Chapter 16: every tradition · Jainism
Jain Vishva Bharati
A center of Jain Vishva Bharati, the American home of the Shvetambara Terapanth, a sect led by a single acharya (now Acharya Mahashraman) from Ladnun in Rajasthan. There are only three or four in the United States, in Houston, New Jersey and Orlando, each with a pair of samanis living on site: nuns of an order Acharya Tulsi founded in 1980 so that, unlike Jain monks and nuns, they could travel by car and plane and teach abroad. The acharya assigns them and rotates them every year or two, with a welcome when a new pair arrives and a farewell when it leaves; the local board doesn't choose them, and the senior samani leads. They take no salary and handle no money, and the center houses them and its families feed them. The Terapanth worships without images, so there is no shrine, no puja and no boli. JVB presents itself first as a center for Preksha meditation: its weekly session of yoga, breathing, meditation and a samani's talk is free and open to anyone, and draws many who aren't Jain, more interested in their health than in karma. Beside it the Terapanth families keep the Jain year: Paryushana with the samanis' discourses, samayik and pratikraman, Mahavir Jayanti, and Diwali as Mahavir's nirvana, the festivals moved to the nearest Saturday, and an annual meeting on New Year's Day at which the executive committee takes its oath. Children go to Gyanshala. The samanis bless homes with the mangal path and spend much of their time travelling to speak at other Jain centers, universities and interfaith gatherings. Food follows the Jain diet. The members are mostly Marwari and Rajasthani families, and few; Houston installed an image of Mahavir in its hall in 2009, a concession to a mixed congregation the game leaves out. The research rests on the centers' own pages and is thinner than most, so practice is less certain here.
All 80 traditions · its profile in Faiths and traditions, with how to play it and what sets its faith apart; How people feel, what every factor is.
At a glance
| Faith | Jainism |
|---|---|
| Its words | center, center, meditation hall; the samani leads the session; the pravachan; Saturday; the Agamas |
| Worship | meditation focus, reserved, low formality (0.33 of 1); seated on floor |
| Music | organ discouraged; gospel organ discouraged; piano discouraged; choir discouraged; band discouraged; brass discouraged; handbells discouraged |
| The room's sound | no strong preference |
| Its year | terapanth; full observance; fasts light |
| Leans | neutral on moral questions, neutral on economic ones |
| Polity | congregational; leaders come by itinerant; property local |
| Leaders | one leader, unpaid (monastics the temple keeps, leading full-time), women only, trained by in house; marriage any |
| Belonging | moderate commitment, none discipline, admitted by board |
| Giving | tithing not emphasised; collected by boxes, online |
| Way of life | alcohol abstinence, dress modest, sabbath relaxed, meat vegetarian, eggs forbidden, onion and garlic forbidden, root vegetables forbidden, eating after sunset discouraged |
The week's services
| Day | Time | Service | Led by | People look for it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Every day | 6:00 pm | Paryushana pravachan (paryushana discourse, in Hindi, short, and plays quickly: people come 40% as often as to a main service) | the laity | seasonal |
| Wednesday | 7:30 pm | Swadhyay and jaap (in Hindi) | the samani | optional |
| Saturday | 10:00 am | Preksha meditation and yoga | the samani | expected |
- Leader: a samani. With none (a vacancy, or no one hired), the services are still held, but each costs everyone at it 0.10; on sabbatical a supply samani stands in ($800 a month) for a little less. The short daily services go on whether or not anyone leads them, and move no one's satisfaction.
- Its kitchen: without eggs, onion and garlic, or root vegetables: meals cost 1.16× as much; no bake sale.
- Its table: vegetarian: meals cost 0.85× as much.
Rites
- Mangal path at home (on request, +0.02 to those there, asked for 0.4 times a year by a household, at home (45 minutes and half an hour's journey each way)): A family asks the samanis to their home, for a new house, a birthday, an illness, a journey, or the anniversary of a death: the two come together (they never travel alone), chant the mangal path, the blessing of the auspicious, give a short talk, and are offered food prepared as their rules allow. Nothing is charged, and the samanis handle no money.
- Prarthana sabha (on request, +0.02 to those there): The prayer meeting for a Jain who has died. The body is cremated at a crematorium with the Navkar mantra recited; afterwards the family and the community gather at the center to chant, sing bhajans of detachment, hear a talk on the impermanence of things, and remember the one who died. The family often sponsors a day's meals in their memory.
Joining
- Joining: a content regular is received as a member after about 8 weeks.
