Dr. Jasvant Modi – A Conversation on Healing, Humanity, and Philanthropy
- Nov 1, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 5
Dr. Jasvant Modi’s path has never been limited to the walls of a clinic. A retired gastroenterologist originally from Godhra, India, he received his medical education at B.J. Medical College before completing his residency in Chicago, Illinois.
Over the course of his career, medicine became not just a profession but a platform for service. Alongside his wife, Dr. Meera Modi, he has remained deeply committed to Jain values, channeling those principles into philanthropic work centered on education and healthcare across India and the United States.
Today, their efforts are focused on stewarding four hospitals with a clear mission: to ensure each institution actively serves its surrounding community, whether through expanded access to dialysis care or treatment for underserved and homeless populations.
Q: Where did your passion for helping others through your profession and philanthropy originate?
Dr. Jasvant Modi: Since my early childhood, I have received help from numerous sources, governmental, societal, religious, and familial. I am naturally drawn to philanthropy and motivated to help others contribute to societal good.
As a physician, I am passionate about lending my resources and talents to support the healthcare field. I want to help people who have food insecurities and go hungry. I want to bring education and resources to children.
Though I was born into Jainism, I remain devoted to its philosophy, and the way this way of looking at the world teaches others to be tolerant accepting, and humane. I have established more than 20 Jain professorships at various universities, and I believe that this education is a path to a better world for us to live in.
Q: What is your approach to your passions, both personal and professional?
Dr. Jasvant Modi: I approach my philanthropy as I do my profession, through the lens of my philosophic beliefs. I follow the teachings of Jainism and apply them to each aspect of my life. I have seen my struggles and am committed to living the life of a humanitarian, lifting others, and providing necessary resources.
In 1975, I moved to the USA, and while my geography and the scope of my work changed, I have remained true to the tenets of non-violence, non-absolutism, and non-attachment. My primary goal is to help others and maintain respect for all living beings.
I believe in spreading holistic peace, open-mindedness, and generosity. My goal is to help students become global citizens while focusing on tolerance, pluralism, compassion, and non-violence.
Q: Looking back on the last five years of your career and philanthropic endeavors, what has been a major highlight?
Dr. Jasvant Modi: Through our work, my wife and I have endowed Jain philosophy studies and religious courses at institutions on an international scale. Universities across the globe have accepted the importance of Jain Dharma education and established religious studies.
Through this work, I endeavor to share many of the lessons that have brought me to where I am in life. I wish for others to understand the importance of tolerance to others. It is life-changing to see a problem through another’s perspective, and if I can help others learn that lesson, then I am helping them find a better way to live.
Most problems in this world start with a thought and reaction, such as anger, lust, greed, deceit, and the list goes on. These feelings and reactions to them lead to most problems faced by humanity today.
Q: When did you face a failure that became an important lesson for you?
Dr. Jasvant Modi: I ran for president of an organization and conducted a principled, honest campaign. I was very vocal in abstaining from saying anything derogatory about my opponent, and it may have cost me that election.
It was a very important lesson and even a test of character that made me pause and consider, and I said to myself, “If I cannot win an election with an honest campaign, then I do not want to win.”
The alternative was not worth it. Achieving good results is only as valuable as the honesty with which we achieve the win.
Q: What is one of your greatest achievements, and how did it impact you?
Dr. Jasvant Modi: I am a vegan, and while Jain Dharma does not mandate or even promote a vegan lifestyle, I firmly believe in the importance of reducing the footprint we leave on this earth. Climate change is very real, and a vegan lifestyle is shown to promote a reversal of the worst effects of global warming.
With this in mind, I made it my mission to convert a Jain Center in Southern California into a vegan center, the first among all Jain centers throughout the USA, perhaps the world. Setting in motion a plan that has the potential to ripple out and affect others will be significant for generations to come.
Q: What motivating factors have brought you to this place in your career, and where do you see yourself in the future?
Dr. Jasvant Modi: When a message of non-violence is instilled into a university and proliferates the education system, I am proud of the work we’ve done. I approach life with a commitment to Jain Dharma and a passion for helping others achieve an enlightened higher self that embodies the key tenets of Jainism.
I am motivated to continue creating Jain Centers that are Vegan, matching the philosophy with key strategies to preserve our world and enhance the lives of those who suffer. I am currently working on an initiative to establish more religious education chairs throughout Africa and continue spreading Jainism.
Follow Dr. Modi’s Journey
Who is Dr. Jasvant Modi?
Dr. Jasvant Modi is a retired gastroenterologist and philanthropist whose work bridges medicine, education, and humanitarian service. Originally from Godhra, India, he earned his medical degree from B.J. Medical College and completed his residency in Chicago, Illinois.
Guided by the principles of Jainism, Dr. Modi and his wife, Dr. Meera Modi, have dedicated decades to advancing healthcare access and educational initiatives across India and the United States.
Together, their efforts focus on the stewardship of multiple hospitals, with an emphasis on community-centered care, including expanded dialysis access and services for underserved populations.
