शिवमस्तुसर्वजगतः, परहितनिरताभवन्तुभूतगणाः दोषाःप्रयांतुनाशं, सर्वत्रसुखीभवतुलोकः
Shivamastu Sarvajagatah, Parahitanirata Bhavantu Bhutaganah Dosha Prayantu Nasham, Sarvatra Sukhibhavatu Lokah
May the entire universe attain bliss. May all beings engage in each other’s well-being. Let all faults be eliminated. May people be happy everywhere.

Pranam to all Sangh Members, Jai Jinendra My sincerest thanks to Jin Parmatma and all of you for giving me an opportunity to provide my seva to our Sangh. With the support of the new BoT and OMC Members, we look forward to accomplishing our goals and providing the best services to our Sangh. I started my message with the ‘Shivmastu…’ prayer because I was able to draw many parallels from this prayer to the work we have to do in the next couple of years. While there are always any projects and tasks to work on, ultimately our core objectives should be:

• May every member in JCNJ be able to practice our religion to the best of their ability
• May we all live together as ONE Jain community and respect each other’s principles
• May all JCNJ problems be eliminated
• May all our Sangh Members always be happy

These are strong words to commit to and I hope the new team can make solid efforts to live up to these words.

Foundations have been laid… In the past 6 years some important foundations have been laid for JCNJ. Two critical ones are – the building of our facility and formation of the new Constitution & By Laws. I am thankful to the Governing Body members of the past 35 years for all their hard work and commitment to the Sangh. It is my team’s job to ensure that our facility is well-maintained and the organizational work we do is always in compliance with new Constitution and By Laws.

We are a growing community… Our Sangh has grown immensely in the last ten years. It’s very optimistic to see how a larger younger generation of Sadharmiks are seen at JCNJ events. Kids enrolled in Pathshalas continues to grow at a steady pace. Several dharmik events are held at both Jinalays throughout the year. We continue to see a surge in number of Tapavis at Ayambil Oli and Paryushan. Weekly and monthly Samayiks, Chaudash Pratikraman are attended by many and we now also have a group of Sadharmiks conducting Paushad at the center.

Time for action… As we work to make the center more vibrant and we continue to see increased activities, the Governing Body has to identify new responses to new challenges. We have to develop much required policies and guidelines for our Sangh that are consistent for everyone.

• We cannot afford delays in taking important decisions and also ensure these decisions are in-line with JCNJ governing documents.
• We have to find ways to reduce our operational costs, without cutting down on the services we provide to our Sangh Members.
• It’s important to implement new fund raising ideas to increase Sadharan funds and reduce borrowing from Dev Dravya funds.
• It’s also important for the team to provide timely communications and transparency to Governing Body Meeting Minutes and Finances.

In addition to this, the team also has to focus on several critical projects that are already underway and ensure their timely completion.

Let’s all join hands…> All this work ultimately requires collective action. These tasks and initiatives cannot be completed alone by the Governing Body. With the formation of the sub-committees within the new Operational Management Committee structure, Sangh Members can join hands with governing Body members to set the right course for JCNJ. Through the work of these sub-committees, we will be able to develop new leaders for the organization and keep the center vibrant. I hope that many of you will join these sub-committees and take labh of this wonderful opportunity to provide your seva to the Sangh. I sincerely feel that both the Governing Body and the Sangh members have the obligation to shape the future of our Sangh. Most importantly, it’s time to mobilize the young generation and to engage them not only in dharmik activities, but also involve them in key Sangh activities. We have to equip our future generation with the right knowledge and tools to carry the organization forward. The time is now for us to work together and ensure our grand-children will have equal or more opportunities to practice our religion.

The Team is in motion… Much work lies ahead of us, but I am confident that the new team will rise up to the challenge and provide the best of their seva. In the past 18 days, we have had over 9 different meetings and conference calls. I am truly thankful and excited about the enthusiasm displayed by many of the new members of the governing body. They have already started working on some of the goals we are committing to and identifying areas for improvement. I look forward to their continued passion and dedication for the Sangh. Lastly, I would like to thank the 2015-2016 EC & BoT Members for all their hard-work and seva to the Sangh. We look forward to their continued support and guidance. Thank you again for giving me this wonderful opportunity to serve my Sangh. Let’s put all our differences on the side and work together as one Jain Sangh. Working together, we can take this center to the next level and build a stronger foundation for our future generation.

In Seva