The Delegates Prepare to Leave for the Meeting

The delegation comprised of :

Accompanying the delegation were Mrs Meenaben Chandaria, Mrs Sarojben Bakulbhai Mehta, Mrs Krusha Piyush Mehta and her mother.

The delegation had started from London after having recited the Namokar Mantra. Oman delegate, Bakulbhai recited the Manglik in the hotel before departing for the meeting at the Pontifical Council offices.

The delegation had gone to the Vatican at the invitation of the President of the Pontifical Council, His Eminence, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran. He along with the Deputy Chairman of the Institute of Jainology, Mr Nemu Chandaria  presided  over the meeting held in the offices of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue (PCID).

Institute's Delegates with His Eminence the Cardinal Tuaran

Father Santiago Michael with some of the Jain Delegates

In addition to the President of the Pontifical Council, PCID was represented by His Excellency the Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, Rev Monsignor Andrew Thanya Anan Vissanu, Under-Secretary  PCID and Rev Father Santiago Michael. The latter being responsible for relationship with Jains and Buddhists.

The meeting was held in an atmosphere of mutual respect and friendship, members of the delegations expressed satisfaction over the cordial relations and cooperation that exist between both the Christian and Jain communities in countries where they live their day-to-day lives in proximity.

The delegations agreed that collaboration  must be strengthened at the local levels to better contribute towards the common good of the entire society. In particular, they stressed the importance of educating the younger generations to be aware of their own traditions and convictions, and to learn about and respect those of others.

There was a lively discussion to find concrete areas of convergence as the basis for mutual collaboration and in particular they focussed on  the Jain principle of  Ahimsa (non-violence)  and that of Christian ‘charity’.

Rev Monsignor Andrew Thanya Anan Vissanu  said that whilst the Jains extend the  principle of non-violence to absolute respect for all living beings, including plants and animals, Christians maintain that the man is at the centre of creation and  thus is called to respect , protect but also use God’s gifts.

Thus, whilst they  found some common elements that can motivate and sustain Jain-Catholic collaboration, recognising the differences between the two principles was equally important.

“They also recognised that these common elements, on a practical level, call upon the followers of both the traditions to promote mutual respect, truthfulness, honesty, freedom, peace, social harmony and to commit themselves to eliminate every form of violence against human beings, in particular injustice, poverty and exploitation of natural resources”.

Msgr Vissanu mentioned that the Rome meeting was a good starting point to promote understanding within the Jain community where in some cases the distinction  between Catholics and other Christian denominations is still unclear.

At end of the discussions, a joint communiqué was agreed upon  and issued. Please click here to see the full text of the communique issued jointly.

Meeting Participants in Front of a Mural showing Mahatma Gandhi Meeting H H The Pope

The Institute hosted a Jain lunch to celebrate the meeting and created an opportunity for all to get to know each other and continue the discussions informally.

Next day PCID had arranged for the delegation to attend the Sermon given by the H H The Pope.  The delegation members were provided with privileged seating in the front row  of the hall with a capacity of about 8,000. Special mention was made of the visit by the delegation to Rome and that a communiqué had been issued. Nemu Chandaria was then introduced to the Holy Father.  Mr Chandaria  then proceeded to  present H H The Pope with a set of Jain Manuscripts catalog and a special gift brought by the Oman delegate. The gifts were examined by the Holy Father and accepted gracefully.

Seems As If The Holy Father is Blessing the Manuscript Catalogs

Holy Father Examining the Gift from Oman

PCID office had kindly arranged for the delegates to visit  St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Library (where only invited guests are allowed), Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel.

Father Santiago Michael who is the Institute’s contact with PCID had been instrumental in arranging the meeting which had taken over nine  months to be fitted in to the busy schedule of the President of the Pontifical Council.

Father Santiago with Some of the Delegates in Front of St Peter's Basilica

His Eminence, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran had been on a two week visit to India during which he participated in a seminar on Christian– Jain dialogue in collaboration with the Catholic Church in India  and the World Fellowship of Religions at the Acharya Sushil Muni Ashram in Delhi.

