Shree Jain Svetamber Derawasi Sangh Mombasa
e-Newsletter
February 2016
Jai Jinendra & Pranaam, Welcome to the first e-newsletter of 2016. We have 3 Questions & Answers from readers, 3 articles extracted from the BBC website which show that Jain religion is indeed scientific, details of water dam opening trip, details of the Essay Competition and news from the M M Shah & M V Shah Academy. Entries to the essay competition have started trickling in, we are hopeful that many more will come before the deadline this 28th February 2016. All views expressed in the articles are those of the writers and not necessarily of the Sangh. Editorial Team.
INDEX Essay Competition
Page 2, 3
Dravya Sangraha & Amar Vani Classes
Page 4
Water dam Opening
Page 4
Gujarati article
Page 5
Number of species
Page 5
Do we underestimate the power of plants and trees?
Page 6
Three Readers Questions & Answers
Pages 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Can changing your mealtimes make you healthier?
Page 11
M M Shah & M V Shah Academy :
Pages 12, 13
Jain Education Board is looking for members to serve on the committee from March 2016. This is a unique opportunity to serve the community, and serve an 844 school. Please contact Niteen Shah on 0733234482 for more information.
If cannot read the above but you would like to learn then please email to mombasajains@gmail.com your name, age, and preferred area ( town or Nyali ) for evening classes starting soon. 1 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
2 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
3 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Dravya Sangraha & Amar Vani Classes Every fortnight from 10 January 2016, there are classes at Oshwal Academy, Nyali on Dravya Sangraha and Amar Vani. There are 30 plus participants. The discussions are very thought provoking and shows practical application of Jain principles. Also, all participants learn the Logassa stotra - about 6 lines per week with aiming of reciting the full logassa by the end of the 6 sessions!
On Sunday 7th February, Jitubhai C Shah celebrated his birthday with the participants by sponsoring a full lunch catered by Mrs Anjana Shah.
Also, there are 3 young people doing the Basic Course in Jain Philosophy on alternate Saturday evenings. One participant stated that he did not realise that Jain philosophy was very scientific !
All those still interested in joining the course can still just turn up at Oshwal Academy窶馬ext sessions on Sunday 21st February and 6th March. There will be a special Q & A session at 9.30am followed by the normal class from 10.00am.
Water Dam opening Sunday 13th March 2016 Water dams have been constructed under Sangh from the money collected of "ANUKAMPA DAAN" during the parna of VARSHI TAP by Mrs Chandanben Somchandbhai and Mrs Anjanaben Hasmukhbhai. The Sangh has decided to open these dams and hand them over to the local community on 13th March, 2016. The Dams are situated 70 Kilometers from Mombasa. There is a patch of 30 kilometres of mud road which is bumpy. The schedule is as follows : 6.00 am
Gather at Oshwal Centre for breakfast
6.30 am
Depart for Mariakani
7.30 am
10min Stop at Mabati Rolling Mills (MRM) to freshen up
7.40 am
Proceed to Vinubhai dam (the contractor who built our dams) for quick opening, then proceed to Adinath dam for opening and tree planting and finally to Parasnath dam for opening and tree planting.
10.30 am
Return to Maryango Primary School which is between the 2 Dams for short speech and handover to elders. (Very Basic toilet facilities are available here, squatting type).
1.00 pm
Lunch at MRM, courtesy of Dhirubhai Premchand Shah of MRM
We are expected to be back in Mombasa by 3 pm. All sangh members are encouraged to come on this trip especially the families with children for them to see the charity work done by the Sangh and also to see practically the need to conserve water. Please forward your names to the Sangh Office before 4th March, 2015 to make travel arrangements. Send email to jaintemplemsa@yahoo.com. 4 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Gujarati Article નાની સરખી વાતમાાં કે ટલાં લડે? ઇાં ચ જેટલાં હસે ને ફૂટ જેટલાં રડે, સરવાળે તો માણસ બહ મોાંઘો પડે.
પવતેલા પદવસો પાછા નહીાં આવે, સમય ની પકાં મત સમજતાાં થઇએ..! વાાંક મારો હતો કે તારો, એ વાત ને હવે ભલતા થઇએ...!
