation, food and the entire itinerary is
included with the registration fee, however, airfare is
separate. YJA has made some deals with some airlines for
discounted prices. For any questions, you may call: Hima
Batavia: (647) 296-7480 or email at hima.batavia@yja.org
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Young
Jains of Toronto has organized SKI CAMP from February
20-22, 2004 at Mansfield. Itinerary include team competitions, a
scavenger hunt, creating your own pizza and the best part- skiing. Charge
per person is C$60. The cost is $80, but JSOT is paying 25%. It
is open to kids ages 11 and up (10 allowed with an elder sibling,
cousin, etc.). Let your kids enjoy the excitement! Visit
website at www.yjt.virtue.nu or
contact Punit Shanghavi/Sonal Batavia.
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Winter
Yoga Retreat is organized on March 12, 13, and 14th, 2004 at Loretto
Centre, 6881 Stenly Avenue, Naigara Falls with theme of Unity in
Diversity, by Shanti Parakh & friends. For fees and more info call
at 1 905 374 3067 or visit www.shanti-yoga.ca
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-
Jain Social Group will be holding its Annual
General Meeting on February 15, 2004 at 2.30pm. at
Jain Centre.
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Jain Society of Toronto will be holding its annual general
meeting during the 3rd week of March when the election of the
Executive Committee will take place. Please note that to be eligible
to vote, annual membership must be renewed by January 31, of each
year. An individual on attaining eighteen years of age requires own
membership to be eligible to vote.
-
www.jainheritagecentres.com of
Mysore, India have started a new Jain News Updates section at their
website www.jainheritagecentres.com besides
publishing regularly monthly news magazine JAINA VOICE. It was felt
that many of the news clippings were reported of late and some of the
events even went unnoticed. So with an intention of keeping updated
once in three days or on an average twice a week of the latest Jainism
related news. Please send Jainism related news and information to Phone:
91-0821-2472531 or Email: nitin@jainheritagecntres.com or info@jainheritagecentres.com
- Join
Royal Ontario Museum's Associate Curator, Deepali Dewan, in previewing
the content and organization of the expanded Christopher Ondaatje South
Asia Gallery that is part of the museum's exciting renovation plans,
Renaissance ROM on Sunday, February 8, 2pm, Free with museum
admission. Journey through the 5000-year history of South Asian arts and
discover other aspects of the South Asia collection that have
never been on view before. Share your ideas about the role of museum
today. Contact 416-586-5698.
- Many
vegetarian food items often contain non-vegetarian ingredients? Many of
us Indians quite often either eat at parties or have the food
catered from the local restaurants. I am sure, most of us know that
nearly 90% ( I am told by several restaurants) use eggs in their Naans.
This is a very general practice. In fact many of them supply (on a
catered basis) for many religious functions where it is distributed as 'prasaad'.
The funny thing is that no Indian Restaurant mentions about this on
their printed menu. It is only, when we specifically ask, then several
of them will admit and some may even deny. I am told, same thing goes
for all their fried items like Samosa, Pakoras, Kofte, Paneer etc.,
which are fried in the same pan and oil where they fry all other
non-vegetarian items. In this case, some will say that they use a
separate pan. I don't know the whole truth. In an another
case, where Tandoori Naans were being cooked in a tandoor (oven), there
on a string (right on top of the tandoor) was hanging a dead chicken and
the juice from this was dripping onto the Naan. This way, I think,
Indian Restaurants are notorious in making many of the non-vegetarian
items. I hope we can all do something about it. Just wanted to share
this in case some of you may not be aware of this. Comments from Dr.
Sulekh Jain, scjain@earthlink.net .
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EDITED & PUBLISHED BY PRAKASH MODY
37 Tuscarora Drive, North York, ON, M2H 2K4.
Tel. 416 491 5560, Email: mody@sympatico.ca
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© Copyright 2004. Prakash Mody, Toronto. All rights reserved.
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[Letter
by Mahatma Gandhiji from
India
to Herman Kallenbach who had come from
Germany
to settle down in
South Africa
, and had become a dear friend of Gandhiji.]
21-12-1917
My
dear friend,
I have been irregular of late. I have been wandering so much that
I never have the leisure to write love letters. How often do I not want
to hug you. Daily do I have novel experiences here which I should like
you to share with me.
Our friendship must be a poor affair if it cannot bide its time
and be all the stronger and purer for the weary waiting. And what is
this physical form after all? As I was whizzing through the air
yesterday and looking at the trees, I saw that beneath all the change
that these mighty trees daily underwent, there was a something that
persisted. Every leaf has its own separate life. It drops and withers.
But the tree lives on. Every tree falls in process of time or under the
cruel axe; but the forest, of which the tree is but a part, lives on;
and so with us leaves of the human tree. We may wither, but the eternal
in us lives on, changeless and endless.
I derived much comfort last evening as I was thus musing. The
thoughts went on to you and I sighed; but I regained self-possession and
said to myself, “I know my friend not for his form but for that which
informs him.”
With love
Your old friend
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