Gems of Jainism

Author(s): Hemant Shah
Publisher: Academy of Philosophy

Page 78

VALUES IN JAINISM FOR THE
MODERN WORLD
INTRODUCTION
Your institution every year conducts a short term course on religious beliefs. This year the short-term course is on “Religious Values For The Modern World” which will be an attempt to have a genuine understanding of religions specially with reference to their values. Values of Religions always aim at promoting human development, social progress and peaceful co-existence. The peace and understanding avoids alienation of man and thus makes him free from fear and stress. Religious values, thus become of great importance in today's world when unity and integrity are lost and violence and distructions have become a day-to-day affair.
In this short-term course, I will deal with 'Religious Values' with special reference to Jainism, i.e. Values in Jainism. Jainism is both; a religion as well as one of the nine schools of Indian Philosophy. Jainism, in fact, is a way of life. I will deal this subject in three parts, First will be understanding Religion in general, but in-brief, and then specially we will see what is Religion according to Jainism. The second part will be understanding Jainism and the perennial values of Jainism. The Third and the last part will be throwing light on the Modern World, and will try to understand values in Jainism. What the Modern World has turned out to be!