મકાનો બાાંધે ને સાંબાંધોને ચણે, દરેક વાતમાાં બસ પૈસા જ ગણે, સરવાળે તો માણસ બહ મોાંઘો પડે.
ચાર આનાની પીએ રૂપપયાની ચડે, ગાયની રોટલી લઈને કતરાને ધરે, સરવાળે તો માણસ બહ મોાંઘો પડે.
અરસ પરસ થોડ સહન કરી લઈ ને, ચાલો સબાંધો સાચવતા થઇએ...!
માત્ર "આજ" આપણને મળી છે , કાલની કોઈ ને ખબર કયાાં, પચાંતાની ગાાંઠ બાજ એ મકી, ચાલ હરપળ માાં જીવતાાં થઇએ...!
બીજાનાં સારાં જોઇને પદલમાાં બળે , પોતાનાને પાડવાના મનસબા ઘડે, સરવાળે તો માણસ બહ મોાંઘો પડે.
નમીએ, ખમીએ, એક બીજા ને ગમીએ, અને સખ-દુઃખમાાં
વાત પસાંહની કરે ને કતરાથી ડરે, જરાક આાંખો કાઢો તો ઉચાળા ભરે,
એક બીજાને કહીએ, "તમે પફકર ના કરો અમે છઈએ,"
સરવાળે તો માણસ બહ મોાંઘો પડે. આજે એક નવો જ સાંકલ્પ લઈએ, કપડા સગાંધીદાર, પવચારો સડે, સરવાળે તો માણસ બહ મોાંઘો પડે.
"એક બીજાની અદે ખાઈ, સ્પધાા તજીએ, એક બીજાના પરક બનીએ," ચાલો થોડાં માણસ-માણસ રમીએ...!!!
Species count put at 8.7 million The natural world contains about 8.7 million species, according to a new estimate described by scientists as the most accurate ever. The researchers quantified the relationship between the discovery of new species and the discovery of new higher groups such as phyla and orders, and then used it to predict how many species there are likely to be. "We discovered that, using numbers from the higher taxonomic groups, we can predict the number of species," said Dalhousie researcher Sina Adl. "The approach accurately predicted the number of species in several well-studied groups such as mammals, fishes and birds, providing confidence in the method." And the number came out as 8.7 million - plus or minus about a million. If this is correct, then only 14% of the world's species have yet been identified - and only 9% of those in the oceans. "It is really picking up this point that we know very little about the species with which we share the planet; and we are converting the Earth's natural landscapes so quickly, with total ignorance of our impact on the life in them."
Above is an extract from BBC Website article dated 23 August 2011 : see full article at the following link : http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14616161
Jain scriptures state that there are 8.4 million species of Jiva. Is this is a coincidence ? 5 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Do we underestimate the power of plants and trees? Professor Stefano Mancuso leads the International Laboratory for Plant Neurobiology at the University of Florence.
"We are convinced that plants are cognitive and intelligent, so we use techniques and methods normally used to study cognitive animals. The main problem with plants is they move much more slowly than animals so we need to record plant movement for many days. We did an experiment with two climbing bean plants. If you put a single support between them, they compete for it. What is interesting is the behaviour of the loser: it immediately sensed the other plant had reached the pole and started to find an alternative. This was astonishing and it demonstrates the plants were aware of their physical environment and the behaviour of the other plant. In animals we call this consciousness. We don't have a clear idea of how plants are able to sense the behaviour of other plants. Plants are much more sensitive than animals. Every root apex can detect 20 different physical and chemical parameters light, gravity, magnetic field, pathogens and so on. Plants distribute all along the body the functions that in animals are concentrated in single organs. Whereas in animals almost the only cells producing electrical signals are in the brain, the plant is a kind of distributed brain in which almost every cell is able to produce them. Underestimating plants can be very dangerous, because our life depends on plants and our actions are destroying their environments."
