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An Ethnographic Study of Sectarian Negotiations Among Diaspora Jains in the USA Venu Vrundavan Mehta Florida International University, [email protected]
Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 3-29-2017 An Ethnographic Study of Sectarian Negotiations among Diaspora Jains in the USA Venu Vrundavan Mehta Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FIDC001765 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Mehta, Venu Vrundavan, "An Ethnographic Study of Sectarian Negotiations among Diaspora Jains in the USA" (2017). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3204. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3204 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF SECTARIAN NEGOTIATIONS AMONG DIASPORA JAINS IN THE USA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in RELIGIOUS STUDIES by Venu Vrundavan Mehta 2017 To: Dean John F. Stack Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs This thesis, written by Venu Vrundavan Mehta, and entitled An Ethnographic Study of Sectarian Negotiations among Diaspora Jains in the USA, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this thesis and recommend that it be approved. ______________________________________________ Albert Kafui Wuaku ______________________________________________ Iqbal Akhtar ______________________________________________ Steven M. Vose, Major Professor Date of Defense: March 29, 2017 This thesis of Venu Vrundavan Mehta is approved. -
Julia A. B. Hegewald
Table of Contents 3 JULIA A. B. HEGEWALD JAINA PAINTING AND MANUSCRIPT CULTURE: IN MEMORY OF PAOLO PIANAROSA BERLIN EBVERLAG Gesamttext_SAAC_03_Hegewald_Druckerei.indd 3 13.04.2015 13:45:43 2 Table of Contents STUDIES IN ASIAN ART AND CULTURE | SAAC VOLUME 3 SERIES EDITOR JULIA A. B. HEGEWALD Gesamttext_SAAC_03_Hegewald_Druckerei.indd 2 13.04.2015 13:45:42 4 Table of Contents Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographical data is available on the internet at [http://dnb.ddb.de]. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review. Coverdesign: Ulf Hegewald. Wall painting from the Jaina Maṭha in Shravanabelgola, Karnataka (Photo: Julia A. B. Hegewald). Overall layout: Rainer Kuhl Copyright ©: EB-Verlag Dr. Brandt Berlin 2015 ISBN: 978-3-86893-174-7 Internet: www.ebverlag.de E-Mail: [email protected] Printed and Hubert & Co., Göttingen bound by: Printed in Germany Gesamttext_SAAC_03_Hegewald_Druckerei.indd 4 13.04.2015 13:45:43 Table of Contents 7 Table of Contents Preface ................................................................................................. 9 Chapter 1 Introduction: Jaina Manuscript Culture and the Pianarosa Library in Bonn Julia A. B. Hegewald ............................................................................ 13 Chapter 2 Studying Jainism: Life and Library of Paolo Pianarosa, Turin Tiziana Ripepi ....................................................................................... 33 Chapter 3 The Multiple Meanings of Manuscripts in Jaina Art and Sacred Space Julia A. -
Ratnakarandaka-F-With Cover
Ācārya Samantabhadra’s Ratnakaraõçaka-śrāvakācāra – The Jewel-casket of Householder’s Conduct vkpk;Z leUrHkæ fojfpr jRudj.MdJkodkpkj Divine Blessings: Ācārya 108 Vidyānanda Muni VIJAY K. JAIN Ācārya Samantabhadra’s Ratnakaraõçaka-śrāvakācāra – The Jewel-casket of Householder’s Conduct vkpk;Z leUrHkæ fojfpr jRudj.MdJkodkpkj Ācārya Samantabhadra’s Ratnakaraõçaka-śrāvakācāra – The Jewel-casket of Householder’s Conduct vkpk;Z leUrHkæ fojfpr jRudj.MdJkodkpkj Divine Blessings: Ācārya 108 Vidyānanda Muni Vijay K. Jain fodYi Front cover: Depiction of the Holy Feet of the twenty-fourth Tīrthaôkara, Lord Mahāvīra, at the sacred hills of Shri Sammed Shikharji, the holiest of Jaina pilgrimages, situated in Jharkhand, India. Pic by Vijay K. Jain (2016) Ācārya Samantabhadra’s Ratnakaraõçaka-śrāvakācāra – The Jewel-casket of Householder’s Conduct Vijay K. Jain Non-Copyright This work may be reproduced, translated and published in any language