ISJS Transactions 2018 07 To 09 Vol 02 No 03

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

Page 17

Prakrit and Apabhramsa in Jaipur reported that, at sixty years of age, she still rises at five each day to make breakfast for her disabled husband, her sons and their families before she goes to work. At five she returns home to begin making dinner and do household chores, finally having a few moments to herself at eight o'clock in the evening, before going to bed. The next morning she begins it all again. Her two sons pay expenses of the family, but Sneha continues to work very hard to provide for her retirement and the retirement of her husband.
One wonders at the continued prejudice against women in Indian society, when they have contributed so much to so many. At a lecture at the International School for Jain Studies at the Jain temple in Jaipur, Professor Kusum Jain gave a lecture on anekāntavāda. "The biggest complaint in life that all of us have, the biggest source of suffering is - "nobody understands me" ....If I give the feeling that I understand you, this is the biggest gift you can give to anyone. Indian women will cook, take care of home and children and they are tired and the husband comes and if he simply says you must be tired, 90% will forget their tiredness. All they need is this....Anekāntavāda teaches this. This is the biggest non-violence." It could well be asked if the current influx of female renunciants is inspired by female householders who hope for their daughters to transcend to a better life than they themselves have led.
Conclusion
In this brief treatment, I have attempted to look at domestic pedagogies used by Jains in the transmission of Jain teachings to children. I have stated that Jain female householders rely on child training methods learned from the examples of mothers, grandmothers, and aunts, but they may also use storybooks, community courses for children and practical instructional moments to teach the Jain way of life. I have also stated that the transmission of Jainism to the next generation is challenged by materialism in the surrounding culture, global media, a desire on the part of younger Jains for rational, critical thought to be applied to the principles of Jainism, and a gender imbalance.
The educational level of the Jain women I communicated with is highly impressive. There can be no doubt of their ability to find rational, scientific reasons for the practice of Jainism in their homes, nor should observers despair that such a task must be undertaken, as all religions must reinterpret themselves each generation in order to remain relevant in a changing world. Given the Jain notion that only that which is real changes and given Jainism's history of survival for several thousand years, both as a religion and a people, Jains are clearly up to the task.
Of more concern is how Jains might elevate the status of females and also the status of householder women. (In this I do not mean to negate or disparage the contributions of female ascetics, this paper nonethe-less, has focused on the role of female householders.) It is evident that individual Jains honor their own mothers, but what about the status of female householders in general? Many Jain women have proven their academic prowess and their business acumen as well. In addition to their intellectual and occupational abilities, these women need to be collectively valued for their roles as householders. The future of Jainism may depend upon it.
Rabindranath Tagore's take on the renunciation of the Buddha provides an interesting metaphor for the plight of all female householders in India, whether Jain or not.
The Practice and Instruction of Jain principles... 11