Suzanne Simard is professor of forest ecology in the department of forest and conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia. "Every tree is linked to every other tree underground - the "wood wide web". Through these pathways they talk to each other and then behave in certain ways. In our old-growth Douglas fir forests, we have trees that are 300 years old and six feet in diameter. Those are the hubs of the network because they're so massive and have roots that grow out in all directions. Fungi and trees form this association where the tree provides the fungus with photosynthate, which the fungus cannot acquire below ground. We grew Douglas fir in a neighbourhood of strangers and its own kin and found that they can recognise their own kin and we also grew Douglas fir and ponderosa pine together. We injured the Douglas fir by pulling its needles off, and by attacking it with western spruce bud worm, and it then sent a lot of carbon in its network into the neighbouring ponderosa pine. My interpretation was the Douglas fir knew it was dying and wanted to pass its legacy of carbon on to its neighbour, because that would be beneficial for the associated fungi and the community. There are so many ways we can use this knowledge. We've treated plants as inanimate objects that are there for our use and pleasure. But we haven't treated them with respect that they are sentient beings. If we can shift our thinking, and change our behaviour, that will then be beneficial for the plants and our forests."
The above is an extract from an article on the BBC website dated 20 November 2015. Please follow the link below for the full article. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34849374
Shows what Jains have always known that Plants have life and are intelligent living beings. 6 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Reader’s Question and Answer Question : How did our religious scriptures come about? Who authored them, when were they written, in what part of India did they originate and which languages were used to write them? Are these languages still in use? If not, then how has the information passed down to us and who translated the texts and when? Answer by Shrutiben Malde, Member of Education Team, Institute of Jainology, UK The current Shvetambara sect scriptures, known as AGAMs have their origin in the preaching of Lord Mahavira. When Lord Mahavira gave sermons from the SAMOVASARANA, his lead disciples: GANADHARAs memorised the lectures. It is believed that in those days, the memory of the human beings was super and they had the skill to memorise 100s of thousands of verses.
The Ganadharas passed this knowledge verbatim to the Acharyas, who in turn preached the Upadhyayas. The job of the Upadhyayas, even today, is to teach the discourse to Sadhus and Sadhvis. This method of verbal continuity lasted for nearly 900 years after Lord Mahavir’s moksha in 527 BCE.
The fifth disciple, Sudharma Svami took the seat when Mahavira attained Moksha. He recited his experiences with Mahavira to his disciple Jambu Svami. This is evident from our scriptures in which lessons usually start with the quotation: “O long-lived (Jambu Svamin)! I (Sudharman) have heard the following discourse from the venerable (Mahavira): (1)” This is the opening statement in Acharanga Sutra, the first main scripture.
The seventh in lineage to Lord Mahavira’s seat was Sthulibhadra Svami and he felt that the memory power of the humans was waning and hence the scriptures should be committed to writing. This was around 300 BCE. However, his efforts failed because the council which he had hosted could not come to an agreement. Two further councils were called by other Acharyas, but there was no agreement. In 453 CE, Acharya Devardhigani called the fourth council at Valabhi, near Palitana, where 500 ascetics gathered to recite, discuss, deduce and agree on committing the scriptures to writing. Here is a memorial, which is located in the basement of the old temple at Valabhi: This picture has Acharya Devardhigani at the centre with 500 ascetics of the time sitting around in conference style. It was agreed that from 527 BCE to 453 CE: 980 years, verbal recital from generation to generation must have had a detrimental effect on the contents of the preaching. Hence they all recited whatever they remembered from memory. Differences were resolved. Scriptures were written.
7 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Lord Mahavira wandered in the eastern region of India [presently the state of Bihar] which was then called MAGADHA DESH. The language in this region was called MAAGADHI. The simplest form of the language was called ARDHA-MAAGADHI. The original languages of the different regions are grouped under one name: PRAAKRIT; hence, Ardha-Maagadhi is a Prakrit language. Lord Mahavira wanted to address the grassroots and hence the scriptures were written in Ardha-Maagadhi.
