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A publication of the Young Jains of America

Table of Contents

Welcome Message from the YJA Co-Chairs...page 1

“Krodha, Mana, Maya, Lobha” by Shweta Moonat...page 2

October Holidays....page 3

“Step Forward...as a Humanitarian” by Vaibhav Ajmera...page 4

Jain Recipes of the Month...page 5

Meet the 2009-2010 YJA Executive Board...page 6

“Passion-Free Practice” by Finale P. Doshi...page 8

Shital’s Education Corner...page 9

“How to Avoid the Four Kashayas” by Hetali Lodaya...page 10

Regional Updates...page 11

YJA National Dinner...page 13

Passions and Fundamental Jain Principles Crossword Puzzle...page 14

YJA Donation Page...page 15

Jai Jinendra!  Thank you for checking in with Young Minds.  As your new YJA co-chairs, we are excited to continue to bring fresh perspectives on Jainism but also broaden the Young Minds readership.

This year, we are looking to improve YJA by leaps and bounds; and it starts with you!  Get involved!!!  Help write a Young Minds article.  Attend YJA events (regularly posted on Facebook under the group name, "Young Jains of America").  Sign up to be a YJA local representative for your college campus or dherasar (temple).  Don't know how to get involved?  Just e-mail projects@yja.org and we'll help you help YJA!

Aside from those myriad ways of getting involved, this year is a convention year!  The final details are being worked out, but we are proud to announce that the 9th Biennial YJA Convention will be held in New Jersey from July 2-5, 2010.  Plan ahead, because we hope to see you there.  There are endless ways to get involved with convention planning.  Present a session on the Jain-related topic of your choice.  Help out on any number of committees.  E-mail projects@yja.org even if you just want to say, 'Hey!  I'd like to get involved but don't know how.'  That's okay, we'll make sure you're able to shine as a YJA star.

A belated Happy Diwali and Sal Mubarak to all.  Your YJA co-chairs are here for you and can always be reached regarding any question or concern.

-Naman Jain (naman.jain@yja.org) and Shardule Shah (shardule.shah@yja.org)2009-2010 YJA Co-Chairs

FALL 2009 - Four Passions (Kashayas)

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There a re d i f fe ren t a s p e c t s o f h u m a n behavior. They can be characterized in many

ways and often it is the perception that divides the behavior as good and bad. Jainism describes the human behaviors in a way we, the humans do not perceive it and those are: 1. Krodha (anger) 2. Mana (ego) 3. Maya (deceit) 4. Lobha (greed)

Krodha or anger is an issue with everybody unless you are a cognoscente of a religion or attained the highest level of discipline in your life. People like them do conquer over their anger with all the preaching and practice. On the other hand, for a common man like us, it becomes hard to control this with the advent of all the luxury and the need to lead a luxurious life. This need can be referred as the ʻlobhaʼ or the greed to get all the enhancements of human existence. And this leads to different passions called ʻmanaʼ or ego and ʻmayaʼ or deceit. We all are very familiar with this and Iʼm sure you can think of many situations where you have demonstrated either of those.

The human ʻanimalʼ is designed in a way that always wants to go two steps ahead of the animals around. In doing so he gets inured to the distress. The distress is nothing but a non required, useless and illogical result of combination of the above mentioned behaviors.

You can lose a lot if you have those ʻqualitiesʼ but there is no harm in losing these ʻqualitiesʼ in order to gain a lot. It needs a lot of effort and dedication to find out where you stand in terms of anger, how often and to what extent you get angry; ego, what are the situations in life and materialistic things that enhances your ego or adds to it; deceit, what and/or who will make you deceit others and last but not the least greed, to what extent can you go to satisfy your greed.