The first high level Jain Catholic meeting took place in February 1995 in Rome. Contact between the Vatican and the Jain community dates back to the first inter-faith prayer meeting in Assisi, Italy in 1986. Jain delegation has since participated in other inter-faith gatherings in Assisi.

Contact details for the local Roman Catholic personnel in London were provided and delegates look forward to developing further contacts with them.

All the delegates appreciated the considerable efforts made by Nemu Chandaria in making this meeting possible and assured him of the continued support by their respective organisations for all of the Institute’s activities.

Programmes were planned for two weeks commencing 20^th August, 2011.

Four sessions were delivered every day at the following times:

06.30  08.00              IOJ/102:  Atmasiddhi Shastra ~ formal course

10.30  12.00              Various subjects before Paryushan.
Kalpa Sutra and Mahavir Katha in Paryushan days

15.00  16.15              Various subjects: Amitgati Samayika verses.

18.00  20.00              Pratikramana

20.00  21.30              Stavans by the local professional group
Before Paryushan: Anandghanji Pada discussions

During Paryushan: Shravak Dharma and 12 vows.

Whilst in Nairobi, Harshadbhai was invited by Shree Visa Oshawal Community, Nairobi to attend the honouring ceremony of two tapasvis: Shantaben with 90 day fast and Kantaben with 65 day fast.  During the ceremony, an English explanation was given on the topic of Tapa: Austerity. Opportunity was taken to encourage closer relationship and unity among the various Sanghs in Kenya.

A presentation using power point slides was also delivered on Sunday, 21^st August at the Oshwal Centre Auditorium, Nairobi, on the subject of Pratikramana: its purpose and meaning and a full explanation of the Moortipoojak Pratikraman ritual was delivered.

On Tuesday, 23^rd August, in response to a request from Visa Oshwal Community, Thika, Harshadbhai spent the afternoon to deliver an open session to the youngsters where a detailed discussion came into play regarding the reality of ‘vegetarian eggs!’

After dinner at Shree Kalpeshbhai Shah’s, a couple of social visits were undertaken before the evening session at the Mahajanwadi in which the preaching of Bhagavan Mahaveer in context to contemporary living was discussed.

Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak was observed with full buzz and circumstances brought both the Sanghs together with the Parnu in the Navnat Hall on Monday, 29th.

All planned sessions were delivered on Friday, 2^nd September and the Sangh returned Harshadbhai to the Airport early on the morning of 3^rd September.

The Paryushan Parva was enjoyed by all involved in organising, attending and hosting the events.  Feedback from the Sangh is expected in few days.

It is very obvious from the program schedule above that it was very tightly filled and quite exerting. Harshadbhai was conducting session for over six hours daily. However, it is pleasing to note that his efforts bore fruit in that all the sessions were well attended and Q&A sessions were very lively. He also found time to participate on local radio discussion on Jain religion.

The chart below illustrates graphically the intensity of the programs:

Following letter was received from the Chairman of Shree Sthanakvasi Jain Sangh, Nairobi on completion of the tour by Harshadbhai.

Mr Sanjay Shah along with three musicians had arrived from Mumbai for the bhavna. Along with that he also held discourses on good living and good values.  He had also got the children interested and they were actively participating in many activities.

In one of his discourses, he narrated an unusual experience during his visit to Osaka. There is only a small but active Jain community in Osaka. They had appealed to a fish seller in their neighbourhood not to sell fish on Samvatsari day as a mark of respect for life and avoid harm to a small number of fish on that day. The fishmonger gladly obliged.

This inspired the Management Committee of Gujarat Samaj in Kaula Lumpur to do likewise. There are four non vegetarian restaurants facing the Jain Mandir which were approached with a request not to serve meat on Samvatsari day. Beyond all their expectations, three of the four restaurants remained closed on the day and the fourth one served only vegetarian food. In a truly Jain fashion, the three restaurants that remained closed were compensated for loss of business. Community members duly donated generous amounts to fund the compensation and the Sangh was left with a healthy surplus.

