________________
Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
or basadis also served as schools of general type of primary education, in addition to religious education, for the children of the laity of the surrounding arcas. Pathasalas were also run by some members of the lay community. The Bhattaraka tradition developed in their mathas mini centres of education, religious as well as partly general. Later, gradually, there appeared manuscript libraries in some of the basadis and mathas. The general type of education, however, did not make much progress so as to enter into its higher order. "The reason for such state of affairs." as Dr.Altekar observes, "is that the Jaina community, mostly belonging to the merchant class, did not think much about higher education for their children. They mostly trained their children in their own family business and later accommodated them therein alone. This tendency can be seen among some Jaina merchants even to this day."
137
Though the Jaina teachers did not build outstanding educational centres like Takṣasila and Nalanda, the work done by them in the field of social education or mass-education is unique. Well-equipped with the vast scriptural and general knowledge, bearing pure thinking and conduct, always wandering about as a model for other young monks and the pious laity, every Jaina teacher was almost a moving mini University. His sermon was a powerful means of mass-education; the religious story (dharma-katha) in the sermon was an effective medium of such education; and narration of such story in an interesting and entertaining manner was a wholesome method followed by him. Thus, through various stories, the constituent (individual and social) virtues of the Śravakadharma and other ethical principles were imprinted on the minds of the masses. In order to keep away the common people from the seven vices (Saptavyasana), many Jaina teachers have told numerous interesting stories, which we can read even today in the rich Jaina narrative literature in different languages and of different periods. Thus, religious or ethical instruction in an entertaining manner is the secret of successful social education
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