We need to ask these questions to ourselves from time to time in order to keep a check. A

check that can save us anywhere from a minor loss to a huge loss, the loss of a value, money, people or life. Few things that one can do to get over these negativities would be:

a) Say to yourself when you are angry: “My anger will not let me resolve this issue or will not let the other person get on track.” Everyone makes mistakes and i f someone had made a mistake, there is no need for you to get angry. Patience is KEY. You could do the same mistake at some point.

b) Say to yourself when you have an ego problem: “Putting someone down will just put me down in front of others.” You can and you will need people around you some or the other day. Why not be nice to all. Just think how you would feel if someone mistreated you.

c) Say to yourself when you want others to believe what is false: “Am I doing it right by giving the wrong information? What and how much will I gain by giving this false information?” Truth will come out someday, then why not now. Itʼs always better to speak the truth now then later and bear the consequences than breaking someoneʼs trust.

d) Say to yourself when you have greed for something: “All the things that I can get by my greed will not make it with me to heaven/hell. They will remain in this world and will be possessed by someone else.” Whatever you greed for means that does not b e l o n g t o y o u . I f something is supposed to or belongs to you, you will get it someday.

As a self-exercise, find out how and in how many ways you can make use of what you are and improve yoursel f so society can benefit from it.

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By Shweta Moonat (Boston, MA)Visit http://belle-lettrist.blogspot.com/ for more great articles by Shweta!

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Ayambi Oil - October 1-4, 2009This is a 9 day religious week that occurs twice a year. The first five days represents the 5 parmeshti or supreme beings, which are: Arihants, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadhyays, and Sadhu/Sadhvis. The sixth through eight day represent the 3 jewels: right perception/faith, right knowledge, and right conduct. The very last day represents taap or austerity. Based on the significance of all 9 days, all of Jainism can be summarized in these days and thus a great importance to Jains. During this religious week, many people do ayambil, which is a type of fasting consisting of eating once a day of food made without any spices, sugar, oil, or green vegetables. The reason behind this is to control our sense of taste and to decrease our over attachment to different types of foods. Ayambil Oli is in praise of two people: Shripal and Mayna who observed this 9 day fast during the time of the first tirthankar, Adinath. Even if one cannot do ayambil during these 9 days, one should have a goal to try to practice any religious activity during these days or even meditate on the significance of each day.

Diwali - October 17, 2009Diwali is observed in Jainism, and is also celebrated amongst Hindus throughout India and America, but has various meanings behind this very auspicious day. According to Jainism, Diwali occurs during the Indian month of Amas and was first mentioned in the Jain books dating back during the time of Acharya Jinsen in the year 705. Most importantly, Diwali is significant because it is the day the 24th tirthankar, Bhagawan Mahavir attained liberation or Moksha. Thus, this day is a big celebration because Lord Mahavir was the last tirthankar in the present time cycle and achieved the highest stage in life. Many Jains observe a fast during this day due to its auspiciousness. Additionally, one can chant the Uttaradhyayan Sutra, which contains the final sermons of Lord Mahavir. In oneʼs daily lifestyle, one can recite a mala of the simple phrase, Shri Mahavirswami Sarvgnaya Namh, which gives respect to Mahavirswami. Acharya Bhadrabahu once said, ʻwith lights of knowledge gone, we make lights of ordinary matter.ʼ The day that Bhagawan Mahavir attained liberation was a dark night, but Diwali is considered a festival filled with light. That night, the sky was filled with lights as a way to celebrate the occasion and thus, many people light lamps to signify this spark. Consider Diwali as a way to symbolize a new light in oneʼs life and inner heart.

Dhanteras - October 15, 2009This day is linked to the worship of Lakshmidevi, or the Goddess of Money. This festival occurs two days before Diwali and is a day that is given worship to good fortune and success in life. Many people begin this day by starting new businesses and new rituals with the mindset of good luck. Even though this day is considered a day to worship money, this thought should not be taken in the wrong direction. The desire to gain money cannot be turned into greed and pride. If one is greedy for more and more money for the wrong reasons, the symbolism of this day is misguided and wrong. Instead, one must be satisfied with how much one earns and this day should be taken as a blessing to start new beginnings.

