IJLESS International Journal of Languages, Education and Social Sciences, Vol. 01, Issue 02, June 2012 WWW.IJLESS.COM ISSN: 2278-3970 Jainism : The Need in Context of Education for Modern Youth Kapil 1, Dr. Premlata Joshi 2, Kamlesh 3 1Research Scholar, Dakshin Bharat Hindi Parchar Sabha (India) 2Principal, Woman Education College, Jhonju Kalan, Charkhi Dadri, Haryana (India) 3Research Scholar, Dakshin Bharat Hindi Parchar Sabha (India) Abstract in Mombasa, Kenya by the local Gujarati Jain scriptures offer extensive guidance on educational Jain community, although Jainism in the West mostly techniques to achieve full knowledge and awareness. Jain came about after the Oswal and Jain diaspora spread educational techniques are designed to assist the to the West in the late 1970s and 1980s. Jainism is practitioner to remain apart from clinging and hatred presently a strong faith in the United States, and thereby liberating from karmic bondages through several dozen Jain temples have been built there, the Ratnatraya: right perception, right knowledge and right primarily by the Gujarati community. American conduct. Educational methods in Jainism aim at taking the Jainis maccommodates all the sects. Small Jain soul to status of complete freedom from bondages. Great communities exist in Nepal, Sri Lanka, South emphasis is placed on the control of internal thoughts, as Africa, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Fiji, they influence the behavior, actions and goals. It prescribes and Suriname. In Belgium, the very successful Indian diamond community in Antwerp, almost all of whom many mindful reflections or contemplations to help in this are Jain, opened the largest Jain temple outside India process. in 2010, to strengthen Jain values in and across Keywords: Jainism, Educational Context of Jainism, Western Europe. Doctrines for Modern Youth. The Educational Doctrines for Modern Introduction Youth: With 4.2 million followers, Jainism is among the An ēkāntav āda smallest of the major world religions. Jains live throughout One of the most important and fundamental doctrines India. Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat have the of Jainism is An ēkāntav āda. It refers to the principles largest Jain populations among Indian of pluralism and multiplicity of viewpoints, the states. Karnataka, Tamil notion that truth and reality are perceived differently Nadu, Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh have from diverse points of view, and that no single point relatively large Jain populations. There is a large of view is the complete truth. following inPunjab, especially Jains contrast all attempts to proclaim absolute truth in Ludhiana and Patiala, and there used to be many with adhgajany āyah, which can be illustrated through Jains in Lahore (Punjab's historic capital) and other the parable of the "blind men and an elephant". In cities before the Partition of 1947, after which many this story, each blind man felt a different part of an fled to India. There are many Jain communities in elephant (trunk, leg, ear, etc.). All the men claimed to different parts of India and around the world. understand and explain the true appearance of the Outside India, the United States, United elephant, but could only partly succeed, due to their Kingdom, Canada, and Kenya have large Jain limited perspectives. This principle is more formally communities. The first Jain temple to be built outside stated by observing that objects are infinite in their India was constructed and consecrated in the 1960s qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be IJLESS WWW.IJLESS.COM 37 IJLESS International Journal of Languages, Education and Social Sciences, Vol. 01, Issue 02, June 2012 WWW.IJLESS.COM ISSN: 2278-3970 completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations Each of these seven propositions examines the by finite human perception. According to the Jains, complex and multifaceted nature of reality from a only the Kevalis—omniscient beings—can relative point of view of time, space, substance and comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; mode. To ignore the complexity of reality is to others are only capable of partial commit the fallacy of dogmatism. knowledge. According to the doctrine, no single, ā specific, human view can claim to represent absolute Nayav da truth. Nayav āda is the theory of partial standpoints or Anek āntav āda encourages its adherents to consider viewpoints. Nayav āda is a compound of the views and beliefs of their rivals and opposing two Sanskrit words—naya ("partial viewpoint") parties. Proponents ofanek āntav āda apply this and vāda ("school of thought or debate"). It is used to principle to religion and philosophy, reminding arrive at a certain inference from a point of view. An themselves that any religion or philosophy—even object has infinite aspects to it, but when we describe