ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 76

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SCHOOL
OF
As a follow up of this program:
US teachers have started applying their learning in their classrooms as well as promoting the values in other schools.
1. Ahimsā
SELF STUDY IS THE SUPREME AUSTERITY,
स्वाध्याय परमं तप
ISJS also has taken responsibility for the management of a Jain school in walled city of Delhi where more than 1000 boys get education. Most of the children in this school are non Jains and coming from poor or underprivileged classes. The problems here are very different, primarily the discriminating attitude of management, teachers and parents towards children, value system which does not give importance to education causing indiscipline, high absentee rate resulting in poor academic results. ISJS has applied the same techniques of Ahimsa in this school with significant success.
2 Purusärthasidhyupaya by Amṛatacandra, verse 42
3 Samyak-darsana-jñāna-cāritrāni moksamārgah Tattvārtha-sutra 1.1
This paper deals with Ahimsa in Jainism, the doctrine, its social applications as per canonical literature, ethics of Jainism derived as corollary of Ahimsa, and the entire Mokṣamarga itself evolving around enhancing the practice of Ahimsa 2 by the seeker of liberation as Samantabhadra aptly said that attainment of Ahimsa towards all is attaining Mokṣa. The doctrine of Moksa-marga of Jains is being recast as Belief-intellect-Humility (ViśvāsaViveka-Vinaya) i.e., belief in one's own in achieving the objective, self-discriminating knowledge-humility /discipline is being used with remarkable achievements. For social application of this Ahimsa the paper will deal with the concept and practice of this Ahimsa by Mahatma Gandhi in achieving the highest social objective i.e. freedom from the foreign mighty empire.
Both these experiments prove that Ahiṁsā of Jains can yield remarkable improvements in the intellectual-moral and emotional skills of the school children of the world.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
AM STUDIES
1.1 Ahirhsa in Jainism (doctrine & Social)
As a practical religion Jainism has laid great stress on the observance of five main (minor and called Anuvratas) and seven supplementary vows by its lay followers in all stages of life. Among these twelve vows, the most fundamental position has been given to the Ahimsavrata, i.e., the vow of Ahimsa and it has been convincingly shown that the remaining four
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