New Yearʼs - October 19, 2009New Yearʼs is the day of a new beginning and the start of the new Indian month, Kartak. This year, it marks the year 2536. In Jain history, New Yearʼs was the day that Bhagwan Mahavirswamiʼs first disciple, Gautamswami attained kevaljnan or ultimate supreme knowledge of the past, present, and future. Gautamswami was a disciple and had a deep connection with Lord Mahavir, but it was this attachment that was the hardest struggle to overcome. The day Lord Mahavir attained liberation, he sent Gautamswami away to give a sermon and the next day when he returned, he felt remorse because his main mentor had left him. After deep contemplation, Gautamswami realized he had so much attachment and accepted one should not have attachment towards things and people. This very thought allowed Gautamswami to meditate and concentrate on his own soul and attained supreme knowledge. One must take this opportunity and set new goals and strive for new achievements.

October HolidaysBy Shital Shah (Chicago, IL)

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What moves us in life? What makes us want to achieve more or to go above and beyond all expectations? Itʼs strange, but sometimes the kashayas, or passions, that are “net negative” are responsible. When I say “net negative,” I am referring to the concept

that good is derived from something that is innately corruptive in nature. On a macro level, the potential negative effects outweigh the positive effects. For example, sometimes anger or deceit pushes you to become more aggressive and work harder. Other times ego or greed may push you to prove that you're something of value. We can see this clearly within the sports arena. A myriad of athletes, in various sports, would confess that they use whatever they can to motivate themselves to play their best. In a similar way, life imitates sports. Several times we find motivation through these various passions. And of course, these feelings are but natural. So what's the problem?

In using such kashayas to inspire ourselves, more often than less, it seems that we become more and more disassociated with the world we live in and more self-centered in our search to become "someone." We can rarely use these passions to help others or society as a whole without eventually succumbing to selfish desires. When was the last time you went out of your way to help someone without any personal recognition or gain? This is a rhetorical question and be completely honest to yourself.

To do genuine social good on a long term basis, inspiration isnʼt derived from these passions. It canʼt be. It is derived from deep within your character. First, you have to realize that there is more you can contribute to the world than your own personal success. Second, you have to want to do something good and beneficial for others without any selfish agenda. And third, you have to be able to create time and energy for these efforts.

One of the basic tenets of Jainism is being a humanitarian. If you see something wrong in our

society, try to address it and fix it. At least put an honest foot forward and try without giving in to personal recognition (ego) and fighting over trivial issues that place the larger accomplishment away from reach (anger).

I strongly feel and believe that we all as individuals have an innate desire to do good. But somewhere, along the way, we have all become very involved in only our lives and do the bare minimum that is required to not feel guilty about not contributing to society. As for those that have gone above and beyond in helping others and repairing the smallest of things, you are leading by example. I hope that fire always lives inside you and spreads to motivate and inspire others.

For the rest that always wanted to contribute but never knew how, start with the smallest thing and move forward. The humanitarian effort lies on a spectrum, from fixing a “garden patch” for your neighbor to “redeeming a social condition.” As Jains, the fundamental quality we should all be working on is becoming better humanitarians. And that means helping members in our community; Jain and non-Jain, human and non-human, whenever and wherever, in any way possible. Start initiatives in your local communities at all levels; through temples, schools, or community centers and bring attention to various concerns and issues that may help the community as a whole.

We are the future of Jainism and we carry a torch that needs to shine light not only through principles but by action as well. As someone once said, “Do not try to be better than your predecessors or your contemporaries, try to be better than yourself.”

Step Forward...as a HumanitarianBy Vaibhav Ajmera (Floral Park, NY)

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JALEBI

Ingredients• 200 gms. plain flour (maida)• 20 gms. gram flour (besan)• 200 gms. sugar• few drops yellow color• 2 tbsp milk• ghee to deep fry• an empty plastic ketchup bottle to squeeze it

Directions• Sieve 100 grams of maida and besan together. Make a batter

using warn water. Keep aside for 24 hours. Add remaining maida and food color and more warm water if required.

• The batter should fall easily when poured - Not too thick not too thin, keep aside.

• Make syrup of the sugar by adding water and boiling. Add the milk and all the scum to form while boiling. Make one string syrup. Strain.

