Dear Friend,After doing a little research I learned that the adherents of the Jain Religion make up less than 1% of the total population of India. In the United States there are approximately 200,000 Jains. As I continued my searching I found that the tenet that I found most compelling to me is that of Ahimsa, total, absolute non-violence toward all living creatures. I find that an often illusive and challenging goal in my own life.
As
we approached the
Temple on Monday afternoon hundreds of people, many in brightly colored
saris,
children in traditional Indian garb, wizened elders; the newly born,
priests,
white-clad monks and nuns were spilling out of the main worship space
in the
Temple into each of its rooms. Closed circuit TVs helped to create an
intimate,
though dispersed community. Chant, clapping, and shouts of joy were a
convincing sign of the gratitude and piety of this community. Our host,
Dr.
Shah invited us to be introduced and we were greeted with the
traditional Hindi
“Namaste’” which loosely translated
means, “The divine in me greets the divine
in you”. We in turn, offered our congratulations and
gratitude for the
privilege of being part of such an auspicious occasion. The sense of
transcendent presence was as tangible as it is at a Tent Revival,
on Yom
Kippur, sharing the celebration of Eid or sitting in quiet
meditation.
As I drove north toward home in the late afternoon I reflected with gratitude on the depth of hospitality that I had experienced, the joy in devotion of those who follow the Jain path, and an overwhelming sense of “rightness” that such a celebration should happen in America on the weekend that we all mark our independence and with it the precious gift of religious freedom. We at InterAct thank our friends at the new Temple and wish the congregants prosperity and much happiness.
Comments