- Joining age: 18.
- Kinds of belonging: members (votes, may hold office); received by its board.
- What it means: being received is worth +0.1 to the person, +0.05 to family there, and +0.03 to everyone else at the service. It roots them: a rooted household drifts away only 0.6 times as often, and if it does fall away, it has a 25% chance of coming home at each of its great days (at most once a month) for ten years.
Giving, and what goes up
How its people give and what else comes in, as Money explains it for every faith.
- How it's given: the donation, by boxes, and giving online. With no plate passed, members give a tenth less at the boxes than they would into one, and visitors give nothing at the service. Those who give online give whether or not they come (8% more a month).
- Tithing isn't emphasised: people give 10% less.
- Fundraisers: any it allows (below).
- Owed above: nothing.
The samani, the staff, and who decides
- How the samani comes: sent by the Jain Vishva Bharati, Ladnun, which moves them on; you can't advertise for or dismiss one, but can ask for a move.
- Paid: a monastic the temple keeps: unpaid, but a full leader caring for 150; housed by the congregation.
- Who they are: trained in-house (they ask 90%); always women; never married (celibacy is required).
- Tenure: a term of 2 years.
- Staff it can hire or name (see Staff and volunteers):
- Samani (unpaid (a monastic the temple keeps); cares for 150)
- Resident monk or nun (up to $2,400; cares for 40 more)
- Gyanshala coordinator (unpaid; from the members; up to +0.08 for households with young people)
- Visiting scholar ($4,000–$12,000; leads worship)
- Caretaker ($18,000–$30,000; slows the building's wear)
- Center secretary ($20,000–$35,000; runs the office (+50 to the leader's reach, once))
- Youth director ($20,000–$40,000; up to +0.08 for households with young people)
- Cook ($22,000–$38,000; keeps the kitchen)
- Center manager ($40,000–$70,000 + $12,000 benefits, full time; runs the office (+50 to the leader's reach, once); cares for 30 more)
- Its boards: the executive committee (deciding, over everything).
- Renovations: The executive committee votes, consulting the samani.
- New construction: The executive committee votes, consulting the samani.
- Who votes: members, 16 and over.
Life together
What its Community screen offers it, with the dilemmas only its own faith or family meets; see The congregation in its community.
- Ministries of its own: Bhojanshala, Jiv daya, Preksha meditation, Young Jains chapter.
- Ministries every tradition can run that it's offered: Blood drive, Food pantry, Health clinic, Preschool, Youth group.
- Fundraisers of its own: Gyanshala dinner.
- Shared fundraisers it may hold: Auction, Car wash, Rummage sale.
- Tenants it can take: A Masonic lodge, A scout troop, Dance classes, Parties and receptions, Receptions with Jain food.
- Outreach: invitation Saturday (Community → Evangelism).
- Dilemmas of its own faith (besides those every congregation meets): Leather at the door, Milk in the temple.
- Dilemmas its code of life brings: A raffle for the roof, A recruiter asks for the hall, Champagne at the reception.
What the building needs
- required Floor sheetsSamayik and meditation are sat on the floor, on white sheets and mats, all at one level; a few chairs serve those who can't.
- required Shoe rackShoes, and anything of leather, stay outside.
- required monks' quartersThe Jain Vishva Bharati asks every center for one.
- discouraged Drum kitA band and drum kit do not belong in this tradition's worship.
- discouraged Hammond organA gospel organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
- discouraged Oak pewMeditation is sat on the floor: pews leave no room for it.
- discouraged Upright pianoA piano doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
- discouraged Pipe organAn organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
What people here feel
- Architectural style: Colonial brick +0.052; Modern synagogue +0.034; Gurdwara +0.028; Japanese temple +0.016; Islamic +0.01; Shinto shrine +0.01; Chinese temple +0.004; Dravidian temple -0.002; Nagara temple -0.002; Thai temple -0.002; Jain marble -0.008; Gothic -0.014.
- Building fit: up to ±0.15 for everyone, the average fit of the characterful items in its worship rooms (the table below).
- Acoustics: it wants a room between ringing and dry, about 2.2 seconds of reverberation: neither bare stone nor a carpeted low room. Up to ±0.05.
- Seasonal decor: in its season, the diyas is worth up to ±0.013 (missing it, the minus); out of season, nothing is called for.
- Saturday: it worships on Saturday; a main service on Sunday costs everyone at it 0.12.
- The pravachan lands by its topic and the tradition's leaning (below); the samani's preaching adds or costs up to 0.08 more.
