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YOUTH
Regular Study Nourishes
REGULAR STUDY NOURISHES
SIE
Avani Metha explains the benefits of attending Patshala ECEIVING AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION IS TODAY kids residing in India have no advantage over those living in the
considered very important. Kids spend about seven United States. The only way that a kid could possibly come out on
Whours a day, five days a week, about forty weeks for top in the department of knowledge of one's own religion would some fifteen odd years of their lives in school from preschool be to regularly attend Jain Patshala. An understanding of why we to the 12th grade. This totals to about 22,000 hours that do the things we do can only be gained through formal education children are expected to learn about mathematics, history, and a platform for questioning. A method of formal education is English, science and various other subjects thought to be Patshala. fundamental to a successful life. Compared with this There are three main benefits of attending some sort of formal outrageous number of hours spent on learning, only about one education like Patshala. First and foremost, Parshala gives percent of this time is spent practising and gaining wisdom and children a foundation for understanding our own tradition so that knowledge about the religion that all of us belong to: Jainism. in the future they may use the fundamentals of Jainism to compare However, that one percent is only spent by those children who and understand those of other religions and schools of thought. have at least one parent, either their mother or their father or This helps one to become a well-rounded individual and not both, that are very religious.
prejudiced. Secondly, meeting different people is something that Those who do not
is very important in the life have such parentage
of a child. This develops have little interest in
them as they grow religion. For most
into mature individuals. parents the title of being
Patshala enables Jains to "religious" means that
meet and make new they are very particular
friends. Children come in about the rituals and
contact with other children everyday practice of the
that hold the same values Jain religion. Another
and views, and long-lasting way to be religious,
friendships are created. however, is to be
Finally, the theories and introduced to the
rituals learned in Pathsala philosophical beliefs of
for kids' aid the parents. Jainism, to understand
Even in everyday school, the religion that we
kids ask for help from their belong to, to determine
parents when they come why we are born and
across something they do brought up to believe the
not understand. For this. things that we do believe.
the parents have to keep up Sunday School or Cultural education is invaluable
with what their children are Patshala is an answer to
learning, often they must our need to become
learn new material. In the religious in all respects, including the two mentioned above. same respect, the work given in Parshala is often material that
Many adults, in their effort to create a higher will for parents have never come across before. For this reason, they must learning Jainism, compare their kids being brought up in the learn new things in their effort to aid their children and be good United States with those children in the homeland of India. For role models for them. some reason, the mere fact that a child lives in India causes Patshala benefits both the children and the adults in their parents to assume them to be great, knowledgeable individuals effort to become "religious". All in all, Patshala is a great tool in about their religion. However, this is not the case. Granted that gaining the knowledge that can be useful throughout life. the children living in India do have the opportunity to go to a temple every day (and mostly take this wonderful chance), they simply put up a facade of being "religious". These kids are Avani Mehta lives in Boston, USA, and attends monthly Patshala only blindly following the Jain religion and its rituals, without any there. There are Jain Patshalas all over the world, enabling true knowledge as to its purpose and philosophy. This means that children to learn the fundamentals of Jain tradition and culture.
March - May 2002 • Jain Spirit
41
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