RECORDING IDEAS SHARED BY JAINS ON FILM:
"JAIN ENLIGHTENMENT - A Way of Life"
FILMMAKER CONVERSES WITH JAINS IN INDIA
FOR MORE IDEAS FOR THE FILM:
Filmmaker: Thanks for your reply. We noted your pointers ... Jains must not forget when producing films for the Westerners (Americans, Canadians and Europeans, as well as South America) is a very different film language and style of presentation. They are highly sophisticated with visual languages and have no time to waste on something that does not interest them. Yale University reviewed some footage and are only interested in the "ancient Jain rituals" i.e. Jains praying and celebrating major occasions - to speak for themselves ...so that they can continue to show India as a primitive civilization.
Our R & D shows over 99% of Westerners have never heard of Jains, they see it as another section of Hinduism. The other 1% belong to other Asian and Buddhist faiths and have read about Jainism and again believe it is part of being a Hindu.
To capture the imagination of the Western mind set - we will have a blond, blue-eyed American host visiting Palitana who discovers for himself/herself: "Who Are Jains, What is Jain Dharma and Why Ahimsa, Anekant and Aparagraph are the three major principles and the essence of Jain scientific philosophy - factors that are so important for the world today ...
After filmimg beautiful sunrise film footage ... the American host visitor stands spell-bound on the hill below Palitana trying to explain: "All sacred religious sites in the world - churches, mosques, gurdwaras and temples celebrate a theme, a form, a story, a legend, an episode of life through the beauty of design, forms, sculptures and archecture. The grace of Jain temples is so unique that it is compellingly complex ... Asthetically speaking, Jain temples are perfection in designs and archectures ... They are a part of the heritage of the world."
Not only for Jains, Vashnavas, Hindus and all the others faiths ... Jain temples represent a great significance as part of the heritage of the world ... Few sacred places can match the grace, the setting, the rapture of elegance, of Jain sculptures ... offering a personal experience, at once inspiring and uplifting in search of the Divine ...
Every pilgrimage is the sense of the sacred. Every pilgrimage brings that which is sublime and noble in human nature.
This Jain pilgrimage is like no other ... It is rooted in a wise understanding and the affirmation of nature. And that is why it is an invitation to transcendance .. The film: "PALITANA - City of Temples on the Hill" focuses on the archecture of Jain temples and concentrates on the particular uniqueness, partly because - most were built in ancient time during the affluence of Jains ... as rulers, Emperors of great Empires ...
They reflect the sense of exquisite beauty ... Of culural refinement. Palitana is a majestic saga of "that which is truly poetic" in glorifing asthetic style --
Mr. Manoj Kothari wrote: As a born Jain and as a business leader from India and as a Futurist, I can point out a few things from my perspective-
1. I was born Jain but got multiple influences shaping my life i.e. Zen, Sufi, Osho's articulation of western philosophies, ancient hindu systems and philosophies etc.
2. RELIGION OF THE FUTURE: Jainism is one of the least understood and propagated religion/philosophy because it does not belong to TODAY. Yes, it would lie on top of the Maslov's pyramid amongs other religions/systems and it also means that it is highly individualistic. "you are your only saviour" is the underline ... There is no external sangh, guru or miracle would save you ... Now this is a teaching for tomorrow, as the world is heading for highly INDIVIDUALISTIC society.
3. THINKING IS BEING: You become what you think repeatedly. Jains' mantra NAMO SIDDHANAM ... salutes all the human and beings with a soul who have attained siddhi. It simply means that by repeatedly thinking of these great souls, you become like them. This is also reflected in Chaandogya Upnishad. I would name it as World's simplest principle of achieving greatness. Think of Obama everyday and you would be Obama or at least Obama like one day.
4. SIMPLICITY & SUSTAINABILITY: Jain values of vegetariansim, simple living, non-violence have a deep 'Systems thinking' towards universe. The great SUSTAINABILITY debate that western countries have started, is built to the very foundation in jainism. There is a need to reinterpet this live-and-let live-thinking from jainism and modernism perspective.
5. SECRET of WEALTH: Why are jains sucesssful businessmen around the world ? There is a message for the World in this alone. How do they get the intellect and drive to be on top of the most fields they have chosen as careers ? It does connect to fundamental value systems which by now would have brought about genetic changes.
Hope these realities will help in further understanding Jain Dharma.