This language is not in ordinary use, yet it is accepted as a surviving language and there are scholars who can understand it and translate it into modern day languages. Most of the scriptures have over a period of time been translated into modern languages such as Gujarati, Hindi, English and other Indian and western languages, with commentary. Not only the Jain ascetics, but also western scholars have translated Jain scriptures into western languages. Hermann Jacobi [1850-1937] translated four of the Jain scriptures into English in 1895.
This article relates to the scriptures adopted by the Shvetambara sect only. The Digambara sect have a list of their own scriptures. The Shvetambara DERAVASI/MURTIPUJAK Sangh accepts 45 titles in the scriptures. The STHANAKVASIs accept only 32 titles. In both cases 12 common titles are accepted as the main [ANGA] sutras.
You must visit: http://www.jainpedia.org/manuscripts/jainpedia-manuscripts.html This website is the only one of its kind in quality, accuracy, high definition and contextual content linking the original manuscripts to modern day essays in English written by contemporary scholars of Jainism. There is a powerful search engine which allows you to search on any Jain subject. GLOSSARY: AGAMs SAMOVASARANA MAGADHA DESH MAAGADHI ARDHA MAAGADHI PRAAKRIT SANSKRIT DERAVASI/MURTIPUJAK STHANAKVASI ANGA SUTRA
8 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Jain scriptures A special three tiered seat from which the TIRTHANKARA preaches The present day state of Bihar in eastern India The language of that time and place The simplest form of the language of that time and place The name given to a group of nine original regional languages The ‘civilised’ language which evolved as the national language Shvetambara sect which believes in idol worship Shvetambara sect which does not believe in idol worship/aniconic 12 MAIN titles of the Shvetambara scriptures
Reader’s Question and Answer Question : Jains are forbidden from eating crops which grow under the ground. Why then are we allowed to consume ‘soontth’ (ginger powder) which is a derivative of dried ginger (which grows underground)? In the same capacity, can we consume products made from dried potatoes, for instance?
Answer by Dr Harshad N Sanghrajka, Member of the Institute of Jainology Education Team. From the scriptural point of view root vegetables contain infinite life. If you dice a potato into several pieces and throw them in the soil, each one will grow into a plant. This proves that cutting a potato does not make it lifeless. If you split a green pea into two and plant both halves, neither will grow. This proves that there was one potential life in the pea which was eliminated by splitting it. This is basically defined as ‘Saadhaaran vanaspati’ = multiple life; and ‘Pratyeka vanaspati’ = single life per body. All green vegetables which grow above the ground are single life per body and hence allowed.
Now to address your concern about ‘soontth’ : Root vegetables are of two types : a)
those that shrivel, but do not dry hard as in potato and
b)
those that dry hard as in ginger.
The potato will not lose life even after a long time and in fact you will notice that it will start sprouting given appropriate conditions in your vegetable store. The ginger will start drying and even before it turns into ‘soontth’ if you cut fresh ginger you will find that it will be fibrous. This is an indication that there is no life in the ginger. Hence, there is a section of Jains who also eat fresh ginger. Soontth therefore is deemed to have no life in it. Similar to ‘soontth’ is another root which we all use every day: it is turmeric or ‘haldar’ powder. Again for the same reason.
Not to encourage people, but to bring it to light, it is known that some Jains also use ‘mogo’ flour on the basis that when it is left to dry, it develops fibres and similar to soontth, when it is dry it is lifeless and hence can be used.
The point of using dried potato has been addressed in that the potato never ‘dries’. So using it in any state means destruction of multiple lives.
Let me address another point which you have not raised. Peanuts also grow underground in peanut-pods. However, they are not roots and contain single life per nut. Split into two, it becomes lifeless similar to green pea. From a pragmatic point of view, to remove an underground vegetable means destruction of the whole plant and it also means disturbance of the soil which is also life. There are a multitude of creatures living in that soil which is disturbed or destroyed. Most of these vegetables, having not had the benefit of sunlight and fresh air also have limited nutritious value.
9 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Reader’s Question and Answer Question : If the goal of Jainism (and all religions for that matter) is liberation, then has any religion/way of life (Jainism included) predicted what will happen when the final life form on this Earth, and everywhere else in creation, will liberate itself? Will life cease to exist? Will the Earth and all creation come to an end? If yes, then to and for what purpose would life have been?
