Every person deserves a chance to reach his or her full potential
Always encouraging the mumukshus of Raj Saubhag Ashram to see the Bhagwan Atma in every soul, Pujya Bhaishree has initiated various humanitarian activities. Among them providing food, water conservation, medical relief for humans and animals, education, a center for training the disabled to name a few.
Organizing support camps in various villages of Gujarat and Rajasthan is another initiative launched by Pujya Bhaishree. Till date more than 20 major camps have been organized benefiting approximately 9,628 people.
On the 23rd December 2014, an aid and appliances camp for the disabled was organized in the village of Waav, on the border of Gujarat and Rajashtan.
Best way to celebrate life is to take care of those who are poor and in pain. Chandrikaben and Lakshmikantbhai Jasani’s son and daughter-in- law Biren and Shilpa celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by sponsoring a support camp for the disabled.
A total of 425 people with various disabilities were given wheel chairs, tricycles, hearing aids, prosthetic foot and arm, educational kits for children with special needs.
Health workers from Ashirwad Trust for the Disabled (ATD), Sayla distributed 10,000 pamplets in 105 villages surrounding Waav (90 days before the camp was scheduled) requesting people with special needs to assemble at a particular day and time for diagnosis. A team of doctors ascertained their needs and an extensive list was created. These disadvantaged poor were then given the equipment they needed on the day of the camp, which was organized on the extensive grounds of Vinay Mandir School, Waav.
Addressing the assembled beneficiaries and invited guests, the principal of Vinay Mandir School said: “I am almost 70 years old, and as can be expected my experiences with human beings around me made me cynical and pessimistic. However, when 3 months ago, I witnessed the selflessness of these health workers from Raj Saubhag Ashram’s ATD center, my faith in humanity was restored. I urge all of you, beneficiaries to repay the generosity of your benefactors through good acts like giving up smoking, drinking alcohol and chewing tobacco. Take a vow today, nay right now.”
At a glance:
- Support camp benefitted 425 people with various disabilities
- 150 wheelchairs and 150 tricycles, hearing aids, prosthetic arms and feet, educational kit to children with special needs were given free of cost.
- The tricycles were assembled at Blind People’s Association (Bhuj)
- The prosthetic limbs are German make, having a steel and plastic body
- Beneficiaries came from different walks of life, all age groups and following different religions.
- Till date 9,628 people from various villages and towns like Navsari, Gagodar, Bhuj, Sayla, Deesa, Chotila, Ranpur, Vansda, Junagadh, Surendranagar, Radhanpur, Muli etc have been given various support equipment including wheelchairs, tricycles, artificial limbs, hearing aids, crutches, cervical collar and many, many more.
Mumukshus visited two Jin Mandirs and the upashray in Waav with Pujya Bhaishree. The 2000-year old idol of Tirthankar Shree Ajitnathji radiated divinity. This idol was brought from Pakistan after the partition. Another Jin Mandir built close by housed 20 Viharmaan Tirthankars.
After darshan of all the Bhagwans, mumukshus could partake of darshan of two Jain Acharyas – both brothers and sons of late Acharya Kalpagna Suri Maharaj Saheb.
Acharya mentioned: “By supporting these poor disabled people, you have implanted in their souls, a feeling of gratitude towards Jain shravaks, thus facilitating their being bestowed with Jain Dharma in future births. This is Dharma Prabhavna”
His brother added: “In the course of our sadhana, we sadhus are supposed to study ‘Gandharwaad’. To facilitate our understanding, we reflect and ponder over Shrimad Rajchandra’s Atma Siddhi Shastra, which helps our study.”
Another divine temple that the mumukshus visited was the Shrut Mandir, which aims to preserve ancient Jain Texts by re-writing them on laboratory tested paper and ink, that is treated to last for more than 700 years. 108 special writers are trained to work 8 hours a day, writing with customized ink, on treated paper. About 50,000 books are available with the Trust currently.
An Enlightened Master teaches his disciples how to make the most of this precious human birth, by devoting all one’s strength and energy in upliftment of the soul. Thus, the mumukshus visited 10 Jin Mandirs (tirths) in 2 days, each temple more mesmerizing that the previous one. Among them, the largest gold-plated idol in the world at 29 feet; the intricately carved 108 Parshwanath Temple; the well known Shankheshwar Parshwanath and Jal Mandir.