I think you are working on a great project. There is a need to bring Jainism in modern perspective and rationale of the 21st millennium - which has been missing from the ritualistic and ancient articulation the gurus have been preaching. Let me know what help would you need from me, I would be happy to associate on this project.
Filmmaker: Thanks for your reply. We noted your pointers ... Jains must not forget when producing films for the Westerners (Americans, Canadians and Europeans, as well as South America) is a very different film language and style of presentation. They are highly sophisticated with visual languages and have no time to waste on something that does not interest them. Yale University reviewed some footage and are only interested in the "ancient Jain rituals" i.e. Jains praying and celebrating major occasions - to speak for themselves ...so that they can continue to show India as a primitive civilization.
Our R & D shows over 99% of Westerners have never heard of Jains, they see it as another section of Hinduism. The other 1% belong to other Asian and Buddhist faiths and have read about Jainism and again believe it is part of being a Hindu.
To capture the imagination of the Western mind set - we will have a blond, blue-eyed American host visiting Palitana who discovers for himself/herself: "Who Are Jains, What is Jain Dharma and Why Ahimsa, Anekant and Aparagraph are the three major principles and the essence of Jain scientific philosophy - factors that are so important for the world today ...
After filmimg beautiful sunrise film footage ... the American host visitor stands spell-bound on the hill below Palitana trying to explain: "All sacred religious sites in the world - churches, mosques, gurdwaras and temples celebrate a theme, a form, a story, a legend, an episode of life through the beauty of design, forms, sculptures and archecture. The grace of Jain temples is so unique that it is compellingly complex ... Asthetically speaking, Jain temples are perfection in designs and archectures ... They are a part of the heritage of the world."
Not only for Jains, Vashnavas, Hindus and all the others faiths ... Jain temples represent a great significance as part of the heritage of the world ... Few sacred places can match the grace, the setting, the rapture of elegance, of Jain sculptures ... offering a personal experience, at once inspiring and uplifting in search of the Divine ...
Every pilgrimage is the sense of the sacred. Every pilgrimage brings that which is sublime and noble in human nature.
This Jain pilgrimage is like no other ... It is rooted in a wise understanding and the affirmation of nature. And that is why it is an invitation to transcendance .. The film: "PALITANA - City of Temples on the Hill" focuses on the archecture of Jain temples and concentrates on the particular uniqueness, partly because - most were built in ancient time during the affluence of Jains ... as rulers, Emperors of great Empires ...
They reflect the sense of exquisite beauty ... Of culural refinement. Palitana is a majestic saga of "that which is truly poetic" in glorifing asthetic style --
Mr. Manoj Kothari wrote: As a born Jain and as a business leader from India and as a Futurist, I can point out a few things from my perspective-
1. I was born Jain but got multiple influences shaping my life i.e. Zen, Sufi, Osho's articulation of western philosophies, ancient hindu systems and philosophies etc.
2. RELIGION OF THE FUTURE: Jainism is one of the least understood and propagated religion/philosophy because it does not belong to TODAY. Yes, it would lie on top of the Maslov's pyramid amongs other religions/systems and it also means that it is highly individualistic. "you are your only saviour" is the underline ... There is no external sangh, guru or miracle would save you ... Now this is a teaching for tomorrow, as the world is heading for highly INDIVIDUALISTIC society.
3. THINKING IS BEING: You become what you think repeatedly. Jains' mantra NAMO SIDDHANAM ... salutes all the human and beings with a soul who have attained siddhi. It simply means that by repeatedly thinking of these great souls, you become like them. This is also reflected in Chaandogya Upnishad. I would name it as World's simplest principle of achieving greatness. Think of Obama everyday and you would be Obama or at least Obama like one day.
4. SIMPLICITY & SUSTAINABILITY: Jain values of vegetariansim, simple living, non-violence have a deep 'Systems thinking' towards universe. The great SUSTAINABILITY debate that western countries have started, is built to the very foundation in jainism. There is a need to reinterpet this live-and-let live-thinking from jainism and modernism perspective.
5. SECRET of WEALTH: Why are jains sucesssful businessmen around the world ? There is a message for the World in this alone. How do they get the intellect and drive to be on top of the most fields they have chosen as careers ? It does connect to fundamental value systems which by now would have brought about genetic changes.
Hope these realities will help in further understanding Jain Dharma.
I think you are working on a great project. There is a need to bring Jainism in modern perspective and rationale of the 21st millennium - which has been missing from the ritualistic and ancient articulation the gurus have been preaching. Let me know what help would you need from me, I would be happy to associate on this project.
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