without any special permission provided that it is true to the original and that a mention is made of the source. ISBN 81-903639-9-9 Rs. 500/- Published, in the year 2016, by: Vikalp Printers Anekant Palace, 29 Rajpur Road Dehradun-248001 (Uttarakhand) India www.vikalpprinters.com E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: (0135) 2658971 Printed at: Vikalp Printers, Dehradun (iv) eaxy vk'khokZn & ijeiwT; fl¼kUrpØorhZ 'osrfiPNkpk;Z Jh fo|kuUn th eqfujkt milxsZ nq£Hk{ks tjfl #tk;ka p fu%izfrdkjs A /ekZ; ruqfoekspuekgq% lYys[kukek;kZ% AA 122 AA & vkpk;Z leUrHkæ] jRudj.MdJkodkpkj vFkZ & tc dksbZ fu"izfrdkj milxZ] -
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
AN AHIMSA CRISIS: YOU DECIDE An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide 1 2Prakrit Bharati academy,An Ahimsa Crisis: Jai YouP Decideur Prakrit Bharati Pushpa - 356 AN AHIMSA CRISIS: YOU DECIDE Sulekh C. Jain An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide 3 Publisher: * D.R. Mehta Founder & Chief Patron Prakrit Bharati Academy, 13-A, Main Malviya Nagar, Jaipur - 302017 Phone: 0141 - 2524827, 2520230 E-mail : [email protected] * First Edition 2016 * ISBN No. 978-93-81571-62-0 * © Author * Price : 700/- 10 $ * Computerisation: Prakrit Bharati Academy, Jaipur * Printed at: Sankhla Printers Vinayak Shikhar Shivbadi Road, Bikaner 334003 An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide 4by Sulekh C. Jain An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide Contents Dedication 11 Publishers Note 12 Preface 14 Acknowledgement 18 About the Author 19 Apologies 22 I am honored 23 Foreword by Glenn D. Paige 24 Foreword by Gary Francione 26 Foreword by Philip Clayton 37 Meanings of Some Hindi & Prakrit Words Used Here 42 Why this book? 45 An overview of ahimsa 54 Jainism: a living tradition 55 The connection between ahimsa and Jainism 58 What differentiates a Jain from a non-Jain? 60 Four stages of karmas 62 History of ahimsa 69 The basis of ahimsa in Jainism 73 The two types of ahimsa 76 The three ways to commit himsa 77 The classifications of himsa 80 The intensity, degrees, and level of inflow of karmas due 82 to himsa The broad landscape of himsa 86 The minimum Jain code of conduct 90 Traits of an ahimsak 90 The net benefits of observing ahimsa 91 Who am I? 91 Jain scriptures on ahimsa 91 Jain prayers and thoughts 93 -
Transmitting Jainism Through US Pāṭhaśāla
Transmitting Jainism through U.S. Pāṭhaśāla Temple Education, Part 2: Navigating Non-Jain Contexts, Cultivating Jain-Specific Practices and Social Connections, Analyzing Truth Claims, and Future Directions Brianne Donaldson Abstract In this second of two articles, I offer a summary description of results from a 2017 nationwide survey of Jain students and teachers involved in pāṭha-śāla (hereafter “pathshala”) temple education in the United States. In these two essays, I provide a descriptive overview of the considerable data derived from this 178-question survey, noting trends and themes that emerge therein, in order to provide a broad orientation before narrowing my scope in subsequent analyses. In Part 2, I explore the remaining survey responses related to the following research questions: (1) How does pathshala help students/teachers navigate their social roles and identities?; (2) How does pathshala help students/teachers deal with tensions between Jainism and modernity?; (3) What is the content of pathshala?, and (4) How influential is pathshala for U.S. Jains? Key words: Jainism, pathshala, Jain education, pedagogy, Jain diaspora, minority, Jains in the United States, intermarriage, pluralism, future of Jainism, second- and third-generation Jains, Young Jains of America, Jain orthodoxy and neo-orthodoxy, Jainism and science, Jain social engagement Transnational Asia: an online interdisciplinary journal Volume 2, Issue 1 https://transnationalasia.rice.edu https://doi.org/10.25613/3etc-mnox 2 Introduction In this paper, the second of two related articles, I offer a summary description of results from a 2017 nationwide survey of Jain students and teachers involved in pāṭha-śāla (hereafter “pathshala”) temple education in the United States. -
(2011) 1-17 Pūrṇabhadra's Pañcatantra Jaina Tales Or
International Journal of Jaina Studies (Online) Vol. 7, No. 1 (2011) 1-17 PŪRṆABHADRA’S PAÑCATANTRA JAINA TALES OR BRAHMANICAL OUTSOURCING? McComas Taylor Introduction Jaiselmer is a fort-city on the old trade route that crossed the Thar desert in the far west of the state of Rajasthan. When Colonel James Tod visited Western India in the 1830s, he already knew by reputation of the Jaina community whom he called the “Oswals of Jessulmer” and their great library located beneath the Parisnath (Pārśvanātha) temple (Johnson 1992: 199). Georg Bühler, who visited Jaiselmer in 1873-74, found the Jaina library “smaller in extent than was formerly supposed”, but of “great importance”: “It contains a not inconsiderable number of very ancient manuscripts of classical Sanskrit poems and of books on Brahmanical Sastras, as well as some rare Jaina works. ... Besides the great Bhaṇḍār, Jesalmer is rich in private Jaina libraries” (Johnson 1992: 204). Long before Tod and Bühler’s visits, Jaiselmer had accommodated a thriving Jaina community and was an important seat of learning. Highly literate with a unique respect for writing (Johnson 1993: 189, Flügel 2005: 1), the Jaina community in Jaiselmer, like others all over India, were responsible for a prodigious literary output which formed great libraries known as “knowledge warehouses” (Cort 1995: 77). “Among the thousands of texts and hundreds of thousands of manuscripts in the Jain libraries of India, there are many narrative texts in all of the languages in which Jains have written. Some relate all or part of the Jain universal history: the lives of the twenty four Jinas of this era, as well as those of other heroes and exemplary people. -
Life of Mahavira As Described in the Jai N a Gran Thas Is Imbu Ed with Myths Which
T o be h a d of 1 T HE MA A ( ) N GER , T HE mu Gu ms J , A llahaba d . Lives of greatmen all remin d u s We can m our v s su m ake li e bli e , A nd n v hi n u s , departi g , lea e be d n n m Footpri ts o the sands of ti e . NGF LL W LO E O . mm zm fitm m m ! W ‘ i fi ’ mz m n C NT E O NT S. P re face Introd uction ntrod uctor remar s and th i I y k , e h storicity of M ahavira Sources of information mt o o ica stories , y h l g l — — Family relations birth — — C hild hood e d ucation marriage and posterity — — Re nou ncing the world Distribution of wealth Sanyas — — ce re mony Ke sh alochana Re solution Seve re pen ance for twe lve years His trave ls an d pre achings for thirty ye ars Attai n me nt of Nirvan a His disciples and early followers — H is ch aracte r teachings Approximate d ate of His Nirvana Appendix A PREF CE . r HE primary con dition for th e formation of a ” Nation is Pride in a common Past . Dr . Arn old h as rightly asked How can th e presen t fru th e u u h v ms h yield it , or f t re a e pro i e , except t eir ” roots be fixed in th e past ? Smiles lays mu ch ’ s ss on h s n wh n h e s s in his h a tre t i poi t , e ay C racter, “ a ns l n v u ls v s n h an d N tio , ike i di id a , deri e tre gt su pport from the feelin g th at they belon g to an u s u s h h th e h s of h ill trio race , t at t ey are eir t eir n ss an d u h u s of h great e , o g t to be perpet ator t eir is of mm n u s im an h n glory . -
Book Review - the Jains
Book Review - The Jains The Jains, by Paul Dundas, is the leading general introduction to Jainism and part of the Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices series by Routledge Press. The author, Paul Dundas, is a Sanskrit scholar in the School of Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He is probably the foremost Western scholar on Jainism, and also lectures on Buddhism, Prakrit, and Indian cultural history. As such, Dundas is well qualified to pen this book. Summary Dundas begins with the Fordmakers, the twenty-four founders of the Jain religion from Rishabhanatha in prehistory to Mahavira (599-527 BC). Jainism