Emboldened and encouraged by the restaurant owners’ acceptance of the request, the Samaj went one step further and asked all their members to request at least two of their non-vegetarian friends not to eat meat on the auspicious day. Most members wrote to at least five of their friends and were overwhelmed by the response from their friends.

Nothing is impossible – one has to have faith and the confidence to make the necessary efforts to achieve the desired result. Well done Gujarat Samaj of KL. Let us hope that Jain communities worldwide would be inspired in the same manner as your Committee was.

The Gujarat Samaj is not sitting on its laurels – it now plans to request the Malaysian Government to declare Samvatsari day to be a meatless day. Further they want the Jain communities worldwide to come together and get a United Nations endorsement on Samvatsari day to be a Meatless Day.

The clarion call has been made for Jains worldwide to start working on this noble suggestion.

Gujarati Association Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

Email address: info@gujaratikl.com.my Website : www.gujaratikl.com.my

EXCO:  President : Datuk Bhupatrai Shah +60193117390 Vice Presidents : Bhashkar P Chitalia +60122104395   Mahendra P Malani +60122199577

Secretary : Dipak V Damani +60123938858     Treasurer : Vijay R Sheth +60178899665

Bhagawan Mahavir’s teachings of Ahimsa made Mahatma Gandhi who in turn made Martin Luther King and many Peace Activists throughout the world.

The Pontifical Council for Inter Religious Dialogues with whom the Institute maintains close contacts has, in recognition of the significance of this important day in Jain Calendar have sent a message to Jains worldwide.  Text of this can be accessed by clicking on the link at the end of the following article. A further letter

Prof. Gary Francione, Distinguished Professor of Law and Philosophy at Rutgers University,  New Jersey has written this short but very timely essay titled:

“The Birth of the Spiritual Leader Who Gave us Ahimsa”

”
Although many are aware of the Buddha or the deities of Hinduism, few of us know anything about Mahavir (599-527 BCE), whose birth the Jain community around the world will celebrate on April 16. This celebration is known as Mahavir Jayanti.

Jainism, along with Hinduism and Buddhism, are the three primary spiritual traditions of India, and archeological evidence indicates that although Mahavir was a contemporary of the Buddha, Jainism predated Mahavir by hundreds of years and, therefore, is the oldest religion in India.  Mahavir is considered to be the last in a line of what the Jains call “Tirthankaras,” which literally means “maker of a ford” and refers to a human being who achieves omniscience and then teaches the path to liberation to others, thereby establishing a ford across the river of rebirth.

A Tirthankara is also referred to as a “Jina,” which means “spiritual victor,” or as an “Arihant,” which means “destroyer of enemies.”  A Jina or Arihant is a victor or destroyer in that he or she has conquered inner emotions and passions, and has complete equanimity that is characterized by an absence of attachment and aversion.

Mahavir was a social revolutionary.  He rejected the caste system and the sexism that pervaded the society of his time (and that unfortunately persists), and promoted a radical social justice movement based on complete equality and equal inherent value.  He did not limit this revolution to humans and was the first historical figure to regard all nonhuman animals as full members of the moral community.

He was also the first historical figure to articulate the view that the planet itself, including air, water, and earth, consists of living systems.  Mahavir was, indeed, the first ecologist.

The notion of revolution is often connected with violence, particularly in modern times.  The central feature of Mahävir’s revolution, however, was Ahimsa, or nonviolence.  Mahavir provided the most expansive concept of Ahimsa that the world has ever known not only by extending this notion to include all living beings, but by making clear that violence was not simply a matter of what we did, but what we thought and said.

Mahavir also taught us about two other central tenets of Jainism:

·         Anekantavada or the notion that truth is many sided

·         Aparigraha or non-possessiveness.

These two principles cannot be understood except as aspects of Ahimsa.  The doctrine of Anekäntaväda serves to promote social harmony and to reduce the violence that results from absolutist views of truth.  The doctrine of Aparigraha recognizes that attachment to wealth and the accumulation of material things makes us more inclined to act in violent and destructive ways.

Mahavir taught that;

“All breathing, existing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away.”

