The Jain ecological philosophy is virtually synonymous with the principle of ahimsa (nonviolence) which runs through the tradition like a golden thread. Ahimsa is a principle that Jains teach and practice not only towards human beings but towards all nature. It is an unequivocal teaching that is at once ancient and contemporary.
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Barney Schwartz is the former religion editor of The Age, a position he curated for many years.He has recently joined the Centre for Public Christianity and writes occasional pieces. Here, he writes about “next door”…
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The Parliament of the World’s Religions has issued a statement of solidarity with the Afghan community, Afghan refugees worldwide, and those who remain in Afghanistan.
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Goulburn Valley Health, in partnership with the Victorian Government and the Greater Shepparton City Council, invites you to an online community information session this evening, Friday August 27 between 6-7pm.
The intention of this forum is to keep you informed relating to:
The current situation in the Greater Shepparton region
Emergency relief available to you and your family
Speakers from Emergency Management Victoria, the local Public Health Unit and local community organisations will be present to provide this information, answer questions and respond to key issues faced by the local community.
With the world still in shock over the Taliban’s lightning-fast takeover of Afghanistan, Afghan people, especially women, wonder what kind of life awaits the nation. When pressed about preserving the rights of women, a Taliban spokesperson said the Taliban would not discriminate against women and would give them their rights “within the bounds of shariah”.
Sign the Call is a petition from Christian Churches united in compassion for Afghanistan and seeks to join other calls for support for Afghanistan. Any person of faith, any person with human values and respect for life may sign the call.
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The Multicultural Film Festival brings stories of everyday multiculturalism to the big screen that contribute to exploring diversity and inclusion and promoting social cohesion. This event will take place online on evening of 26 August 2021.
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Goulburn Valley Lighthouse – in collaboration with other agencies – seeks to provide families with support during lockdown. Our community needs to pull together more than ever to support the many left vulnerable by Covid. Lighthouse is putting together a small pool of volunteers to help drive community assistance for those in need, starting immediately.
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Pope Francis has urged people to get vaccinated against Covid-19, describing doing so as “an act of love”. The pontiff made his appeal in a video produced by the Vatican and the Ad Council, a non-profit US group that has previously made videos promoting vaccination against Covid. He praised the work of scientists for producing safe and effective vaccines.
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Narali Purnima festival also known as Coconut Day is an important festival dedicated to the Hindu God of the Sea – Varuna. The festival of Narali Purnima or the Coconut festival is celebrated with great fervour and in a jubilant manner by fisher-folk community of the western coastal regions of India. It is observed on the ‘Purnima’ (full moon day) in the month of ‘Shravana’ in the Hindu calendar and therefore referred to as ‘Shravana Purnima’. This year Narali Purnima falls on August 22, 2021.
Our news is filled with people trying to leave Afghanistan now the Taliban hold the capital. Here, we bring multifaith prayers for Afghanistan. You may read Christian Prayer, Jewish Prayer, Urdu Prayer to Allah, Jain Prayers, Buddhist Mettasuddha, and the Hindu Pavamana mantra.
The Adventures in Human Values™ children’s books are based on simple, yet powerful stories centering on human values. Each book is beautifully illustrated and contains positive messages for kids to help them become heroes and change the world around them. The first four series of 9 books are available for reading.
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Moral injury is the damage done to one’s conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress one’s own moral beliefs, values, or ethical codes of conduct. Moral Injury has occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it also impinges on individuals, families, communities and organisations.
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Melbourne will soon have a Jain Temple in the southern suburbs. The foundation stone was laid on Wednesday, 4 August, in Moorabbin, where the Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Community has been in temporary premises for many years.
Aged Care Employee Day is an initiative of Leading Age Services Australia. It celebrates more than 360,000 aged care staff around Australia. Our theme #ThanksforCaring recognises each and every team member involved in caring for the 1.3 million older Australians receiving home care or residential care services. This includes nurses and care workers, allied health professionals, hospitality teams, drivers, cleaners, volunteers, lifestyle officers, administration staff and many, many others.
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When you see something happening in public that you know is wrong, what do you do?
Maybe you’ve witnessed verbal abuse on the train, or sensed the threat of violence at a pub, or heard culturally insensitive language at a sports game.
Do you mind your own business and keep quiet? You’re just an innocent bystander, after all. Or do you attempt to help the person being targeted in some way?
If you try to help, you might be what the non-profit organisation Courage to Care calls an ‘upstander’.
A couple of years ago, during a meeting of Tibetan leaders in Dharamshala in India, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was asked about his reincarnation. Addressing the room of monks, religious teachers and Tibetan politicians, the Dalai Lama asked them to look into his eyes. “Do you think it’s time now?” he asked.
It was a meeting that would end with the Tibetan leaders agreeing that the issue of reincarnation was one that would be decided only by the Dalai Lama himself. But China, which annexed Tibet in 1951 and has retained tight control over the region ever since, has other ideas. It insists that the choice of the next Dalai Lama lies only with China, and have even enshrined this right into Chinese law.
The Dalai Lama, who recently turned 86, has insisted that discussions of his death are premature (according to his own visions, he will live to 113). But a power struggle for who will choose his reincarnation after he dies has already begun.
Winning an Olympic medal is a huge moment for any athlete, but there is special significance to the bouquet of flowers they are being handed at Tokyo 2020.
More than 5,000 bouquets are being handed to athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The ceremonial blooms were mainly grown in three districts of north-east Japan that were devastated by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and the subsequent meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant.