Sharing our Jain Principles

Join us in our mission to create a unified and impactful brand for Jainism. As a Champion, you can:

• Share Our Jain Principles: Help communicate the core values of Jainism to a broader audience.
• Empower Our Youth: Inspire the younger generation to take pride in their identity and beliefs.
• Promote Non-Violence in the World: Position Jainism as a significant force for non-violence in today’s world.

Give Back to the Community: Contribute positively to your community through awareness and education.

Join us in our mission to create a unified and impactful brand for Jainism. As a Champion, you can spread awareness of our values and teachings within your community. By promoting clear, standardized signage and resources in local temples and events, you will help ensure that both Jains and non-Jains understand the essence of our faith. Together, we can make Jainism more visible and meaningful for everyone.

To be an effective Champion, you should have strong communication skills, be proficient in social media, and possess the ability to persuade and motivate others. You will also need to lead and collaborate with a team.

As a Champion, your responsibilities will include:

• Alignment with Branding Goals: Comprehend and commit to the branding objectives of Jainism as outlined above.
• Time Commitment: Dedicate a minimum of 2 hours per week to brand-related activities and initiatives.
• Content Creation: Share engaging content for social media, newsletters, and other platforms to highlight Essence of Jainism.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with other Champion and volunteers to coordinate efforts and share best practices.
• Feedback and Reporting: Provide regular feedback on branding efforts, community engagement, and outreach effectiveness to help refine strategies.
• Event Participation: Represent Jainism at local and regional events, sharing insights and materials related to the branding initiative.
• Community Engagement: Foster relationships with community members and non-Jains to encourage dialogue and understanding of Jainism.

These are the Champions that will promote signage of EOJ in their temple, websites, and related branding:

Jain Center of Boston – Nishi Shah, Nikesh Kotadiya, Pallavi Jain, Ameya Jain, Yogendra Jain

Jain Center of Northern California – Prem Jain

Jain Center of Memphis – Manoj Jain

The five vows — Ahimsa, Satya, Achaurya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha — are sacred commitments (Anuvrata for laypeople and Mahavrata for monks and nuns).

The AAA expresses the essence of Jainism — a simple, universal way to communicate our timeless values in a form that is easy to remember and share.

Jainism is vast — encompassing the 5 vows, the 7/9 tattvas, the 6 dravyas, and the 3 ratnas (Ratnatraya).

That’s why we felt the need for a concise, accessible way to present the Essence of Jainism — something a young Jain or non-Jain can grasp in seconds before exploring its deeper teachings.

This message is rooted in our scriptures –  Tattvartha Sutra — the only Jain scripture recognized by both major sects.

Dr. Nathmal Tatia, who translated this scripture and in the introduction wrote:

“The central themes of the Tattvarth Sutra are non-violence, non-absolutism and non-possession.

In the second century CE, when the Jaina philosopher-monk Umāsvāti wrote the Tattvartha Sutra, these principles were the only way to global peace.

Today, this is even more the case. Most leaders and politicians will agree.

These are the only values that can save humanity from the deadly acts of war, economic exploitation, and environmental destruction.”

Let’s remember that Ahimsa, Anekantvad, and Aparigraha come directly from Jinvani and beautifully capture Jainism’s universal message of compassion, understanding, and non-possessiveness.

The development of the AAA — Ahimsa, Anekantvad, Aparigraha — (EoJ) has been a highly collaborative journey spanning nearly two decades.

During the JAINA Long Range Planning (LRP) strategy meetings (around 2005–2007), it became clear that many Jains — including community leaders — found it difficult to respond clearly and coherently when asked by non-Jains, “What is Jainism?”

To address this, the first version of an “elevator pitch” — the AAA message — appeared on the back cover of the book The Jain Way of Life by Yogendra Jain, published by JAINA in 2007.

Over the years, this message has been featured in JAINA conventions, educational videos, and wallet-sized AAA cards, helping to make Jain values accessible and easy to share.

In mid-2024, with support and funding from the JAINA Long Range Planning Committee, we formally launched the Branding and Signage Project to bring the AAA message — The Essence of Jainism — to all Jain Centers in North America, and eventually to temples worldwide, including home vedis, websites, publications, and learning materials. 

As part of this project, we conducted several rounds of community input:

• A focus group of 30 JCGB members, and
• A broader session of about 70 participants — including youth, leaders, and seniors — during the Jain Leadership Forum.

Their input and suggestions were carefully reviewed and integrated into the current version of the Essence of Jainism (EoJ) message.

The final version was shared with and approved by both the JAINA Long Range Planning Committee and the JCGB Executive Committee.

In community surveys (approximately 70 responses), over 90% of respondents Strongly Agreed or Agreed with the Essence of Jainism message, while only 5% Disagreed or Strongly Disagreed.

The goal of AAA is simple — to answer: “What is Jainism?”

It’s designed to be relatable for both non-Jains and young Jains.

Today, many Jains are marrying non-Jains — so we must both strengthen the Jain core of our youth and make our message inclusive and welcoming for non-Jain spouses and visitors. Most people today don’t begin with scriptures — they begin with curiosity.

The Essence of Jainism helps people find their way toward depth, where they can later learn about the vows, tattvas, dravyas, and the full Jain Way of Life.

We’re not losing depth — we’re simply opening the door to it.

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We sincerely welcome your continued thoughts and suggestions.

Our shared goal is the same — to ensure Jainism’s wisdom is preserved, practiced, and presented in a way that is clear, accurate, and inspiring for future generations.

With deep respect to everyone working toward unity, learning, and clarity in how we share our Jain values, principles, and way of life.

If you would like to discuss the above further and share your feedback, please connect with Yogendra Jain at yokjain@gmail.com or 781-856-0769.

 Jai Jinendra, and thank you. – EoJ Team