Jain Center of America’s Fall 2008 Camping Trip
Maybe we’ll remember the sulphurous water. Maybe we’ll remember Alok’s discussion on the six truths regarding the soul as interpreted by Shrimad Rajchandraji. Maybe we’ll remember the vegetarian/vegan smores. These were all highlights from the trip, but you know what will certainly last from the Jain Center of America’s Fall 2008 Camping Trip? The individual bonds that formed because 60 youth came together in the name of Jainism.
The fun began on Saturday, October 11, 2008, with a trip to Siddhachalam in Blairstown, New Jersey. First, we performed Darshan and Chaitya Vandan in the main dherasar (temple). Then, we ate delicious Bhojanshala food in the newly constructed dining hall. Then, after a short recreation period, we departed for Harmony Ridge Campgrounds in Branchville, New Jersey.
On Saturday afternoon, after getting acclimated to the campgrounds, all of us were free to do whatever we wished for a short period. Some of us played basketball or volleyball, some explored the campgrounds, and some just simply took the time to get to know each other. Afterwards, a short (and competitive) small group-based icebreaker took place, in which the two losing teams were encouraged to take part in a dauntingly named, but in reality, very light, “physical challenge”. For legal purposes, we are including the disclaimer that no one was forced to do anything; well, except singing, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.
Laughter ensued and soon thereafter, Arvind Bobra led a discussion on, “The Subtleties of Jainism,” in which he dissected the lives of young Jains and gave us pointers on how to reduce to amount of cruelty, passion, and violence in our daily lives – kind of like reducing our himsa (violence) footprint.
Dinner was delicious pasta and salad, all prepared Jain style (without any underground vegetables (garlic, onion, mushroom, carrot, etc.)). One camper half-seriously noted after looking at his salad, “What are all of these other vegetables doing here? I just want to eat my lettuce!” Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for all of us, this nutritious yet delicious meal was just what was needed after a day of traveling, playing sports, and just plain old moving around a lot. The evening concluded with all of the campers gathered around the glowing campfire, listening to a round of chilling ghost stories, and eating vegetarian/vegan smores, a rare treat for Jain youth.
Sunday morning began with the bravest of the brave (well, only two of us) conquering the campground trails with a 2.5 mile run. After breakfast and showering (in some of the most unpleasant water known on this side of the world), Alok Lal led a thoughtful discussion on the connection between the 7/9 Tattvas and the 6 Fundamental Truths of the Soul. [As John McCain would say, “The fundamental truths of our soul are strong”…except that they really are.] Many interesting questions arose about the nature of the soul and what exactly a soul is.
Then, all of us took part in multiple games of ‘Capture the Flag’. Soon thereafter, we ate chutney sandwiches for lunch and engaged in a, “Questions about Jainism You Were Afraid to Ask” discussion with Shardule Shah where he collected anonymously submitted questions from youth 17 and under. These thought-provoking questions spanned from the purpose of praying to basic Karma Theory. With the help of all 60 youth, many basic and not-so-basic questions were answered.
Towards the evening, tensions boiled over during a game of football. But all was not lost. After all, this is a group that practices ahimsa (non-violence). Thus, while hard-hitting, fast, and physical, the 15 on 15 game of football was enjoyed by all and ended on a dramatic 4th down-and-goal touchdown pass from Chintan Shah to Sejal Bavishi.
The evening pizza dinner was enjoyed over a warm fire and good times were had by all. After some down time, many of us headed to the main lodge to enjoy group-building activities such as puzzle-making and Taboo while others remained by the fire, getting to know each other better. On the way to the main lodge, many of us were scared by six ghosts, who, oddly enough, armed themselves with worn-out pool sticks and looked eerily like six missing teenagers who came with us on the camping trip. Hmm…
Finally, the camping trip concluded on Monday morning with a campsite clean-up and an introduction to the activities of the Young Jains of America (YJA) and the Jain Center of America (JCA).
Thank you very much to the organizers of the trip; Chintan Shah, Alok Lal, Shilpa Pandya, and Minina Dalal.
We hope to see you all for JCA’s Fall 2009 Camping Trip!
-Shardule Shah
About Jain Diaries
Jain Diaries is a blog by YJA about Peace, Compassion, and having a good time. Written and edited by youth just like you. Enjoy!
I want to thank the JCA JIVA Committee for putting together a strong event of understanding the roots of Jainism, the purpose of our lives, and the need to bond to stay united as we move in the next generation.
My favorite moment was the ice-breaker “physical challenge”. Although, I disagree on the “phyiscal” aspect, I would rather believe that it is a unique skills challenge!
We should all continue to support these events.
For those that are do not reside in the state of NY, we should plan this same event at our local Jain Center to stress unity among Generation Jain.
For those that are close to Jain Center of America, please continue to attend discussion groups, events, outings, and share a strong bond with each other.
United we stand, divided we fall…not in the USA, but we can learn so much from sharing each other’s experience.
First off, hats off to everybody that had a part in putting this trip together. It takes a lot of effort and motivated individuals to coordinate such an expansive trip.
The previous posts did a great job explaining some of the activities and discussions we were involved in. It was my first JIVA-NY camping trip and i will be attending every year going forward. I certainly encourage those who didn’t make it to come next year. And to those out of the regional area, please contact anyone on the YJA Board and any one of us can help make a trip like this possible in your region.
YJA is going to bring you the infamous ski retreat early next year so gather all your friends. But in the meantime, let’s take the great times from this trip and inspire others. That’s what its all about.