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Jain Conference Herald.
[ November upright. He will be found to prosper in the long run. And what is true of individuals is equally true of communities and nations. Character then is a great and valuable asset indispensable to prosperity.
2--Our community and the country once attained the zenith of prosperity, but the people were then highly religions and their morality was of a high order. But to day, the general condition of the masses is anything but satisfactory; it is simply deplorable and beart-rendivg in some places. What is the main cause of all this. change and I would answer that the great majority of our people kdow little or nothing of religion and their character has fallen and this accounts for the decline in our material prosperity. Western education has certainly done a good deal towords raising our people's character but our Government Schools and Colleges do not as a rule touch religious education. It is different in European countries. In erery public School in England, religious education is given along with secular, and much attention is paid to the building np of character of youths educated. In this country, in consequence of its different religions, castes and creeds, Government have not been able to undertake the task of giving religious education. This must therefore be done by the people themselves.
3--It may be asked whether there are the requisite arrangements for the imparting of religious education to our youthis. The answer must, I am afraid, obviously be in the negative. There are Patlıshalas in certain places where the boys and girls commit to memory Shastras in Maghdhi or Sanskrit generally without understanding them, but so far as I am aware the fundamental doctrines and philosophy of the religion are not taught in most of the institutions. There may be hidden advantages in learning things parrot like, but that is not what is meant by sound religious education. Religious education to be given to boys must, I venture to think, consist largely in the inculcation of the elementary principles of morality and religion with apt illustrations drain as far as possible from our Shastras and our ancient History, the main object being to build up the character of the rising generation and to make them truly religious.
4-But the creat problem remains how is this to be done ? The foundation of a Jain College and High School where the requisite religious education could be giren to the students would seem to be an excellent idea. The Aligharlı College and the Central Irindu College at Benares have set examples worthy to bc imitatoil. Surely