Acharanga Sutra

This is the only moral or spiritual principle that we need to know. If we live by this principle, we will be at peace with ourselves and the world will be at peace. Whatever our religious tradition may be, let us celebrate Mahavir Jayanti 2011 by recommitting ourselves to a simple but profound idea that all may embrace: Ahimsa.
”

Click here to access the message from the Pontifical Council

(Note the Vatican letter refers to Bhagwan Mahavir as 23rd Tirthankar – we have requested them to correct their error, as well as their records and also send a corrected letter. asd

Click here to access the letter from Conference of Catholic Bishops of England & Wales.

In addition to the discourses there will be several cultural events to entertain the participants. Exhibitions of Rangoli and Jain Arts & Crafts will also be held.

Convention is open to all Jains from anywhere in the world. All intending participants must pre – register – though there is no registration fee.

Details of the event are given in the attached file. Click here to get the details flyer-jain-convention

A summary of his tour report is given here. Photos from this exhaustive tour will b e uploaded in coming days.

Please feel free to make comments or observation on the tour.

Summary Report on Educational Trip to Singapore, Perth and Malaysia

February to April 2010

Harshad N Sanghrajka left for Mumbai on 27^th January and having spent a fortnight in India, took off for Singapore on 12^th February, 2010 to attend the Pratishtha Mahotsava there:

Details of the Mahotsava elsewhere on this site please click here to see it

In one sentence, the event was planned and executed perfectly.

On 17^th February, Harshad left for Perth and delivered a 10 session discussion on Atmasiddhi Shastra to members of the Jain Community of Western Australia.  The course in English was attended mostly by youngsters who could not understand Gujarati well.  The senior members of the community who could converse in Gujarati chose to hold morning sessions at members’ homes.  At the end of the trip, they resolved to form a Jain Seniors Group which would meet on the last Tuesday of each month to discuss selected topics on Jainism.

Malacca was next on the list and discussions were held on a variety of religious topics, in Gujarati in the mornings and English in the evenings from 1^st March to 4^th March.  Malacca was in the throes of a new election of the Gujarati Vanik Sangh of Melaka.

Departure from Melaka brought Harshad and Urmila to Penang.  Two days of discussions in the hall of Gujarati Seva Samaj in the evenings brought over 40 people from a small community.  The reappearance of the majority on the second day proved the popularity of the discussions.

Shri Ashvin Nagbadharia, President of the Samaj was kind enough to drive us from Penang to Ipoh where we had the good fortune to see the Jain temple of Parshvanath Bhagvan.  Shri Bharat Jasani and Tarulataben were perfect hosts and invited the public to a discourse on 10^th March.  Again, a good response of over 40 in a very small Gujarati community in Ipoh which lasted over 2 hours.

At this point it was time to trace our steps back to Singapore, the Lion city.  Atmasiddhi course had been well organised and raring to go.  Gujarati sessions were planned for afternoons with 60+ and English in the after dinner sessions with 50+.  Over 100 certificates were issued to participants.

The last stop on the educational side was Kuala Lumpur.  The 10 days were planned over the Ayambil period and afforded additional time for discussions with the ladies who were present from early morning till late afternoon.  Formally the course was run in Gujarati in the early morning session and English in the after dinner sessions.  A special evening was reserved for youngsters only to address their personal concerns related to Jainism on 1^st April.  Many interesting aspects of everyday life were discussed and explained logically to the satisfaction of all present.  A summary explanation of Paryushan, Pratikraman and rituals generally was delivered using power point slides.

Departure from KL on 2^nd April, with a night stop in Singapore as guests of Shri Bharat and Kirtida Mekani brought back the pleasant memories of the pratishtha and course activities in Singapore.  We said a final farewell to all the EC Members at the Sangh Sthanak on 3^rd, spent a couple of nights in Mumbai and arrived in Dubai on 5^th.  Four days of pleasant sightseeing in Dubai and back to London on 9^th April to the comforts of home-sweet-home.

Grateful thanks to all organisations and individuals who made our trip pleasant and comfortable.

SAN FRANCISCO, has become the first US City to declare a “VEG DAY.” Henceforth Monday will be a veg day across the City.

