________________
189
The Jains through Time
Jain Education International
Those who have vision can 'see through' any event. One day Acharya Shriji saw some children fishing in a dirty ditch. When she tried to stop them, the children said, "We are hungry. What else can we eat?" She realised that the children were right. If they had had some food in their stomachs they might have been able to understand the meaning of ahimsa. At that time, Veerayatan was conducting educational programmes in many schools throughout the area. She felt that there was no point in trying to educate a few when thousands lacked food. As a result she conceived of the 'Sudhashanam' programme to feed, clothe and educate children en masse.
Sudhashanam is an appealing way of educating growing children into acquiring good habits and moral values. Schools in Rajgir and nearby areas receive nutritious vegetarian food in addition to teaching materials. Ethical precepts are instilled in the children with a view to persuading them to respect vegetarian principles. The programme has been widely implemented and thousands of children are still benefiting from it.
Veerayatan's educational work is expanding every day. Many young people have been helped by Veerayatan to find a direction in life and they are making excellent progress. Acharya Shriji has always had a dream of seeing that inhabitants of the land sacred to the Tirthankars should be well-fed and educated and receive proper medical attention. Her own tireless efforts have gone a long way to turning this into a reality. She is concerned for the individual progress and welfare of every single child she sees. How will this child develop? How will he or she face life's challenges? Because of her affection for children, her birthday, January
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