• Fill bottle with batter. The nozzle should have a hole the thickness of a knitting needle.

• Heat ghee well in a shallow frying pan and form jalebis in the form of concentric circles about 2 inches on the outside.

• Fry till crisp, drop into hot syrup. Drain with a perforated spoon, serve hot.

DOODH PEDAHIngredients• 1 cup milk powder• 3/4 cup sugar• 75 gms unsalted butter• cardamom for good flavor• nuts for garnishing

Directions• Keep heavy based pan on the stove with three table spoon

water in it.• Add sugar and make it single** string consistency syrup. Then

simmer the stove. And add butter then stir the liquid till butter melts.

• Add the milk powder and cardamom, mix well. The mixer will become batter then put off the stove. And take away the pan and keep it aside.

• After one or two hours the batter will become more thicker, make balls and flatten it like small biscuits. Garnish with chopped nuts.

• Single string consistency should be perfect. Serves 18-20 pieces.

SOHAN PAPDI

Ingredients• 1 1/4 cup gramflour• 1 1/4 cup plain flour (maida)• 250 gms. Ghee• 2 1/2 cups sugar• 1 1/2 cup water• 2 tbsp. Milk• 1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds

Directions• Sift both flours together. Then heat ghee in a pan.• Add flour mixture and roast on low heat till light golden. Keep

aside to cool a little, stirring occasionally.• Now make syrup out of sugar, Bring syrup to 2 1/2 thread

consistency Pour at once into the flour mixture.• Beat well with a large fork till the mixture forms thread like

flakes. Pour onto a greased surface or thali and roll to 1" thickness lightly.

• Sprinkle the elaichi seeds and gently press down with palm.• Cool, cut into squares, Store in airtight container.

FARSI PURIIngredients• 1 cup wheat/chapati flour• 1/4 cup ground flax meal (available in the flour section of

grocery store)• 2 table spoon oil• 1 tea spoon sesame seeds• 1/2 tea spoon ground ground cumin• 1/2 tea spoon red chilies• 1/2 tea spoon ground black pepper• 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder• 1/2 tea spoon sugar• 1/2 tea spoon salt• 1 cup chopped methi leaves (add 1/2 cup more if you want)• 2 cups oil for deep frying

Directions• Mix chapati flour, flax meal, oil and other dry ingredients so

that they are well incorporated.• Add chopped methi leaves to the flour mix and mix well. Then

add about 1/4 cup water to make a firm dough.• If the dough is too soft as a result of methi releasing water, just

sprinkle some flax meal evenly on the dough and knead well. Flax meal will absorb the excess moisture.

• Set the dough aside for 15 minutes.• Divide dough into small portions and roll into small circles/

puris. You can use a cookie cutter or a small sharp edged katori to get perfectly round puris. Optionally, you can pierce rolled puris lightly with a fork to keep the puris flat when frying.

• Deep-fry puris in medium hot oil until they are golden brown.• These Puris will stay fresh for at least 5-6 weeks and can be

enjoyed with tea or your favorite pickle. Makes about 35-40 small puris.

Jain Recipes of the MonthTry these yummy recipes to fulfill your sweet tooth!Submitted by Arti Shah (Miami, FL)

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Happy Diwali and Sal Mubarak! Enjoy these tasty treats as Diwali sweet treats!

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Meet the 2009-2010 YJA Executive Board!“Raising the Bar”

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Naman Jain, Co-ChairBoston, MA

Shardule Shah, Co-ChairPhiladelphia, PA Sumeet Bhandari, Director

of Project DevelopmentPhoenix, AZ

Vruddhi Choksy, Director of FinanceDayton, OH

Ajay Dagli, Director of FundraisingDetroit, MI

Sonia Shah, Director of EventsBoston, MA

Salonee Shah, Director of Public RelationsHouston, TX

Sheenika Shah, Director of PublicationsSan Diego, CA

Shital Shah, Director of EducationChicago, IL

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Meet the 2009-2010 YJA Executive Board!“Raising the Bar”

