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Jain Study Class Essay
The following essay was written by a Pathshala Student of Jain Society of Greater Detroit, Michigan
Every year study class organizes a essay writing competition with topics based on what students have learned during the year. The essays submitted by students are judged by three independent judges for each group. The winning essays are selected for prize and publication. Here are the winning essays from our senior group students.
You may agree or disagree with some of the points but please do consider that it is written by a student who are not experts but devoted to learn Jainism. Think about their hard work and dedication (as well their heart) put into writing this essay. Little encouragement will help them a lot for the future success."
Group 7 Winning Essay
Umang Lathia
Umang is a student of group 7 from study class. He is a junior from Walled Lake Western High School
Vision of Jainism in the 21st We, as humans, fear the future and the uncertainty of what lies before us. As always, the future is unpredictable, and as much as we try to control it, we cannot. We can only work to make preferred outcomes more likely to happen. Many people are concerned with the future of Jainism- specifically, what will happen to Jainism in Western countries. Will it survive and flourish, or will it die out, its philosophy all but lost? And if it is the latter, what can we do to prepare? What can we change or adapt so that way we can make sure that Jainism is not lost for future generations. Personally, I believe that the number of Jains will increase throughout the 21st century, but there are some changes that will help ensure this growth.
Jainism has so much to offer mankind, and as people begin to recognize this, they will follow the principles of Jainism. Many of the vows that we currently follow are virtues that others are striving to attain, most notably: Ahimsa (non-violence). Currently, many believe that world peace in not only
Century
desirable, but necessary, for us to continue living. With the threat of atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs, humans could easily destroy themselves, and peace is the only logical solution that will help end the trouble.
And peace is not confined to the boundaries of human kind. The same thinking can also apply to animals and nature. At the rate that we are currently destroying the Earth, we will not be able to sustain ourselves for long. Humans want too much, waste too much, and do not care for the planet that is providing us with everything that we need to survive. As of now, humans are parasites that are slowly killing the Earth, using up its natural resources, killing its ecosystem, and doing little to assist it. We are heading towards a deadly cliff, and Jainism is a way of leading us away from it. Jainism is an eco-conscious religion, one that recognizes that if we hurt the planet right now, we will pay in the future. The ideas of being compassionate and helpful, will eventually win because without them,
Jainism: The Global Impact
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