YOUNG GENERATION
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ssays by athshala Essays by Pathshala Students in Northtudents Americain
North America
Beginning with the February 2023 issue, the Jain Digest Editorial Team has started a new series of articles – essays written by the Pathshala students in North America. Many Jain Centers in USA and Canada have been conducting Pathshala classes for several years. Many volunteers provide selfless service to the Jain communities by teaching the students about Jain principles, values, rituals, culture, Indian languages, etc. Essay competitions are held to motivate the students to stimulate their thinking and analytical skills about what they have learned in Pathshala. We continue this effort to showcase the winning entries from one Jain Center in each issue of Jain Digest. In the June and October 2023 issues we showcased essays by students from Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago. (JSMC) In this issue we bring you essays by two students from Jain Center of Greater Boston (JCGB). We hope that you will enjoy reading these essays and be pleased with the talent these students exhibit. We would love to hear from you. Write us note at jaindigestpublication@gmail.com
Spirituality in Adversity By Nirjara Akkole
As a young child, it is complex to grasp the concept of religion. It is an ideology, belief, and thought process that we so firmly trust in, despite its difficulty to be witnessed through the human eye. At age 6, it is solely a gesture to appease our parents, a simple Sunday morning routine that we complete. Now at age 16, I have acquired experiences and lessons that have allowed me to grow and learn, prospering in my Jain Identity.
YOUNG
Nirjara is currently a Junior at Walpole High School and a resident of Walpole, MA. About JCGB Pathshala, Nirjara says, "JCGB Pathshala is an integral part of my family's life, a warm and welcoming community that has integrated Jain principles into my day to day thinking. I cannot imagine my life without the constant backbone that is JCGB- an unwavering and supportive atmosphere that has allowed me to prosper into who I am today."
I hide behind the drapes of my mother’s dupatta, the strong fragrance of dhoop wafting through my nostrils. I fold my chubby hands together, admiring the quiet hum of prayers around me, each and every individual deeply enveloped in devotion. “Niru, close your eyes”, my mother says. So I do- beginning to quietly recite the only prayer I know at the time. “Om Namo Arihantanam…” But just as I begin to sing, thought after thought interrupts me. What’s for dinner? What time is Patshala over? My friend got a new toy! It was so incredibly strenuous for a naive 6 year old version of myself to focus on what stood in front of me. My thoughts wandered, lifting out and above the Mandir, being swayed to places that rested merely in a young child’s imagination. My mind resembled a monkey, jumping from treetop to treetop, barely hanging on until it leapt to the branch. 54
Although it is arduous to be completely free from modern technologies in today's world, we can allow ourselves to utilize them as tools to maximize our human potential. At this stage, the application of Jainism to our daily lifestyle is what will be truly effective in granting us inner satisfaction. Encapsulated in a world that is constantly changing and developing, it is essential that we implement our Jain values to the many contemporary aspects of our life. Whether it be performing pooja every weekend or taking the time to study and understand the meaning of scripture, religious activity is what will keep us grounded. When facing adversity in life, it is a basic human instinct to channel our pain into external measures, desperately seeking any sign of comfort. However, Jainism and its principles allow us to balance grief and sorrow. Recently, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, a twist in fate that blindsided my family. While initially being a tough pill to swallow, the practice of our Jain lifestyle kept us cognizant of our surroundings and sure of the future. With the routine recital of Bhaktamarji, the energy in our household has remained positive and uplifted. With age, I have come to understand how Jainism truly impacts who I am as a person, and how it helps me maximize my emotional, physical, and spiritual potential.
While entirely detaching from society’s worldly attachments may be difficult, we can use what is around us to spread the knowledge of our religion. Whether it be advocating for Jain principles such as vegetarianism through my school’s Speech and Debate Team, or calmly resolving a fight with my friends, I have learned to use the communities around me to strengthen my Jain identity. The values that I have been taught throughout