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Nirav Bhavsar, Director of Information TechnologyNashua, NH

Priyanka Jain, Northeast Regional CoordinatorStorrs-Mansfield, CT

Priyanka P. Shah, Mid-Atlantic Regional CoordinatorCherry Hill, NJ

Apurva Patel, Midwest Regional CoordinatorColumbus, OH

Paras Shah, South Regional CoordinatorAustin, TX

Priyanka A. Shah, South Regional CoordinatorFremont, CA

Arti Shah, Southeast Regional CoordinatorMiami, FL “RAISING THE BAR”

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We've all heard it in Jainism 101: The four passions--anger, pride, greed, deceit--cloud our perceptions.  To rid ourselves of these delusions, we take certain vows and practice austerities.  These practices remind us that we are not the body but the soul.

That's the talk.  But all too often, it seems that these practices quickly become all about the self.  How often have we heard or uttered phrases like I need to be home to eat before dark?  Sit quietly while I do my puja.  I need a vegetarian option at the cafeteria.  It's ironic that the more Jain we try to be, the more we sometimes focus on I: I must get a wool mat for my puja.  I need you to do the laundry because it is my sixth day of upvas.  I can't believe that this store only sells violent video games.

The list goes on, and the list of demands often leave bystanders feeling resentful. Meanwhile, the practitioners may feel upset that their religious needs are not being respected.  The process that started to rid ourselves of the kashayas have caused even more to occur: anger toward people that acted in way that seemed inconsiderate, pride in the righteousness of our practices, greed in wanting our needs met, and deceit in the thought that our austerities are truly pure.

This picture may sound extreme, but I suspect that most of us have been in this situation, probably on both ends.  We might have been

annoyed about not having a vegetarian option at an event.  We might have been annoyed when a devout relative insisted on coming home before sunset.  In both cases, we probably felt a little anger as well as a little pride---why aren't others thinking about me? What about my needs?

So what can we do?  As practitioners, I believe the first step is to come to terms with the consequences of our vows: if the menu has no vegetarian options, we do not eat.  If we feel a social event--such as going to a dog race--is violent or cruel, we do not go.* As a result, we may go hungry. We may find ourselves socially isolated.  If these situations make us angry, then maybe we need to reconsider our practice.  Likewise, as bystanders, we must understand that we do whatever we do because we believe it is a good deed to provide proper support to those who have taken certain vows.  These actions stem not from an external sense of obligation, but an internal sense of compassion.

Hopefully these steps can help us manage our practice more peacefully and truly passion-free.

If this article has misrepresented information or caused misunderstanding, I ask for forgiveness.  Michchha Mi Dukkadam.

* I'm not saying we cannot encourage others to follow more peaceful practices, only that we should not be angry about what they do.

Passion-Free Practiceby Finale P. Doshi

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Topic: Four Passions Passions – sounds like a simple word, right? Although it does, there is an immense amount of meaning behind this single word. Believe it or not, the 4 passions, also referred to as kashays, is probably one of the hardest things to conquer and overcome. In Jain

history, it is what has prevented many from becoming liberated or achieving enlightenment. I often have wondered how can 4 entities prevent one from liberation. Then, I tried an experiment and realized the answer to this. There are 4 passions, which include: anger (krodh), pride (maan), deceit (maya) and greed (lobh). This past week, I tried to see how often I committed these passions. Initially, I thought how difficult can this be? First day went by and since I was constantly conscience about my actions, these passions were prevented. By day 3 or 4, I realized the number of times I committed these passions. For example, I raised my voice to my brother for taking my ipod, and realized this was wrong and committed the passion of anger. Then, after going to the mall to return a few items, I found myself wanting a few sweaters because they were on sale. I realized this was wrong because there was no necessity for them and unnecessarily committed the passion of greed. I realized from

this experience how easy it was to commit these passions and how one can unknowingly do this in a normal day to day lifestyle countless number of times, which is a scary thought and an eye opener.