Answer by Shrutiben Malde, Member of Education Team, Institute of Jainology, UK Liberation means a state of freedom. It can be freedom from ego, poverty, unhappiness or any other specified condition. In Jainism, liberation is freedom from karmic bondage. This article will deal with Jain perspective only, as other religious traditions may have different points of view. Jain scriptures explicitly state that there will never be a time when all souls will be liberated and the Jain universe will be depleted of embodied beings, or transmigrating souls will cease to exist.
According to Jain reality, there is no creation, and hence no destruction, only change in modes. The Tattvartha Sutra (TS) of Acharya Umasvami which is an exposition on Jain Reality states: Utpada-vyayadrauvyayuktam sat (TS 5.29) translated by Nathmal Tatia as origination, cessation and persistence constitute existence. What appear and disappear are modes and what persists is substance. In the context of samsara or transmigration, the soul keeps being reborn due to bondage with karma. The different bodies or modes are categorized in four realms or gatis: gods (deva), humans (manushya), hell beings (naraki) and animal and plants (tiryancha). Number of souls in the loka (universe) are infinite and remain constant throughout time. As stated above, liberation in Jainism occurs when the soul is free from karmic bondage. The soul has been transmigrating from beginning-less time, and it starts its journey as a lowest form of life called nigod, which is sub-group of tiryancha gati. There are two types of nigod, sukshma (subtle) and badar (gross). The sukshma fill the entire loka, and the badar are mainly found in the middle regions of the loka. The term nigod means ‘that which is always the abode of infinite souls’ because they are always found in a cluster. Nigod cluster live and die as a group, supposedly eighteen times within a time-span of single human breath. Nigod are also divided into, nitya (which has always been in nigod state until now) and vyavahar rashi (those that have moved up in higher form of life). The latter are usually the badar type found in root vegetables as sadharan vanaspati (multiple souls sharing one body). Through transmigration, the soul can either move up or down, depending on karmic bondage. It is only through human birth that one can attain liberation as it is only in this modality it can have discriminatory powers of right and wrong and is able to undertake austerities.
There is steady ‘departure’ of transmigrating souls through attainment of liberation or moksha. For every soul that attains moksha, one nigod soul moves up the ‘evolution’ from nitya to vyavahar rashi. It is said (in the Jain text Gommatsara Jivakanda, abbreviated as GJK from here on, of Nemichandra Siddhant Chakravarty §197) that 608 souls attain moksha (from various parts of the universe) in 6 months and 8 moments and as many souls leave nitya nigod state. 10 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Now the question is “will life cease to exist” or “universe be depleted of embodied souls” if it is stated that number of souls remain constant? Will there be a time when all souls will be liberated? This question has also been asked by Mahavir Bhagvan’s sixth ganadhar, Mandit. In Acharya Vijay Bhuvanbhanusuri’s text called Ganadharvada, it is explained that the number of bhavya (those that are eligible for liberation) jivas is infinite like time. To put things into perspective, the number of nigod is infinite times the number of all liberated souls (GJK §196) that is infinite x infinite (§196). From the substance point of view, the number of souls in one nigod body are infinite times the number of all liberated souls as seen by the Omniscient. Also the number of souls in one nigod body infinite times more than the number of instants of all time that is already past. It is said that there is an inexhaustible reservoir (anantananta) of souls. Mathematically, infinite is an unimaginable vast number, and an infinite number added, subtracted or multiplied by infinite still gives infinite. So this shows that there will never be a time when all souls will be liberated and the universe will run out of transmigrating souls. Once a soul is liberated, it experiences its own qualities, which are infinite perception and knowledge, infinite bliss and infinite energy. There is an end to transitory happiness and unhappiness. This is salvation in Jainism.
