Sadharmik Vatsalya - This does not just mean feeding people at a big occasion, which is still very good. But Jain dharma goes further to state that you should feed five poor people anonymously; "gupt daan". We all share a connection with each other. Before you got married to your husband or wife, his/her parents did not mean anything to you. After you got married, you developed a connection; not only with the parents, but the extended family. Similarly, anyone who builds a connection with Mahavir Swami, inturn builds a connection with the entire community; the Jain praivaar. If anyone within the community is suffering, another should make the necessary arrangements to satisfy their needs. Anonymously. This is Sadharmik Vatsalya.
I would like to state a few things we should never forget in our life:
Maatru bhumi - your birth place. Never forget the land where you were born because you are indebted to this land.
Maatru data - mother, or more appropriately, your parents. You are indebted to your parents for the life you have, the values you have. Their blessings are essential to the success of your life. Even Lord Krishna used to remember his mother first thing every day.
Maatru bhasha - mother tongue - Whatever Jain dharma scriptures and material exists today is all in Gujarati and Hindi. At least one much make an effort to understand and speak Gujarati, even if they cannot read and write. The magic of any language can only be understood in that language. Otherwise it gets lost in translation.
In the times of Mahavir and latter years, there was a provision for four types of daans that were a part of every shraavak and shraavika's life:
a) - Anna Daan - Feed the hungry and poor with your own hands
b) - Aushad Daan - Provide medicine to the ailing and needy
c) - Gyaan Daan - Provide scholarship and education to needy students
d) - Abhay Daan - Tell all your friends that because of you, there will never be any difficulty for any of them. Regardless of whether you remain friends or not, they can rest assured that you will not be trouble for them. They can be fearless.
July 2, 2019