Young Jains UK | Blog

At the Jain Dharma Training session this weekend, we took a deeper look at the Nav Tattvas (mechanics of karma, the nine reals) and we focused in on two key areas:

1. Jiv: atma, the soul
2. Ajiv: the body and all that is not the soul
3. Ashrav: the inflow of karma
4. Bandh: the binding of karma
5. Paap: bad karma
6. Punya: better karma
7. Samvar: stopping the inflow of karma
8. Nirjara: the shedding of karma
9. Moksha: our intended final destination, a state of abundant infinite eternal peace.

During the session, the nursery rhyme Row, Row, Row Your Boat worked well as an analogy to understand the Nav Tattvas.

Check out this video sourced from YouTube:

Interesting how this version of the song starts with “I saw three ships come sailing in…” - a convenient gentle reminder that reinforces our understanding of the cause of the inflow of karma:

6.1 The operation of the body, speech and mind is action.

6.2 The threefold action is the cause of the inflow of karma.

- Tattvartha Sutra

Essentially, whenever we think, say or do anything, karma is attracted (ashrav) toward the soul.  The strength of raag (like / attraction) or dwesh (dislike / aversion) of that situation determines how strongly the karma is bound (bandh) to the soul.

In next month’s Jain Dharma Training, we’ll be re-visiting Ashrav and Bandh, and will start looking at Samvar (how to stop the inflow of karma) and Nirjara (how the bound karma is shed).  It’s taking place on Sunday 13th December in London, so email training@youngjains.org.uk for details.

Over the last few weeks and months in the run up to Paryushan, Heena Modi (@heenamodi) and Jigna Malde (@jiggy_malde), both active members of Young Jains, have been reflecting on what is keeping them imprisoned in states of temporary pleasure and pain, and how to become free from that.

Heena and Jigna have spent time immersing their minds in the Baar Bhavna, the twelve reflections that cultivate detachment from all that you are not, which therefore allow you to focus on what you are at your core.

Together, they have creatively captured the essence of each of the 12 Bhavnas and have used present-day examples to illustrate each reflection.

Each of the links below will lead you to individual posts at Heena’s website where each of the 12 reflections were published in the run up to and during Paryushan:

1. How do Jain scriptures explain Anitya Bhavana?

2. What does Jainism say about Asharan Bhavana?

3. How do Jain scriptures guide us about Sansar in the 12 Bhavanas?

4. What is Ekatva Bhavana?

5. What do the Jain scriptures say about Anyatva Bhavana?

6. What is the Ashuchi Bhavana all about?

7. Why is reflecting on the Asrava Bhavana so important?

8. What does Jainism say about Samvar Bhavana?

9. What is Nirjara Bhavana?

10. What does Jainism say about the Lokaswarup Bhavana?

11. What is the Bodh Durlabha Bhavana all about?

12. What is the Dharma Durlabha Bhavana all about?

At the Young Jains Convention on the weekend of 17th to 19th July 2009, Menka Parekh (@menka) and Ashik Shah (@ashikshah) ran a workshop on Relationships without Expectation.

In this video, Menka summarises what was discussed during the workshop.

Following last week’s Young Jains 7th International Convention Bridging the Gap, one of the delegates, Heena Modi, wrote about the question we kept being asked throughout the convention: “What Time Is It?”

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So here’s a few scenarios of which, hopefully, you’ll be able to relate to one.

When do I want to travel the world? Now, before I have dependents.

When do I want to wear certain clothes? Now, whilst I can. Before I look inappropriate in them.

When do I want to have a bambino? Soon, before I find it to hard to raise him/her.

When do I want to have savings? ASAP, so I feel settled.

When do I want to fall in love? Now, so that I can settle with him/her, travel, relax and then have a family.

When do I want to reflect about my spirituality? My atma. When I have time. When I retire perhaps.

When do I want to stop eating meat? Later, when I’ve lived some more.

When do I want to stop drinking? When I’m older.

