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Jaina Path of Education
Dr. B. K. Khadabadi
Education aims at equipping man with the art of living-living a successful life. In ancient and medieval India education and religion were closely related, or rather, religion also played the role of educating its followers. Jainism has been no exception to this fact. Therefore, Jainism can be said to have had its own influence on the educational system and values of India, more particularly of the ancient and medieval period.
characteristic feature of the Hindu system of education in ancient days was its Gurukula system : The teacher's house itself was the school, the higher educational institute and the hostel-all in one. The four Vedas, the six Angas, the eighteen Dharmaśāstras, logic, grammar, lexicography, economics, sociology, law (Cāņakya), inedicine, astrology etc.—all these subjects were taught in the course of seven or eight years. Later with the retention of the Gurukula system, places of pilgrimage also developed as centres of education. Gradually in places like Takşašila educational centres of University level and model came up. Some Agrahāras turned up to be small centres of education, Some pontiffs of the Hindu mnathas took considerable interest in and helped the cause of education. Such work, in varied ways and by many pontiffs, is going on even to this day.
As we enter and peep into the early Buddhist sphere of education, we are struck with a peculiarity that imparting of education took place mostly in the monasteries and it was meant for the newly initiated monks. But later on, outsiders too began to be admitted into these monasteries and non-Buddhist subjects too came to be introduced for them. As a result of such gesture, in due course of time there appeared Universities of international fame like Nalandā, Valabhi and Vikramasilā. Soon these Universities earned a name as educational centres of high order amongst the seekers of knowledge even from foreign countries, particularly from those in Middle and East Asia. But later all these, unfortunately, fell pray to the reckless plunder and arson of the
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