What can YOU do? When looking at the four passions, it is a fact that they are committed quite easily and almost naturally. Although this happens, the main goal is to realize the mistake and work toward

actions to counteract them. Anger is one of the most common actions that is probably committed on a daily basis amongst family members and/or friends, but what makes one an even greater person is the acknowledgement that the anger was wrong and to go to the person to ask for forgiveness. It may sound simple, but saying the two words, ʻIʼm sorryʼ in an honest and meaningful way is probably one of the hardest things to do, but is the solution to overcome the passion of anger. Moving further, pride or ego may be part of oneʼs personality, but is one quality that truly may put another person down and hurt feelings. The perfect solution to counteract this is having the quality of humility. Being humble in every action and thoughts will open the door to good thoughts and politeness. One may often commit acts of cheating or deceiving others for various reasons such as jealousy or hatred, but it is this action that can lead one in a downward cycle. In order to stop this path, one should learn to always move forward in life in a straightforward manner and live a life with honesty. It is oneʼs duty to help one another and look out for others first. Lastly, our desires are constantly escalating unknowingly. If one honestly looks at the amount of things one accumulates and actually needs, almost half or more of the things can be in the category of unneeded. It is said that almost 60% of what one buys ends up in the garbage within a year. Thatʼs crazy! The trait to counteract this is contentment. This means being content with what one has and most importantly, being happy.

Overall, one should make a goal to be more positive and contemplate these passions each night on a daily basis as a way to reflect on oneʼs actions. By being conscience of oneʼs actions, one can truly realize ways to improve oneself. Try it!

The following is a small prayer of forgiveness that can be recited each day:

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By Shital Shah (Chicago, IL)

Khamemi savve jive, savve jiva khamantu me; I forgive all living beings, let all beings forgive me

Mitti me savva bhueshu, veram majjah na kenai.

I have friendship with all and enemies and quarrels with none.

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Itʼs probably odd, but the way they rhyme, the four kashayas have always sounded like a bad football cheer to me. “Theyʼll put your soul right on hold; krodha, mana, maya, lobha!”

Not working for you? Oh, well. The point is that we

should be avoiding these roadblocks on our soulʼs path to moksha. Hereʼs the advice fairy with a few words of wisdom:

1. Krodha: Homework got you down? Little brother practicing the drums again? Anger is probably the most prominent kashaya in our lives because itʼs such a snap emotion. We have to condition our bodies to not use anger as a first response. Why spend time venting about how stupid your assignments are? Thatʼs not getting them done faster. Why fume about how inconsiderate your brother is? The time it takes to ask him to be quiet is well worth the extra peace. We can overcome anger when we realize that we have the power to do something to change the situation affecting us.

2. Mana – Ego is a very hard emotion to deal with all by yourself simply because of the slippery nature of the mind. Itʼs easy to be humble when youʼre talking to others– itʼs a lot more difficult to shut off the self-congratulatory yells that ring through your head. This is when you call in the cavalry. Your friends and family will be more than happy to deflate your swelling head - theyʼll probably do it even if you donʼt ask. Remember the accomplishments of those around you to keep yourself in check.

3. Maya – Oh, deceit – a multi-faceted word. This is hard to avoid because, unfortunately, it just means so many things. Whether itʼs lying to your parents, or lying to your friends, or lying to yourself, deceit almost always hurts multiple individuals. What could happen if your sneaky-ninja ways come out into the open? Youʼre not just going to disappoint yourself; many will be affected by the decision you chose to make. You never have to explain away the truth.

4. Lobha – Probably the easiest emotion to justify is greed. Itʼs so natural to look at your friendʼs new car or your brotherʼs new computer, and say, arenʼt I entitled to the same things? Itʼs very easy, though, to forget that there are so many out there who would love what we have. Food, clean water, and a place to sleep? Thatʼs all that hundreds of thousands of people in this world want for. By seeing the worth and value in everything that we already have, we can tone down the greed that makes us desire more.

Starting to see a theme here? All of this is fairly common sense – itʼs the stuff that you try to tell yourself, and that youʼre momʼs been telling you all your life. We all have the ability to avoid the four kashayas – we just need to put what we know into action. You can say the cheer if it helps, too.