It was a good milestone for vegetarian activist Dixie Mahy,  President of the San Francisco Vegetarian Society, to see her efforts come to fruition in a BOARD RESOLUTION on Tuesday, April 6,  2010

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a  Resolution declaring Mondays as “Vegetarian Day” to urge all San  Francisco restaurants, grocery stores, and schools to offer a  variety of plant based options to improve the health of San  Francisco residents.

Ghent in Belgium was the first city in the Western world to declare one day in a week as a Veg Day.

Mahy hopes that other cities will be encouraged to use the  Resolution as a template to get their cities to adopt a similar Resolution.

Dixie Mahy and Hope Bohanec, Campaigns Director from In Defense of  Animals, worked on the Resolution with Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, a  vegetarian of 35 years.  They are now working on strategy to inform  the various restaurants, grocery stores, and schools on how to  implement VEG DAY.

The San Francisco Vegetarian Society will be  offering recipes, menu suggestions, and even
some special classes on  vegan cooking.  At this time SFVS has a Discount Program that  includes various MIXED Restaurants that offer a variety of vegan  options.  With this Resolution, Mahy now hopes to expand the Program with a special list recognizing various participants with as an  extra advertising incentive.

Those interested in helping with the project should contact Dixie Mahy
<dixiemahy@gmail.com>

Following is the full text of the RESOLUTION passed by the The San Francisco Board of Supervisors:

Resolution declaring Mondays as “Vegetarian Day” to urge all restaurants, grocery stores, and schools to offer a variety of plant based options to improve the health of San Francisco residents.

WHEREAS, The Plant based diet is truly a Green Diet that reduces the serious ecological problems involved in livestock production; and WHEREAS, The 2009 report from World Bank environmental advisers, Goodland and Anhang, called “Livestock and Climate Change”, reveals that farmed animals and their byproducts are responsible for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Goodland and Anhang concluded that replacing animal products with
soy-based and other alternatives would be the best strategy for reversing climate change; and

WHEREAS, The findings from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report prompted Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to recommend that individuals reduce their personal carbon impact by decreasing their meat consumption; and WHEREAS, Plant-based diets are good preventive medicine and could help reduce medical costs to individuals and the health care system; and

WHEREAS, In July 2009, Ghent, Belgium recognized the relationship between

diet and climate change by establishing a VegDay each week of the year; and

WHEREAS, In April 2009, the City of Takoma Park, Maryland, adopted a Mayoral
Proclamation designating April 24-30 “Takoma Park Veg Week,” to encourage citizens to choose vegetarian foods as a way to protect the planet, their health, and animals; and

WHEREAS, In February 2009, as part of the Green Cincinnati Plan, the City’s Food Task Force recommended that residents replace some of the meat in their diet with fresh fruits and vegetables; and

WHEREAS, The American Dietetic Association recognizes that reduced meat consumption decreases the risk of various health problems, stating, “Scientific data suggests positive relationships between a vegetarian diet and reduced risk for several chronic degenerative diseases and conditions, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and some types of cancer”; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors designates Mondays as “Veg Day” to encourage restaurants, grocery stores, and schools to offer a greater variety of plant based options to improve the health of San Francisco residents and visitors, and to increase the awareness of the impact a GREEN DIET would be on our planet.

Report Courtesy Mr Nitin Mehta MBE    Young Indian Vegetarian Society UK

On February 13^th, Chinese New Year’s eve, Singapore Jain Religious Society formally opened their new premises. The Guest of Honour for the opening ceremony was Singapore’s Senior Minister,  Mr Goh Chok Tong from the Prime Minister’s Office, responsible for  co-ordinating  the activities of Ministries and the general policies of the Government and to provide overall policy direction. This high level representation demonstrates the high regard in which the Jains are held by the Government. The ceremony was reported on the prime time tv news on the New Year’s eve and it also made the front page of a Sunday paper with coloured photo.

