Highlights of the 20th Annual Ahimsa Day
- Winner of Ahimsa Award 2023: Dr Jasvant Nagindas Modi. USA
- Endowment of Bhagwan Dharmanath Chair at the University of Birmingham
- Introduction to Arihanta Institute
- Restitution of Wellcome Jain Manuscripts collection to the Jain community
The Institute of Jainoloy (IOJ) together with the Jain All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) celebrated its 20th Annual Ahimsa Day at the House of Commons, Palace of Westminster on Tuesday 24 October 2023, in the presence of distinguished guests and dignitaries including from Members of Parliament & House of Lords, Jain organisations and community, other faith communities and academia.
Ahimsa Day was established by the IOJ in 2002 to highlight the universality of Jainism, in particular its main tenet of Ahimsa – Non-Violence. The event celebrates those whose lives personify compassion and is usually held in October to coincide with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The evenings proceedings began with a melodious and a spiritually uplifting recitation of the sacred Jain prayer, Navkar Mantra by Pujya Samani Malay Pragya Ji and Pujya Samani Neeti Pragya Ji.
Dr. Mehool H Sanghrajka, the Managing Trustee of the IOJ, warmly welcomed the attendees, emphasizing the importance of promoting compassion and non-violence in the contemporary world.
The Hon Gareth Thomas MP, Chair of the Jain APPG and Padma Shri the Hon Bob Blackman MP Vice -Chair of the Jain APPG both extended warm welcomes in their own humorous way as well as respectively highlighting the continued relevance of Ahimsa in fostering peace and harmony and the importance of fostering understanding and appreciation for the Jain community’s cultural and educational needs.
In her brief address, the Hon Sarah Owen MP, the Shadow Minister of Faith stated how much she enjoyed the opportunity to engage with the Jain community and emphasised the importance of upholding principles of non-violence and compassion in society.
Endowment of Bhagwan Dharmanath Chair at the University of Birmingham
Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, who had hotfooted to this event, after participating in a debate in the House of Lords talked about his family’s connection with the University starting with his grandfather, the Jains belief in peace and living in harmony with each other. His charismatic address to the event set the stage for the announcement of the endowment of the Bhagwan Dharmanath Chair at the University of Birmingham. To mark the occasion, a Jain Murti (idol) of Bhagwan Dharmanath was presented to the Chancellor and other professors at the university by the Directors of the IOJ.
Professor Charlotte Hempel, Head of the School of Philosophy Theology and Religion, introduced her colleagues including Professors David Cheetham and Andrew Davies, and Dr Marie Hélène Gorisse, who collectively articulated their personal enthusiasm and the University of Birmingham’s profound commitment to fostering Jain Studies programme which will develop teaching and research in Jain philosophy in relation to contemporary issues, such as environmental ethics, human rights, business ethics, human wellbeing, forgiveness, interfaith dialogue
Ahimsa Award 2023
The Chair and Vice Chair of the Jain APPG alongside the Directors of the IOJ, presented the Ahimsa Award 2023 to Dr Jasvant Nagindas Modi of Los Angeles, California, for his exemplary contributions to the field of Jain education by endowing over 30 chairs at major colleges and universities, including the University of Birmingham.
Kumar Mehta, IOJ director in his comprehensive citation stated Jasvantbhai is a “compassionate humanitarian, community leader, philanthropist and visionary”, as well highlighting his journey from growing up in large family steeped in the traditions and practices of Jainism but with modest means, securing a scholarship to study medicine and how experiences during his college years staying at a charitable hostel run along Jain principles shaped his outlook on life.
His myriad of achievements and contributions include service to the Jain community, supporting charities in the US and India, and his unprecedented push to establish Jain studies at leading Universities in the US and worldwide.
Jasvantbhai and his wife Meeraben, together with their coalition of like-minded friends, have orchestrated the endowment of over 30 chairs in various esteemed academic institutions in the US and globally, to which he committed over $13m to date. This includes the Dharmanath Endowed Chair in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham in the UK, which launched this September.
The citation ended stating that “Jasvantbhai is a role model for living a life of meaning and purpose. He exemplifies the spirit of hard work, ethical living, and the joy of giving.
He finds his happiness in the progress of others. He feels compassion and acts to alleviate suffering in the present and has the vision and capacity to create long-term and long-lasting change for a better world.”
Nemubhai Chandaria OBE, IOJ Chair commented “Jasvantbhai is a deserving winner of this year’s Ahimsa Award for establishing many chairs in Jain studies in Western universities. His vision of Jain education becoming a part of the mainstream has already started to become a reality.”
Click here for Ahimsa Award 2023 IOJ Citation for Dr Jasvant N Modi
Dr Jasvant Modi graciously acknowledged receipt of the Award in his heartfelt and inspirational acceptance speech.
He humbly said he believed the award to be “a recognition of the true values of altruism for Dharma Prabhavna – by which to inspire compassion, universal friendship to all living beings with amity and appreciation in the pursuit of knowledge to evolve our inner qualities to promote Peace which is a true paragon of this award.
He explained why he gives to the Universities stating “That’s where the current leaders are nurtured. Wars don’t start with weapons right away, according to our omniscient Tirthankaras it starts with a continuous thought process caused by anger, ego, deceit, and greed due to our attachment and aversion. If we can nourish true Jain values into the roots and handover the key to the wealth of wisdom on metaphysics for which India was invaded several times, then World Peace Prevails”.
He mentioned his research and personal experience of improved health benefits by following a Vegan diet.
He went on to say that he had personally come here not just to accept the award but also to implore all members of Jain centres in UK to become plant-based centres, otherwise his trip here is ‘futile’.
He ended his speech by stating that “Now the seeds of education are being sown in the Temples of Education and as the trees of knowledge are growing, let’s make that an orchard of fruit trees by investing in more educational institutions and let the world taste the ambrosia from the trees of Compassion, Equanimity and universal Friendship which are truly Jain Moral values, practiced by Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and several others, proven triumphant even in these modern times.”
Click here to read Dr Jasvant N Modi Acceptance Speech in Full
Arihanta Institute
Mr Parveen Jain, accompanied by Dr Christopher Millar, its Academic Director, briefly presented the vision and objectives of the institute, which is a recently created major online platform for the study of applied Jainism. He stated that currently they have students from around the world including China, South America and Europe.
Wellcome Jain Manuscripts Collection
Dr Adrian Plau of the Wellcome Collection, responsible for the collection’s 2,000 Jain manuscripts, discussed the acquisition of the manuscripts, and decision by Wellcome on the restitution of the entire collection to the Jain community. Dr Mehool Sanghrajka, on behalf of the IOJ, accepted the collection and called the move both brave and pioneering. He announced that the IOJ would arrange for the collection to be loaned to the Jain centre at the University of Birmingham, to contribute to its status as a major global site for Jain teaching and research.
The Ahimsa Day 2023 event ended with a vote of thanks by Amit Lathia, IOJ director, who in his closing remarks, expressed the IOJ’s gratitude to all participants and attendees, including those who had travelled far for the event.
Posted 27 October 2023