Jainism is one of India's ancient traditions of life and practice. Jains affirm that each living being possesses a soul and, accordingly, the ethic of ahimsa or non-violence, is central to the Jain tradition. Jains first came from India to America in the late 1960s, establishing the Jain Center of Greater Boston (JCGB) in 1973. Since 1981, members of the JCGB have gathered together in a former Swedish Lutheran church in Norwood; plans for the purchase of a new property are now underway. A second local organization, the Jain Sangh of New England (JSNE), formed in 2000; the JSNE community is currently working to develop a derasar, or temple, in Burlington, Massachusetts. There are more than 350 Jain families in Greater Boston.