adopted many of the Hindu beliefs, including reincarnation and the concept of release from the cycle of rebirth (moksha). It resulted in part from a reaction against violence, such as Vedic animal sacrifices in Hinduism, and came to maturity at the same time as Buddhism. Asceticism, denying desires and suppressing senses are major themes of Mahavira’s teaching. He emphasized the Three Jewels of Jainism; right faith, right knowledge and right practice. The two major sects of Jainism are the Svetambaras and the Digambaras. Monks and nuns from the former wear white robes, predominate in the north of India, and form the largest sect of Jains. Digambara monks go naked, while the nuns wear robes, and predominate in the warmer south of India. The sects have no large doctrinal differences, although Svetambaras believe that women can achieve deliverance (moksha) while Digambaras believe that deliverance from the cycles of rebirth is only available to men. A woman must be reborn as a man to achieve moksha. -
Lord Mahavira Publisher's Note
LORD MAHAVIRA [A study in Historical Perspective] BY BOOL CHAND, M.A. Ph.D (Lond.) P. V. Research Institute Series: 39 Editor: Dr. Sagarmal Jain With an introduction by Prof. Sagarmal Jain P.V. RESEARCH INSTITUTE Varanasi-5 Published by P.V. Research Institute I.T.I. Road Varanasi-5 Phone:66762 2nd Edition 1987 Price Rs.40-00 Printed by Vivek Printers Post Box No.4, B.H.U. Varanasi-5 PUBLISHER’S NOTE 1 Create PDF with PDF4U. If you wish to remove this line, please click here to purchase the full version The book ‘Lord Mahavira’, by Dr. Bool Chand was first published in 1948 by Jaina Cultural Research Society which has been merged into P.V. Research Institute. The book was not only an authentic piece of work done in a historical perspective but also a popular one, hence it became unavailable for sale soon. Since long it was so much in demand that we decided in favor of brining its second Edition. Except some minor changes here and there, the book remains the same. Yet a precise but valuable introduction, depicting the relevance of the teachings of Lord Mahavira in modern world has been added by Dr. Sagarmal Jain, the Director, P.V. Research Institute. As Dr. Jain has pointed out therein, the basic problems of present society i.e. mental tensions, violence and the conflicts of ideologies and faith, can be solved through three basic tenets of non-attachment, non-violence and non-absolutism propounded by Lord Mahavira and peace and harmony can certainly be established in the world. -
Indian Philosophy Encyclopædia Britannica Article
Indian philosophy Encyclopædia Britannica Article Indian philosophy the systems of thought and reflection that were developed by the civilizations of the Indian subcontinent. They include both orthodox (astika) systems, namely, the Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva-mimamsa, and Vedanta schools of philosophy, and unorthodox (nastika) systems, such as Buddhism and Jainism. Indian thought has been concerned with various philosophical problems, significant among them the nature of the world (cosmology), the nature of reality (metaphysics), logic, the nature of knowledge (epistemology), ethics, and religion. General considerations Significance of Indian philosophies in the history of philosophy In relation to Western philosophical thought, Indian philosophy offers both surprising points of affinity and illuminating differences. The differences highlight certain fundamentally new questions that the Indian philosophers asked. The similarities reveal that, even when philosophers in India and the West were grappling with the same problems and sometimes even suggesting similar theories, Indian thinkers were advancing novel formulations and argumentations. Problems that the Indian philosophers raised for consideration, but that their Western counterparts never did, include such matters as the origin (utpatti) and apprehension (jñapti) of truth (pramanya). Problems that the Indian philosophers for the most part ignored but that helped shape Western philosophy include the question of whether knowledge arises from experience or from reason and distinctions such as that between analytic and synthetic judgments or between contingent and necessary truths. Indian thought, therefore, provides the historian of Western philosophy with a point of view that may supplement that gained from Western thought. A study of Indian thought, then, reveals certain inadequacies of Western philosophical thought and makes clear that some concepts and distinctions may not be as inevitable as they may otherwise seem. -