Jainism—which clings too dogmatically to its own an object in practice, we speak of only relevant tenets, is committing an error based on its limited aspects and ignore irrelevant ones. This does not point of view. The principle of anek āntav āda also deny the other attributes, qualities, modes and other influenced Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to adopt aspects; they are just irrelevant from a particular principles of religious perspective. Authors like Natubhai Shah tolerance, ahi ṃsā and satyagraha. explain nayav āda with the example of a car; for instance, when we talk of a "blue BMW" we are Sy ādv āda simply considering the color and make of the car. However, our statement does not imply that the car is Sy ādv āda is the theory of conditioned predication, devoid of other attributes like engine type, cylinders, which provides an expression to anek ānta by speed, price and the like. This particular viewpoint is recommending that the epithet Sy ād be prefixed to called a naya or a partial viewpoint. As a type every phrase or expression. Sy ādv āda is not only an of critical philosophy, nayav āda holds that all extension of anek ānta ontology, but a separate system philosophical disputes arise out of confusion of of logic capable of standing on its own. The Sanskrit standpoints, and the standpoints we adopt are, etymological root of the term sy ād is "perhaps" or although we may not realize it, "the outcome of "maybe", but in the context of sy ādv āda, it means "in purposes that we may pursue". While operating some ways" or "from a perspective". As reality is within the limits of language and seeing the complex complex, no single proposition can express the nature nature of reality, M āhav īra used the language of reality fully. Thus the term "sy āt" should be of nayas. Naya, being a partial expression of truth, prefixed before each proposition giving it a enables us to comprehend reality part by part. conditional point of view and thus removing any dogmatism in the statement. Since it ensures that Soul and karma each statement is expressed from seven different According to Jains, all souls are intrinsically pure in conditional and relative viewpoints or their inherent and ideal state, possessing the qualities propositions, sy ādv āda is known of infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite as saptibha ṅgīnāya or the theory of seven conditioned bliss and infinite energy. However, in contemporary predications. These seven propositions, also known experience, these qualities are found to be defiled and as saptibha ṅgī, are: obstructed, on account of the association of these souls with karma. The soul has been associated with 1. sy ād-asti—in some ways, it is, karma in this way throughout an eternity of 2. sy ād-nāsti—in some ways, it is not, beginning less time. This bondage of the soul is 3. sy ād-asti-nāsti—in some ways, it is, and it is explained in the Jain texts by analogy with gold ore, not, which—in its natural state—is always found 4. sy ād-asti-avaktavya ḥ—in some ways, it is, unrefined of admixture with impurities. Similarly, the and it is indescribable, ideally pure state of the soul has always been overlaid 5. sy ād-nāsti-avaktavya ḥ—in some ways, it is with the impurities of karma. This analogy with gold not, and it is indescribable, ore is also taken one step further: the purification of 6. sy ād-asti-nāsti-avaktavya ḥ—in some ways, the soul can be achieved if the proper methods of it is, it is not, and it is indescribable, refining are applied. Over the centuries, Jain monks 7. Sy ād-avaktavya ḥ—in some ways, it is have developed a large and sophisticated corpus of indescribable. literature describing the nature of the soul, various IJLESS WWW.IJLESS.COM 38 IJLESS International Journal of Languages, Education and Social Sciences, Vol. 01, Issue 02, June 2012 WWW.IJLESS.COM ISSN: 2278-3970 aspects of the working of karma, and the ways and Madhya Loka – the realms of the humans, animals means of attaining mok ṣa. A Jain and plants Philosopher, Virchand Gandhi quoted on karma and karmic bondage "All non liberated souls when pass Adho Loka – the realms of the hellish beings or the from one life to another it carries with itself the infernal regions Karmic body which is invisible and subtle. This Karmic body depending on the karma energies it According to Jain cosmology, the universe is made carries, exhibits the occult powers.It first attracts the up of six dravya (substances): sentient beings or souls material particles to form the physical body. The (j īva), non-sentient substance or matter (pudgala), senses, speech and mind are formed according to the principle of motion (dharma), the principle of rest ability of the soul bonded by Karmic connections. It (adharma), space ( ākāś a) and time (k āla). The latter may be one sense organism to five sense organism five are united as the ajiva (the non-living).