$JES 203 First Step of Jainism Level 2 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 7

Preface
Jai Jinendra
Non-violence (Ahimsä) is the backbone and focal point of Jain philosophy. Non-violence, non-absolutistic viewpoint (Anekäntaväda), and non-possessiveness/ non-attachment (Aparigraha) are fundamental principles of Jainism. Non-violence strengthens the proper conduct of every individual, non-absolutistic viewpoints strengthen the right thinking of every individual, and non-possessiveness strengthens the interdependence of all existence and provides harmony in society. If we observe these three principles in their true spirit, peace and harmony can certainly be attained within us as well as in the world.
Although not fully introduced to the western world, Jainism is India's oldest living religion. The basic principles of Jainism are scientific and the truths' presented in our scriptures are universal; however, their interpretations and applications have to be done in the context of time and space in which we find ourselves.
In English-speaking countries where many Jains have settled permanently such as the USA, Canada, the UK, and Africa, children do not have access to Jain educational material. In an attempt to make Jain principles known globally, the educational material must be made widely available in English. It is also necessary to publish Jain literature and educational material in a variety of media (i.e. books, videos, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and web deployment) for English-speaking people interested in Jain philosophy, religion, and scriptures. JAINA Education Committee has taken up this task. The JAINA Education Committee is pleased to present a set of JAINA Education books (revised 3rd edition) for students of all ages interested in learning Jainism. These books are grouped into four age levels: Level 1 for elementary, Level 2 for middle school, Level 3 for high school, and Level 4 for college students. The entire list of JAINA Education Series Books is listed in this section.
In 1995 and 1997, the first two editions of these books were published by the committee under the leadership of Dr. Premchand Gada of Lubbock, Texas. It took several years of dedicated hard work to compile and publish these series of books. The Jain community of North America has greatly benefited from this effort.
Under a new JAINA Education committee, this 3rd edition series has gone through major revisions incorporating suggestions received from various Päthashälä teachers, educators, and students from different centers. The new committee members are Jain Päthashälä teachers of various centers and they have spent countless hours in the preparation of this material. Great care has been taken to present the material in a non-sectarian way and incorporate the uniqueness of every Jain sect. Most of the books have been rewritten with the addition of many new topics. Significant effort has been made to maintain consistency in
THE FIRST STEP OF JAINISM
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