Hats off to Jain Center of Southern
California (JCSC) at Los Angeles
Only
Jain Vegan food to be Served at JCSC Center of Los Angeles
The Executive
Committee of the Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) at Los Angeles (Buena Park CA) announced on the Mahavir Janma
Kalyanak day (April 8, 2018) that the Jain society will serve only Jain Vegan
food (vegetarian food without dairy products and root vegetables) at all future
programs of the Jain society. The implementation phase in period is year from
April to December 2018.
Also on Mahavir
Jayanti Day, it served complete Vegan food to more than 1000 people who
attended Shri Mahavir Jayanti program in the evening. All members were very appreciative
of the society action.
This is the
first Jain Society of America who has took such a bold step on its own without
support from Jain Ascetics and popular Jain scholars of India. This is a
history making decision for all Jains of North America as well.
Three days later
when I heard the news, I needed to verify its authenticity. I called the president Dr. Jasvantbhai Modi
and talked to him at length about this announcement. Dr. Modi is a newly elected (4 months ago) first time
president of the Jain Center. In such a
short time period he was able to convince the majority of its 15 executive
committee members to support the Vegan diet resolution presented to JCSC
committee.
Dr. Modi’s main
point was that Jains should not consume dairy products due to animal cruelty (Jainism’s
main tenet is non-violence), and its
detrimental effects on human health. We should serve only vegan food at our
Center and this will provide a good example to other Jain Centers of North
America. We need to educate members of our society that why we should consume
only vegan food. This way our members
not only at the Jain Center but at their homes also consume vegan food. The
resolution was passed by over whelming majority of the executive committee. I was very very happy to feel his enthusiasm
in implementing Vegan food resolution.
History
Making Jain Center (JCSC - Buena Park CA)
The Los Angeles
Jain Center (JCSC) consists of more than 2000 community members. It is one of the largest and history making
Jain Center of North America.
- It is a
birth place of the Federation of JAINA that occurred in 1981. The creation of JAINA was inspired by
Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji and Acharya Shri Sushilmuniji.
- The Los
Angeles Jain Center is a home to a priceless, historical and more than
100-years old replica of a temple similar to the Palitana Temple. The replica is on display in the main
lobby of the Cultural Complex. The assembled structure, weighing nearly
10,000 lbs measures 15 ft x 20 ft x 35 ft high, is carved out of teakwood.
The structure has elaborately carved columns, wall panels, doors, a dome,
two curved staircases and two ornate jarukhas (enclosed balconies).
- Serving
only Jain Vegan food at the Center is another major history making event
that occurred in 2018.
Our heartiest congratulation to the
president Dr. Jasvantbhai Modi, his supporting executive committee members and the
members of the history making Jain Center (JCSC) of Los Angeles.
Universal Law of Nature
The following law of Nature explains in
brief the reasons why Jains should not use milk and other dairy products. This is true for mothers of human as well as
for animal under natural healthy environment.
·
No mother (cow and human) produces milk unless she delivers a baby first.
· After the birth of a calf, the cow starts to produce milk only to feed her
calf. She also produces just enough milk
that is needed for her calf (same as human).
·
The cow slowly stops producing milk after her calf reaches a weaning age
(same as human).
·
Nature has not made any provision for mother cow to produce more milk
than the need of her calf so that human can drink her excess or surplus milk.
In conclusion, under natural environment we
can safely state that:
Any drop of milk that
we drink or we use in dairy products is considered stolen from the mother cow that
was meant for her baby calf.
Any other reasons that we hear (we use
excess milk of mother cow) from our religious scholars and leaders or from other
sources are totally incorrect..
They do not possess good knowledge of this subject and makes an authoritative
statement.
From the Jain principle point view, by consuming dairy product we commit the highest sin of
violence which is:.
“Stealing and consuming the food from mother cow that was meant
for her child”
Gurudev
Chitrabhanuji’s Mission
After confirming
the news, I called Shri Gurudev Chitrabhanuji in Mumbai and talked to Smt
Pramodaben. For about last 15 years
Gurudev’s full time mission was to promote Veganism among Jain communities
across USA, India and other places of the world. Shri Chitrabhanuji was extremely happy and
joyful to hear this great news from Smt Pramodaben (Gurudev is now 96 years old and cannot
communicate over the phone). He has felt that his tireless effort to promote
Veganism finally produced a great result in America.
Jain Center of
Chicago, which will be celebrating its 25th temple anniversary in
June 2018, will honour Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji by installing his Bust at the
Center. We earnestly request the
executive committee of Chicago Jain Center to serve only Vegan Food during 25th
year celebration function. This will be
real honour to Gurudev Chitrabhanuji’s mission and work.
Various
JAINA Committees’ Work on Veganism
For the past 10
to 20 years, several JAINA committees (YJA, YJP, Ahimsak Eco Vegan Committee
and Jaina Education Committee) and several Jain Vegan WhatsApp groups promote
Veganism across USA, Canada, India and around the world. During this time,
these committees have educated few thousands Jains who practice Veganism in
their daily lives.
- For the
last 10 to 15 years, YJA convention has served 95%+ vegan food, and used
environmental friendly paper products for their national conventions. Several young speakers were invited to
speak on Veganism.
- Ahimsak
Eco Vegan Committee is a resource center for Veganism and Ecology related
literature
- Jaina
Education Committee is fully committed to the practice Vegan way of
life. It prepared all new
Pathashala books about 13 years go and dedicated to the people who are
committed to live Vegan way of life.
All Pathashala teachers’ conferences and Jain Education workshops
conducted at various places serve only Jain Vegan food.
- The education committee has published the Book of compassion which consists sever articles related to animal cruelty, Veganism, Environmental protection, and complete elimination of animal products from Jain rituals.
Vegan
Movement at UK and India
Shri Digambar Jain Association (SDJA) 400
member society of London declared in September 2014 that they will serve only Jain
Vegan meals to the members at any Jain society function.
Jain Vegan Group in UK is very very active
promoting Vegan way of life across UK.
Please visit its website www.jainvegans.org to review their activities.
Jain Vegan Transition and Veganize Jain Monks
and Nuns WhatsApp groups of India are very active promoting Veganism. Few Jain Swetambar and Digambar monks are
actively participating in the Jain Vegan Movement of India. However no high level Jain Acharyas and
scholars are promoting Veganism.
There may be more Jain Vegan organisations
promoting Veganism but I am not aware about it.
_________________________________________________________
Pravin K. Shah, Chairperson
JAINA Education Committee
Jain eLibrary Website in-charge
Jaina JAB competition coordinator
919 889 1900 Cell
Jain eLibrary Website in-charge
Jaina JAB competition coordinator
919 889 1900 Cell