Nonviolence in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist Traditions Dr
1 Nonviolence in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions Dr. Vincent Sekhar, SJ Arrupe Illam Arul Anandar College Karumathur – 625514 Madurai Dt. INDIA E-mail: [email protected] Introduction: Religion is a human institution that makes sense to human life and society as it is situated in a specific human context. It operates from ultimate perspectives, in terms of meaning and goal of life. Religion does not merely provide a set of beliefs, but offers at the level of behaviour certain principles by which the believing community seeks to reach the proposed goals and ideals. One of the tasks of religion is to orient life and the common good of humanity, etc. In history, religion and society have shaped each other. Society with its cultural and other changes do affect the external structure of any religion. And accordingly, there might be adaptations, even renewals. For instance, religions like Buddhism and Christianity had adapted local cultural and traditional elements into their religious rituals and practices. But the basic outlook of Buddhism or Christianity has not changed. Their central figures, tenets and adherence to their precepts, etc. have by and large remained the same down the history. There is a basic ethos in the religious traditions of India, in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Buddhism may not believe in a permanent entity called the Soul (Atman), but it believes in the Act (karma), the prime cause for the wells or the ills of this world and of human beings. 1 Indian religions uphold the sanctity of life in all its forms and urge its protection. -
Distinguishing the Two Siddhasenas
Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 48, No. 1, December 1999 Distinguishing the Two Siddhasenas FUJINAGA Sin Sometimes different philosophers in the same traditiion share the same name. For example, Dr. E. Frauwallner points out that there are two Buddhist philosophers who bear the name Vasubandu." Both of these philosophers are believed to have written important works that are attributed to that name. A similar situation can sometimes be found in the Jaina tradition, and sometimes the situation arises even when the philosophers are in different traditions. For exam- ple, there are two Indian philosophers who are called Haribhadra, one in the Jain tradition, and one in the Buddhist tradition. This paper will argue that one philosopher named Siddhasena, the author of the famous Jaina work, the Sammatitarka, should be distinguished from another philosopher with the same name, the author of the Nvavavatara, a work which occupies an equally important position in Jaina philosophy- 2) One reason to argue that the authors of these works are two different persons is that the works are written in two different languages : the Sammatitarka in Prakrit ; the Nvavavatara in Sanskrit. In the Jaina tradition, it is extremely unusual for the same author to write philosophical works in different languages, the usual languages being either Prakrit or Sanskrit, but not both. Of course, the possibility of one author using two languages cannot be completely eliminated. For example, the Jaina philosopher Haribhadra uses both Prakrit and Sanskrit. But even Haribhadra limits himself to one language when writing a philosophical .work : his philosophical works are all written in Sanskrit, and he uses Prakrit for all of his non-philosophical works.