By Parveen Chopra, IANSÂ
New York : Over 5,000 people attended the 14th biennial convention of JAINA – Federation of Jain Associations in North America -that was held in New Jersey.
The theme of the three-day convention that began Friday in Edison city was "Peace through Dialogue".
On the first day, the convention was addressed by Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, popular yoga guru Swami Ramdev, Gurudev Chitrabhanu, considered the first Jain religious leader to come to the West and who inspired the formation of JAINA in the early 1980s, L.M. Singhvi, eminent jurist and former Indian High Commissioner to Britain, and Frank Pallone, Congressman from New Jersey.
Chitrabhanu narrated the history of JAINA and its success in uniting various Jain sects in the US. Elaborating on the convention theme, he said peace through dialogue was possible only when one has inner peace. He added that Mahatma Gandhi's principle of non-violence was inspired by Lord Mahavir, the last Jain Tirthankara.
In his keynote address, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar referred to his recent visit to strife-torn Iraq. He said: "I told them, 'You have seen that violence has not worked for four years, now give peace a chance'." He added that Jainism was most relevant today.
Swami Ramdev said Mahavir established the highest human values such as ahimsa, love and compassion, and thus belonged to all humanity. He also praised Jain principles such as not eating after sunset, "If they are followed, you would not suffer from diseases like cancer and heart problems."
Speaking from a wheelchair, 76-year-old Singhvi exhorted scholars to establish the historicity of Jainism – the oldest religion – by establishing the historicity of the 24 Tirthankaras.
Those attending the convention – the largest Jain meet so far in this part of the world – were mostly Gujarati speaking Jains.
Asked why she had come, Sampurna Jain, a Long Island resident, said, "To renew connection with our religion, to preserve and promote it, to get together with other Jains, and to provide an opportunity for our children to mingle with an eye on matrimonial alliances."
JAINA represents 60 Jain organisations and an estimated 1,50,000 Jains living in the US and Canada.