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Educational Foundations of Jaina Philosophy
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Such a practice would be very valuable not only for the spiritual growth of the individual but also for the general progress and general welfare of human society.
Stages of knowledge :
There are five stages of knowledge according to the Jains. The first stage of knowledge is Mati or the knowledge acquired by the senses, the second stage is that of Sruta or the knowledge gained by learning, the third stage is that of Avadhi or the psychic knowledge, which is directly acquired by the soul without the medium of the activity of mind or sense, the fourth stage is Manaḥparyaya, the knowledge of the ideas and thoughts of others, and the final stage of knowledge is the Kevala which connotes the supreme knowledge or omniscience attained only when all the Karmic load is divested from the soul or Jiva. These five stages of knowledge correspond to the five stages of mental development or the stages of self-purification of the aspirant soul. The purer the personality, through self-discipline, the higher the stage of knowledge one can achieve. Such gradation of knowledge is definitely far superior to the present gradation of various degrees awarded by our Universities.
The Lecture Method with Dristantas and Upamas :
At the stages of Mati and Sruta knowledge, the Jaina teachers employ the lecture method of teaching. But, their lectures are not dull or dry. The Jaina teachers are expert at supplying beautiful driştāntas (stories illustrating a point) and upamās (similies) while they are explaining something during the course of their lecture. At the higher stages of knowledge, supervised self-study, silent reading and the observation of the five great principles of conduct are emphasized. In contrast with this, our modern university education is inferior because it lays no graded courses of conduct for the student and even a misconducted fellow can very well become an M. A., if he secures pass-marks in the academic examination. Our universities could learn a lesson from the Jaina theory of education in this respect.
Universal Education in the Mother Tongue :
Jainism denounces caste system or any hierarchy of classes in society. Hence, Jainism believes in universal education through the mother tongue. In the Indian history, the Jaina ācāryas have
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| SR No. | 001595 |
| Book Title | Bhagavana Mahavira and his Relevance in Modern Times |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Narendra Bhanavat, Prem Suman Jain, V P Bhatt |
| Publisher | Akhil Bharat Varshiya Sadhumargi Jain Sangh |
| Publication Year | 1976 |
| Total Pages | 236 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Philosophy, Discourse, & Articles |
| File Size | 13 MB |