Jaina System of Education

Author(s): Debendra Chandra Das Gupta
Publisher: Bharti Mahavidyalaya

Page 84

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JAINA SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
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for the males were instituted in the Art school from the state of childhood to that of youth in all the common branches of knowledge Lalitavistura that Lord Buddha remained unschooled at the age of eight from conception or seven years from birth when he joined the writing or Art school where he pursued the art-curricula up to his adolescence ** According to this source Lord Buddha studied in the art school for seven years whereas according to the Jaina source the Art school offered an eight year course superimposed upon the pre school or infancy school course where the children spent their days in organized games and music along with other activities quite appropriate to their ge Thus price Goyama of Baraval was sent by his parents to an art school in an auspicious day at the age of eight from conception "Then when his father and mother saw that little Gayama was past eight years of age during an auspicious tithi karana day star and hour they brought him to a teacher of the ArtsTM
The Art school at Rajagṛha was also a popular institution offering academic military scientific and practical courses where pupils of all ranks went for education Prince Meha or Magha son of Srenika Bimbisara was its student where he mastered the seventy two Arts from his seventh year (eighth year from conception) till the dawn of his adolescence Then when prince Meha was in his eighth year his parents brought him to a teacher of the arts on an auspicious titlu karana and hour The teacher of arts trained Mehă and taught him the seventy two arts This wonderful curricula gives us au idea of the range depth and breadth of the Indian mind devoted to the solution of the problem of education. Here nothing is omitted nothing is neglected The education is as thorough and comprehensive as could be Here agam there is an encyclopaedic and ambitious scheme of studies demanding a knowledge of the seventy two arts very high altitude of knowledge was reached and high degree of per
19
A
And when he passes
he will be perfect But we learn from the
26 The Kalpasūtra And Nava Tatva tr by Rev J Stevenson p 55 27a Lalitaviştăra pp 184 190.
17b Jataka Stories vol I tr by Chalmers p 75
18. The Antagadadasão And Anuttarovaványa-dasão, p 30
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Ardha Magadhi Reader edited by Banarasi Das Jain M.A. p 101