How to Avoid the Four Kashayasby Hetali Lodaya

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Regional UpdatesLatest news from our many regions!

WestPriyanka A. Shah, the West Regional Coordinator, is currently working on forming an official Jain Center of Northern California Youth Group. Please contact her at priyanka.arun.shah@yja.org to be a part of this wonderful opportunity!

Mid-AtlanticYJA Mid-Atlantic Camping Retreat took place Oct 10-12 at the Buena Vista Camping Resort in NJ. Young Jains had the opportunity to absorb Jain principles, engage in recreational activities, and network with youth from around the region. We had a great turn-out, with attendees from PA, NJ, NY, CT, MA, OH, and Washington DC! Thanks to all who came out!

The Cherry HIll Dherasar will host a guest speaker, Nipun Mehta, on Sun, Oct. 25 at 11am. Contact Priyanka at priyanka.p.shah@yja.org. Nipun Mehta is the founder of CharityFocus.org (http://nipun.charityfocus.org/), a fully volunteer-run organization that has delivered millions of dollars of web-related services to the nonprofit world for free.

Nipun Mehta, Founder, CharityFocus.org

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Regional UpdatesLatest news from our many regions!

MidwestThe Midwest Winter Retreat will take place during the weekend of January 8-10th. Most likely it will be in southern Wisconsin and feature skiing and snowtubing. There will also be spiritual sessions, hot chocolate, games, and of course, ice breakers!

If you have any suggestions or would like to get involved with organizing activities in the Midwest, contact Apurva Patel at apurva.patel@yja.org.

NortheastA small dinner was held at UConn with about 15 Jain youth at a famous local pizza place. See below to the right for group picture! Boston Jain Youth also held a dinner on October 7th at California Pizza Kitchen with 17 youth in attendance. See below to the left for a group picture!

The Boston Vegetarian Food Festival will take place on November 1st. About 25 youth will be volunteering at this event. Visit http://bostonveg.org/foodfest/ for more information.

Please contact Priyanka Jain at priyanka.jain@yja.org for more information!

SoutheastPast events: National Gandhi Day of Service at the University of Miami where a group of 5 people participated in. At the Jain Center of South Florida, youth made rangoli.

Upcoming Events: Non Violence meeting will be held in Memphis Tennessee. Youth will be making another rangoli on November 1st at the Jain Center of South Florida. In Atlanta, Georgia we will be celebrating the first anniversary of the temple, the youth is putting up some skits as well as presentations.Please contact Arti Shah at arti.shah@yja.org to find out more information and to get involved!

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Dine with Local Jain Youth in a city near you!

West Region - Northern California Vegetarian House

520 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95112http://www.vegetarianhouse.us/Contact: Priyanka Arun Shah at

priyanka.arun.shah@yja.org

West Region - Southern California Vegan Glory

8393 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048http://www.veganglory.comContact: Sheenika Shah at

sheenika.shah@yja.org

Midwest Region - Chicago, ILBlind Faith Cafe

525 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60201http://www.blindfaithcafe.com/

Contact: Shital Shah at shital.shah@yja.org

Midwest Region - Detroit, MIUdipi Restaurant

29210 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, MI http://udipirestaurantonline.com/

Contact: Ajay Dagli at ajay.dagli@yja.org

Midwest Region - Columbus, OHUdipi Cafe

2001 E Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, OHContact: Apurva Patel at apurva.patel@yja.org

Southeast Region - Miami, FLSublime

1431 N. Federal Hwy. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304http://www.sublimeveg.com/

Contact: Arti Shah at arti.shah@yja.org

Mid-Atlantic Region - Southampton, PA Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille

772 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, PA 18966http://www.bluesagegrille.com

Contact: Priyanka at priyanka.p.shah@yja.org

Northeast Region - Boston, MA Buddha’s Delight (Chinatown)

3 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111Contact: Naman Jain at naman.jain@yja.org

Northeast Region - New Haven, CTAhimsa

1227 Chapel St, New Haven, CT 06511http://www.ahimsainc.com/

Contact: Priyanka at priyanka.jain@yja.org

Save the Date: Friday, November 20, 2009

If you would like to host a dinner in a city near you, please contact projects@yja.org and we will help you to organize an event!