The address by the Minister further demonstrates the high regard in which the Jains are held in Singapore along with the other religions in this multi racial multi religious society.“

I am delighted to join you today for the opening ceremony of the Singapore Jain Religious Society’s newly renovated premises. I was told that among us today are many distinguished Jain scholars and religious leaders from other countries. Let me extend to all of you a very warm welcome to Singapore.

The Jain Community

2        The Jain community in Singapore is a small one, with only about 1,500 members. But big or small, it has an equal place along with the other communities in Singapore. Historically, the Jain community has been a significant contributor to social and cultural development. In India, Jains head numerous schools, colleges and hospitals, and are one of the most literate communities. Jain scholars were pioneer contributors to Kannada, Tamil and Hindi-language literature. The works of Jain writers Adikavi Pampa, Sri Ponna and Ranna, are collectively called the “three gems of Kannada literature”.

3        The first Jains arrived in Singapore about a century ago. In Singapore, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Taoists form the majority of our population. However, despite being a small community, the Singapore Jains have made their presence felt in tangible ways. They have frequently shown compassion to those in need, extending their charity to local community projects and international causes, including contributing to the SARS Courage Fund in 2003 and helping to rebuild a devastated village in southern India after the 2004 tsunami. The Jain society regularly hosts food fairs for the boys from Ramakrishna Mission Boys Home, and its youths have been active volunteers with the Jamiyah Children’s Home since 2005. Later this morning, we will also witness the adoption of the Sunlove Neighbourhood Link @ Kaki Bukit, a care centre for the elderly, by the Jain Religious Society.

4        The Jains are not alone in this respect. I am heartened to note that in Singapore, many ethnic and religious groups, including Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians, readily support secular, community projects. Such support is a key strength of our multicultural society.

Forging a Multi-racial, Multi-religious Society

5        Our success in forging a multi-racial and multi-religious society has sometimes resulted in Singaporeans, especially younger Singaporeans, taking the harmony we enjoy for granted. No one is surprised when they hear of families of different races and religions living happily together in HDB flats. To cite an example from my constituency, in Blk 33 of Marine Crescent, on the 13th floor, you have Muslims, Catholics and Buddhists living side-by-side. In the same block, on the 3rd floor, there are Hindu, Taoist and Christian families happily sharing a common corridor. Last December, I attended a Year-end Christmas Party organised by an RC (Residents’ Committee) in Marine Parade. The RC Chairman is a Christian; the Vice-Chairman a Buddhist and the Treasurer a Muslim. The resident who dressed up as Santa Claus is a Hindu grandfather! Working together, they drew out many residents of different races and religions for the party. We sang Christmas carols together, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. It was not a very silent night, even though we sang Silent Night.

6        Singaporeans are not at all surprised by such phenomena, because we have accepted multiculturalism as a way of life. We are also a practical people. In land-short Singapore, we often find places of worship in close proximity to one another. For example, the Jain Religious Society is on the same street as, and in fact sandwiched in between, the Tsan Tan Lim Temple and Azizah Chishty Quranic Centre. However, foreign visitors and new immigrants have often expressed amazement at what Singapore has achieved. When I visited Oman two weeks ago, Omani Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahad told me that when he visited Singapore, he was very impressed by our success in building a harmonious multi-racial and multi-religious society.

7        Not long ago, I met an Italian resident at my reception for new Singapore citizens in Marine Parade. He had given up his Italian citizenship to settle in Singapore. When I asked him why, he said that he had worked in Germany and the US and while he loved Italy – a beautiful country with rich history and culture – he decided to make Singapore his home because of the freedom here. Seeing my raised eyebrows, he explained that in Singapore, he could walk in the park or on the streets at 3 am and feel safe. No one would consider it strange. In Singapore, he could be himself. He said, “You can be a Hindu, a Muslim or a Christian. You can choose to wear traditional Indian or Arab clothes. No one would stare at you or criticise you. You can dress in whatever you want and be who you want to be. This is the kind of freedom that is difficult to find in many European countries today”. He told me that when he decided to give up his Italian citizenship and become a Singaporean, he was initially worried that his parents in Italy might be upset. However, when he told his parents, they not only did not object, but also said that it was a “good choice”.