- The daily services move no one's satisfaction: no offering, sermon, or welcome; people come one by one, the retired twice as often, those of working age half as often on a weekday from nine to five.
How each pravachan lands
The topics its leader can choose from (some are only for one faith or family), and what each is worth.
- Ahimsa+0.015
- Gratitude+0.015
- Hope & Comfort+0.015
- Many-Sidedness+0.015
- Michchhami Dukkadam+0.015
- Non-Possession+0.015
- Stewardship & Generosity+0.015
- The Kalpa Sutra+0.015
- Care for Creation-0.02
- Faith & Family-0.02
- Faith of Our Fathers-0.02
- Healing for All-0.02
- Interfaith Understanding-0.02
- Reading Scripture in Context-0.02
- Resisting Temptation-0.02
- Swords into Ploughshares-0.02
- Welcome the Stranger-0.02
- Racial Justice & Reconciliation-0.03
- Radical Inclusion-0.03
- Sanctity of Life-0.03
- Social Justice Call-0.03
Every item, for this tradition
Fit runs from −1 (jars) to +1 (just right); the building fit is the average over the characterful items in the worship rooms. An item with no character (a table, a toilet) has no fit. A rule applies wherever the item is.
| Item | Fit | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Seating | ||
| Box pew | -0.333 | |
| Floor sheets | +0.5 | required Samayik and meditation are sat on the floor, on white sheets and mats, all at one level; a few chairs serve those who can't. |
| Meeting bench | no fit | |
| Oak pew | no fit | discouraged Meditation is sat on the floor: pews leave no room for it. |
| Row of chairs | +0.333 | |
| Liturgical furniture | ||
| Columbarium niches | -0.333 | |
| Incense burner | 0 | |
| Jin shrine | -1 | |
| Lectern | no fit | |
| Pulpit | no fit | |
| Music | ||
| Drum kit | -0.333 | discouraged A band and drum kit do not belong in this tradition's worship. |
| Electronic organ | -1 | |
| Grand piano | -1 | |
| Hammond organ | -1 | discouraged A gospel organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship. |
| Handbell table | -1 | |
| Pipe organ | -0.667 | discouraged An organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship. |
| Sound system | -0.333 | |
| Temple bell | 0 | |
| Upright piano | -1 | discouraged A piano doesn't suit this tradition's worship. |
| Decor | ||
| Banner | 0 | |
| Diyas | no fit | |
| Dreams of Trishala | no fit | |
| Eternal flame | no fit | |
| Great dome | -0.333 | |
| Memorial plaque | no fit | |
| National flag | 0 | |
| Samavasarana | 0 | |
| Shikhara | 0 | |
| Small dome | no fit | |
| Stained glass window | -0.333 | |
| Furnishings | ||
| Alms box | no fit | |
| Coffee pot | no fit | |
| Commercial coffee pot | no fit | |
| Computer | no fit | |
| Crib | no fit | |
| Desk | no fit | |
| Desk chair | no fit | |
| Folding table | no fit | |
| Full-length mirror | no fit | |
| Head scarves | 0 | |
| Hundi | 0 | |
| Pangat mats | 0 | |
| Pillar | -0.333 | |
| Projection screen | +0.333 | |
| Puja clothes lockers | 0 | |
| Shoe rack | +0.5 | required Shoes, and anything of leather, stay outside. |
| Vestment cabinet | -0.333 | |
| Wooden table | no fit | |
| Utility | ||
| A/V rack | no fit | |
| Camera | no fit | |
| Cast-iron boiler | no fit | |
| Central air conditioner | no fit | |
| Commercial HVAC plant | no fit | |
| Commercial stove | no fit | |
| Congregation van | no fit | |
| Ductless heat pump | no fit | |
| Electric wall heater | no fit | |
| Gas furnace | no fit | |
| Hearing loop | no fit | |
| Lift | no fit | |
| Packaged heat pump | no fit | |
| Plumbing stack | no fit | |
| Ramp | no fit | |
| Shuttle bus | no fit | |
| Sink | no fit | |
| Solar panels | no fit | |
| Stairs | no fit | |
| Toilet | no fit | |
| Used school bus | no fit | |
| Wall camera | no fit | |
| Window air conditioner | no fit | |
| Grounds | ||
| Evergreen tree | no fit | |
| Flower bed | no fit | |
| Fountain | no fit | |
| Garden bench | no fit | |
| Hedge | no fit | |
| Playground | no fit | |
| Shade tree | no fit | |