West Region - Tempe, AZUdipi Cafe

1636 N Scottsdale Rd, Tempe, AZ 85281http://www.udupicafeaz.com/Contact: Sumeet Bhandari at

sumeet.bhandari@yja.orgSouth Region - Dallas, TX

Madras Pavilion101 S. Coit Rd., Richardson, TX 75080

http://www.madraspavilion.usContact: Sonia Ghelani at

sonia.ghelani@yja.org

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Across2. The act of bragging on a high score on an exam3. The concentration of the mind4. This element includes chairs, tables, etc7. Training of the body8. Indian word for the passion-ego11. Opposite of anger14. Bad deeds17. Number of influxes of karmas18. Sitting on a couch for hours20. Another word for passions we want to reduce21. Bondage of karmas22. Fundamental elements23. Most desirable element and final goal

Down1. The passion of wanting more2. Desirable element of good deeds5. Living beings6. Fasting of eating no sugar or spices once a day9. This element has 12 subcategories10. Passion involving cheating on an exam12. Number of sources of sins13. Jain symbol of 4 realms or life forms15. Number of elements in Swetamber sect16. Another word for wrong faith19. Stoppage of karmasEmail youngminds@yja.org for the answers!

Crossword Puzzle - Passions and Fundamental Jain PrinciplesSubmitted by Shital Shah (Chicago, IL)

YOUNGMINDS

FA

LL 2

009

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

15

Please Make a Contribution YJA Today to Pass Jain Principles and Practice onto the Next Generation of Youth!

Jai Jinendra!  The Executive Board for the Young Jains of America (YJA) plans to be very active in bringing Jain principles to all youth across the country.  We would like to take this opportunity to briefly discuss our current projects and how they will make a difference to the YJA community. 

• Regional Swadhyays hosted by scholars to raise awareness about Jain Principles and ideals and address youth problems, difficulties, and concerns.

• Website Reconstruction to develop a professional website for Jain youth and create a forum to share Jain principles.

• Regional Retreats from the East to West Coasts to instill a sense of religious and cultural pride among Jain youth.• Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, and volunteering at soup kitchens to allow youth to participate in charitable

community activities. • National Dinners in Jain communities to encourage youth to both develop new friendships among Jain youth and

strengthen current relationships within local Jain youth groups.• The Nineth Biennial National Convention to provide a means for 1000 Jain youth to gather and share their

experiences with each other.

With the support of donors like you, YJA has grown to be the largest Jain Youth Organization in the World.  For the YJA Executive Board, this an honor to be a part of something that motivates and inspires countless lives.

Please consider supporting our efforts with a personal donation to YJA today.  A contribution of any amount will provide tremendous support to instill a sense of among youth about their Jain heritage.  The ultimate goal of the YJA Executive Board is to prepare today's Jain youth to become tomorrow's Jain leaders. Not only do we appreciate your donations, but the fundraising team would like to hear from you!  Please e-mail fundraising@yja.org with your comments, suggestions, or recommendations for improvement by YJA. 

Jai Jinendra and Michhami Dukkadam. Thank you for your wonderful contribution.

Ajay D. Dagli, Director of Fundraising Phone: (248) 275-3252 E-mail: ajay.dagli@yja.org

YOUNG JAINS OF AMERICA CONTRIBUTION FORMYou can make a contribution by credit or debit card at https://www.yja.org/donation/donation.php

Full Name: __________________________________________________________________Company Name (Optional): ____________________________________________________Address: _______________________________ City: ____________ ST: ____ Zip: ________Daytime Phone: (______)______________ Evening Phone: (______)_______________Email Address: _______________________________________

Please make your check payable to Young Jains of America and mail it to:

Young Jains of AmericaVruddhi Choksy

36 North Broad StreetFairborn, OH 45324