8        Our Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion. Singaporeans are free to profess any faith, and to practise and promote their religions. However, this must be done responsibly. We must respect not only the common spaces that other Singaporeans live, work and play in, but also their separate space, and must not run down or trivialise their beliefs. This is a key principle underpinning the peace and social cohesion that we have here. This is why the Ministry of Home Affairs had to act firmly in response to the insensitive comments by a pastor from Lighthouse Evangelism recently. I am glad that the matter has been resolved. Of course, in the future, there may still be the occasional misunderstanding between people of different races and religions. When it occurs, we must act quickly, exercise tolerance, respect any different viewpoints as being part and parcel of our multicultural social fabric and try to resolve the misunderstanding sincerely.

9        The government and the people have worked hard to maintain our social harmony. Singaporeans have grown up with diversity in their midst, in their schools, while doing National Service, in their housing estates and workplaces. But we can each do more to enhance our mutual understanding of one another. I believe that in reaching out to one another, we will find more commonalities than differences. I am therefore glad to see that there are quite a few Chinese among us today. This is Chinese New Year’s eve – the most important day for the Chinese as they gather for their annual family reunion dinners. Your presence here is testimony of your willingness to learn about other cultures.

Conclusion

10      To conclude, the social cohesion and harmony that we enjoy did not come about by chance, and must not be taken for granted. We must treasure it and continue to build on it by exercising mutual tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I congratulate the Singapore Jain Religious Society on the opening of its new premises, and also wish all Singaporeans a happy Chinese New Year.

“

Mr Goh Chok Tong Performing the Opening Ceremony

Eventually, the three coordinators from KL, Singapore and Perth worked out a time table which would allow the course to be delivered in all three cities in one tour lasting five weeks. Our Trustee and Hon. Secretary, Dr Harshad N Sanghrajka worked with the three coordinators and finalised the program. In all three centres seven day courses were arranged with a special two day course in Malacca. Two sessions were delivered each day, in Gujarati during the day and in English in the evenings.In all cases, extensive use of time was made on Saturdays and Sundays.

Additionally a One Day workshop was run in KL and Perth with selected new topics.  

The grand success of the tour is easily summarised in the feedback received from Western Australia and  Singapore.  KL Sangha was also overwhelmed but is in the process of sending their feed back: 

Mr Rakesh Shah, President of Western Australia Jain Sangha Inc wrote: 

“Your clarity of thought, depth and lucid presentations with clear notes, and the veryprofessional standards, including the use of technology, precise timing and comprehensive broad coverage of all topics has taken the Jain Community in WA by a storm. We have never seen such a powerful commitment and regularity of attendance here, and it is clear that you gave what the public wanted. We are all proud to be Jains, but you showed us why and also brought back the missing link between us and our culture. For your information we had over 150 people everyday for a continuous ten days listening to you for 2 hours daily. In addition most of the people were present for the full day on Sunday too. For Perth this is a record.” 

Mr Mayur Ghelani, President, Singapore Jain Religious Society wrote: 

“We had been apprehensive during the planning phase of staging the courses as to the number of participants that would commit to attending an intensive 20hrs course across 7 days! However, we were most pleasantly surprised with the overwhelming interest & desire to learn; and the numbers attending speak for the excellent “engagement” of participants, garnering their commitment for the same.   

Unanimously, ALL who attended found the sessions & overall course highly informative. They also acknowledged the extensive efforts in the preparation of the content & materials; as well as the knowledge and ability of the Instructor to keep them coming back for more ! “

 The Hon. Secretary deserves commendation of all the Trustees for having excelled in carrying out this highly successful mission on behalf of the Institute and above all promoting the true understanding of Jain philosophy in the far flung corners of the world.  

PHOTO GALLERY

English session in Singapore

Some young participants in Malacca

Listen to me! Some hot discussions during the break in Singapore

Dr & Mrs Sanghrajka with ladies group in Malacca 

A breakout session in the WorkShop at Kuala Lumpur
Evening class in Perth with over 150 participants

Hi Tech Equipment in Use in Perth

A young participant in Kuala Lumpur presenting a memnto to Dr Sanghrajka