When do I want to learn why Jains aren’t supposed to eat root vegetables? Much later! I don’t need to think about that now.

So throughout the Young Jains convention, we were asked ‘What time is it?’ The answer was and still is, ‘NOW’.

We don’t know what lies ahead of us. We don’t know which choices will be available to us tomorrow let alone in a few months or years.

Should we keep putting off what really matters?

The time is now. As Kavit, the President of Young Jains said, N.O.W. stands for No Opportunity Waits.

What time is it for you?

source

Fun and games, food and play!

We will have an afternoon of chilling-out and planned activities in Young Jains style. This park has a new children’s play area, table-tennis tables, and beautiful wooded areas to wander into. A lovely opportunity to catch-up with the people you’ve met at the Bridging the Gap Convention, re-acquaint with familiar faces from Young Jains back-in-the-day, and make new friends. All you need to do is come along, bring a Jain picnic with you (with a little extra to share) and leave the rest to Young Jains.

Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009
Timing: 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Venue: Canons Park, Whitchurch Lane, Edgware
Contact: paaras@youngjains.org.uk

Event: JAIN DHARMA : What’s the Elevator Pitch?
Venue: Sayer Centre, Oxgate Lane, Cricklewood NW2 7JN
Date: Sunday 2nd August 2009
Time: 10am - 4pm

At school, university, the work place and beyond, we often meet people who have never even heard of Jainism. When Jainism comes up in conversation, people are almost always thoroughly interested and inquisitive, often intelligently speculating aspects of the religion which we may never have.

We may be the only Jains these people ever meet and therefore should understand Jain Dharma to confidently and accurately explain and present this ancient religion.

This Jain Dharma session will seek to equip us with answers to questions the Jain community and wider society may ask us in order to represent the philosophy, logical beauty and spirituality of Jain Dharma.

For more information, email priya@youngjains.org.uk.  You can also RSVP on Facebook.

Give your input in the comments area below and let us know what you’d say if asked to explain what Jainism is.

There’s Raas Garba at this year’s Young Jains Convention: Bridging the Gap.  Kewal, from the convention team, shares a video message about it…

Dilesh Haria is on the Young Jains Convention team - here he gives a video update on the way home from the last meeting.

Young Jains Convention: Bridging the Gap.  Dilesh is on the Metropolitan Line and later reminded us to ‘mind the gap’!

Putting the Young Jains vision into action:

“Be juiced about Jainism; a leader sharing confidently, clearly & enthusiastically Jain philosophy and concepts with others (Family, Friends, School, Work, Community); leading by example; using what they know on a consistent basis to add tremendous value to the quality of their lives and those around them.”

- Shaileen Shah, Young Jains Convention Co-lead

For those who have registered for this July’s Young Jains International Bridging the Gap Convention, here’s a glimpse into what the Sunday morning key session will cover:

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Having identified who you are at your core and recognising your primary goal in this life, this third session brings your awareness to the barriers that you constantly come up against.

The only force stopping you experiencing your true nature is the delusion that gets you to identify yourself as the body, which in turn causes you to be dependant on your 5 senses - sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.

This session will guide you through the chain of events that take place as a result of this delusion, how your five senses cause you to have attraction and aversion toward life’s situations, which in turn ignite damaging passions such as anger and deceit. The session will highlight the unfortunate cycle of karmic binding and shedding that constantly takes place and will reveal to you the number one culprit responsible for keeping you trapped in this cycle.

It might feel like a dark picture has been painted of life, but all is not lost. Only once you shine a bright light on the challenges to be overcome, can you start to work towards lifting away the barriers. Through tools available from the timeless Jain tradition to help calm the passions, maintain equanimity in the face of life’s situations, and awaken to the difference between the body and the soul, you can take positive steps towards experiencing your limitless and fearless true self.

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If you haven’t yet register and would like to register for the convention now or get more information, visit www.youngjains.org.uk/convention