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The YJA Convention took place at the Westin Business Hotel in Santa Clara, California. This is the second time that the Westin in Santa Clara hosts such a convention. The San Francisco Bay Area (and particularly the Silicon Valley) has a vibrant South Asian—and hence Jain—community. The Jain Center of North California recently built a temple, has more than 800 students attending the local pathshala (Sunday school), and has already successfully hosted two YJA Conventions. For four days the hotel was open exclusively to the participants of the convention, offering its spacious conference halls to lectures, presentations, social dinners, music performances, and even a Hawaiian Luau. |
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Almost 1000 young Jains, aged 14 to 29, attended this year's conference, filling the massive hall where the opening ceremony was held. Attendees represented all regions of the country, including Hawaii and Alaska. Some flew in from Canada and the United Kingdom. |
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Dr. Dipak Jain, dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a successful entrepreneur, gave the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the convention. Dr. Jain spoke of the Jain principles of ahimsa (nonviolence) and anekantavad (multiplicity of viewpoints) as being the steps to success—emotional and financial. He advocated a rational approach to religious adherence and encouraged systematic inquiry into the Jain system of beliefs. |
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Five semi–ordained nuns of the Terapanthi Jain order representing Veerayatan, a humanitarian organization based in Gujarat, attended the convention as its special guests. As fully ordained Jain ascetics are barred from transport–facilitated travel as to avoid moments of possible violence, the Terapanthi semi–ordained ascetics have been some of the only monastics to visit the US. Their particular idiosyncratic interpretation of Jainism, with a focus on multi–sectarianism, modern education and the spread of Jain values among non–Jains, has had a significant influence on the attitudes of America–raised Jains. |
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At the core of the convention were discussion sessions like this one, where participants exchanged their diverse experiences of being Jain in America—from post–9/11 episodes of harassment to attempts to explain Jainism to non–Jains, and the difficulties of finding Jain spouses. The focus of this discussion, moderated by Usha Jain, a well-known speaker in the Jain community, was discrimination. In its course many Jain youths shared shocking stories of racial and ethnic discrimination in schools, on the job and on the streets; and discussed the ways of dealing with such situations. |
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The organizers of the convention made an effort to provide ample time for "cultural performances." An Indian cultural show, a Gujarati dance party and a Hawaiian Luau made for exciting midnight parties. Here some young women present their own rendition of the traditional Gujarati Garba–Raas dance and of the traditional Indian dress. |
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In the halls of the hotel we saw yet another traditional Indian activity—the creation of mandala patterns from colored rice grains—rendered with the use of both traditional and non–traditional design. |
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The Dallas Jain Youth Group presented the basic principles, lifestyle, and ultimate goals of Jain monasticism to a group of peers, other high school–aged Jains of America. The Dallas Group has been an active Jain youth organization with activities ranging from participation in the Habitat for Humanity projects to organization of humanitarian drives. |
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The Dallas Jain Youth Group presented a skit in which the monastic vows, including biennial plucking out of hair in penance for accidentally committed acts of violence such as the killing of insects. |
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A poster, created by the Dallas Jain Youth Group, urges to take diksha—the Jain monastic vows. |