Can changing your mealtimes make you healthier? A few years ago Prof Satchidananda Panda, from the world-famous Salk Institute in California, showed that mice fed on a high-fat diet, but only allowed to eat within an eight-hour window, were healthier and slimmer than mice that were given exactly the same food but allowed to eat it whenever they wanted. In a more recent study the same researchers again subjected hundreds of mice to different lengths of daily fasts, ranging from 12 to 15 hours. Again they found that the mice that went for at least 12 hours without eating remained healthier and slimmer than those who ate the same number of calories, but spread out. But how well would this work in humans? To find out, Trust Me I'm a Doctor recruited 16 volunteers for a 10-week study run by Dr Jonathan Johnston at the University of Surrey. His team measured the volunteers' body fat, blood sugar levels, blood fat (triglycerides) and cholesterol levels at the start of the study. They were then randomly assigned to one of two groups, the blues or the reds. The blues, who were the control group, were asked to carry on as normal. The reds were asked to stick to their normal diet but move their breakfast 90 minutes later, and their dinner time 90 minutes earlier. This meant that for three extra hours each day they went without food (fasting). Everyone kept a food and sleep diary to ensure that they were eating the same amount as normal. At the end of 10 weeks, all the volunteers repeated the tests. What was found was that the group who had eaten breakfast later and dinner earlier had, on average, lost more body fat and seen bigger falls in blood sugar levels and cholesterol than the control group. Above extracted from BBC website article dated 13 January 2016 Please follow the below link for the full article : http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35290671
The above scientific experiment clearly shows that eating before sunset, ie Anathami , is highly beneficial for health purposes.
11 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
M M Shah & M V Shah Academy KCPE 2015 Results : The results for KCPE 2015 were out on 31st December 2015 and the school managed a mean score of 345.2. In the 844 sector, the schools are judged by the mean score achieved in the final class 8 KCPE examinations. The mean score over the years has been :
Mean Score
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
282.4
297.2
324.3
297.8
344.9
352.8
345.2
Mean score comparison with other similar schools.
Mean score School
Year 2014
Year 2015
NYALI PRIMARY
386.06
393.09
CITADEL
386.45
360.96
BUSY BEE
344.92
359.71
LORETO PRIMARY
346.79
356.28
M M SHAH
352.80
345.22
QUBAA MUSLIM
348.26
342.96
AGA KHAN PRIMARY
322.59
332.38
NASSERPURIA
327.06
330.06
GANJONI PRIMARY
306.06
310.20
On student, Shanum Swabrina, got the highest mark in Maths in the country—81 %.
There is an incentive system for the students sitting for KCPE. The students are given a cheque towards their secondary school fees : Those with mean score over 400 get Kshs 20,000/=, over 390 mean score get Kshs 15,000/=, over 380 mean score get Kshs 10,000/= and those over 370 mean score get Kshs 5,000/=.
A total of Kshs 190,000/= was given out to 19 students who got over 370 mean score. The JEB members with the senior school staff carried out a workshop facilitated by Mrs Nuala Alibhai in the new canteen extension. The aim was to clarify the vision of the school and then identify training needs for the staff based on the vision.
The school’s vision is : “To educate and nurture the whole child, provide opportunities to each child to discover their unique talents and abilities.” A new Perkins 45 KVA silent generator, made in the UK, was installed in January 2016.
12 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016
Prize Giving Day Saturday 30th January 2016
Backdrop theme : Like the blooming flowers Lets chase the sun and make our future bright. The Guest of Honour was Madam Jemimah Tuja, Taita Taveta County Executive Committee Member for Education and Libraries. She has an illustrious career so far and in her speech she gave very good advice to parents, teachers and students based on her experience as a mother, teacher, headteacher, editor, and now in charge of education for the entire Taita Taveta county. She appreciated the range of sports and clubs / societies that the school offers. She advised students on the importance of having a role model.
Prizes & awards were given out by the Jain Temple Chairlady, Mrs Sadhanaben Doshi, Jain Temple representative, Mr Ajul Shah and various members of the Jain Education Board– Dipan Shah, Riten Shah, Piyush Shah, Dhiren Shah and Bhavesh Shah. Prizes / awards were given out to Class Monitors, for performance in sports, performance in clubs & societies, achievers in ICT, and academic performance in class exams and in the final KCPE 2015. 13 SJSDS Newsletter February 2016