Jai Jinendra - Jainism, Jain Religion - colleges
Jai Jinendra - Jainism, Jain Religion - colleges
Jai Jinendra - Jainism, Jain Religion - colleges
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<strong>Jai</strong> <strong>Jinendra</strong><br />
The JAINA Education Committee is pleased to present the <strong>Jai</strong>n Education Series books for Levels<br />
1 to 4. A great deal of effort has been taken for the preparation new material and the revision of<br />
the existing material. Much care has also been taken to present <strong>Jai</strong>nism in a non-sectarian way.<br />
However the committee members who prepared the topics or made the revisions are <strong>Jai</strong>n Pathshala<br />
teachers and not the <strong>Jai</strong>n scholars. Hence you may find some errors and also certain items may be<br />
applicable to one <strong>Jai</strong>n sect and not applicable to other sects of <strong>Jai</strong>nism. Please use the material<br />
objectively and provide positive suggestions so that we can easily incorporate them in the future<br />
revisions.<br />
The JAINA Education Series is divided into a total of 9 different texts:<br />
Sr Level Age Num <strong>Jai</strong>na Education Series Books<br />
01 L1 5-9 JES-A1 <strong>Jai</strong>n Coloring Book<br />
02 L1 5-9 JES-A2 <strong>Jai</strong>n Dot to Dot Book<br />
03 L1 5-9 JES-A3 <strong>Jai</strong>n Alphabets<br />
04 L1 5-9 JES-A4 <strong>Jai</strong>n Moral Skits<br />
05 L2 10-12 JES-B1 <strong>Jai</strong>n Sutras and Stavans *<br />
07 L2 10-12 JES-B2 <strong>Jai</strong>n Story Book<br />
06 L2 10-12 JES-B3 Basics of <strong>Jai</strong>nism I<br />
08 L2 10-12 JES-B4 Basics of <strong>Jai</strong>nism II<br />
09 L3 13-15 JES-C1 Basics of <strong>Jai</strong>nism III *<br />
10 L3 13-15 JES-C2 <strong>Jai</strong>n Philosophy and Practice I<br />
11 L4 16 up JES-D1 <strong>Jai</strong>n Philosophy and Practice II<br />
*Note – Two books, <strong>Jai</strong>n Sutras and Stavan (JES-B1) and Basics of <strong>Jai</strong>nism III (JES-C1) are in<br />
process of being prepared. They are not included in this version of CD.<br />
A lot of minds, and a lot of blessings, directly and indirectly, have touched this noble project. We<br />
sincerely appreciate and thank every person who made this project successful. It is only our<br />
sincere wish that this material will be helpful to all, from the youngest youth to the oldest adult. As<br />
always, if you have any suggestions for improvement, please feel free to contact us.<br />
If we have mentioned anything against the teachings of the Tirthankaras, we ask for forgiveness.<br />
Michhami Dukkadam.<br />
Thank You and <strong>Jai</strong> Jindendra!<br />
The JAINA Education Committee<br />
______________________________________________________<br />
Pravin K. Shah, Chairperson<br />
<strong>Jai</strong>na Education Committee<br />
Federation of <strong>Jai</strong>n Associations in North America<br />
Pkshah1@attglobal.net<br />
919-859-4994<br />
509 Carriage Woods Circle<br />
Raleigh, NC 27607-3969 USA
Basics Of <strong>Jai</strong>nism II<br />
JAINA Education Series B4<br />
LESSON 1 – JAIN PRAYER...........................................................................................................5<br />
LESSON 2 – LIVING AND NON-LIVING (JIV AND AJIV).....................................................7<br />
2
LESSON 3 – JIV .............................................................................................................................12<br />
LESSON 4 – SOUL (ÄTMÄ) .........................................................................................................16<br />
LESSON 5 - WHO AM I? ..............................................................................................................17<br />
LESSON 6 - AJIV ...........................................................................................................................19<br />
LESSON 7 - SENSES......................................................................................................................20<br />
LESSON 8 - THE COMPASSION OF LORD PÄRSHVANATH .............................................26<br />
LESSON 9 – NIRAV TALKS ABOUT JAINISM .......................................................................28<br />
LESSON 10 - WHO IS RIGHT? ...................................................................................................30<br />
LESSON 11 - MAHATMA GANDHI AND TRUTH ..................................................................31<br />
LESSON 12 - THE LION AND THE HERD OF GOATS..........................................................33<br />
LESSON 13 - JAIN FUNDAMENTALS.......................................................................................35<br />
LESSON 14 – FRIENDLINESS (MAITRI BHAVANA) ............................................................36<br />
LESSON 15 – WHAT IS SWASTIKA..........................................................................................38<br />
LESSON 16 - JAINISM, THE COMPASSIONATE RELIGION..............................................40<br />
LESSON 17- SPIRITUAL TEACHERS.......................................................................................41<br />
LESSON 18 - PRACTICING NON-VIOLENCE AND COMPASSION...................................44<br />
LESSON 19 - GOING TO PÄTHASHÄLÄ .................................................................................45<br />
LESSON 20- BE GENTLE AND HELPFUL ...............................................................................47<br />
LESSON 21 - TRUE MONKS .......................................................................................................48<br />
3
LESSON 22 - LORD MAHÄVIR ..................................................................................................49<br />
LESSON 23 - SAGE KAPIL..........................................................................................................52<br />
LESSON 24 - TRUE LEARNING.................................................................................................55<br />
LESSON 25 – PARYUSHAN – A FESTIVAL OF FORGIVENESS.........................................57<br />
LESSON 26 - ARIHANTA.............................................................................................................58<br />
LESSON 27 - RESPECT ................................................................................................................61<br />
LESSON 28 - MONKEY AND SUGARI......................................................................................63<br />
LESSON 29 – THE STORY OF SILK..........................................................................................64<br />
4
LESSON 1 - JAIN PRAYER<br />
Teacher:<br />
Today we are going to talk about a <strong>Jai</strong>n Prayer. You are familiar with various prayers<br />
we sing on different occasions. Among all of them "Namokär Mantra" or Navakär<br />
Mantra is the most important prayer for all <strong>Jai</strong>ns.<br />
"NAMOKÄR MANTRA" is the prayer that shows our respect for those souls who<br />
are liberated as well as to those who are on the path to Liberation. More importantly,<br />
it reminds us to use these examples and actively steer our lives to the path of<br />
liberation.<br />
Can anyone recite the Namokär Mantra?<br />
Sejal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sejal:<br />
Kanu:<br />
Teacher:<br />
All:<br />
Yes, I can recite Namokär Mantra. My mother taught me.<br />
Namo Arihantänam<br />
Namo Siddhänam<br />
Namo Äyariyänam<br />
Namo Uvajjhäyänam<br />
Namo Loe Savva Sähunam<br />
Sejal, this is very good. You said it without any mistake. Do you know that many<br />
<strong>Jai</strong>ns recite it with four additional lines?<br />
No sir.<br />
Can we recite Namokär mantra with nine lines together?<br />
O.K., let’s do that. Then we will also talk about it’s meaning.<br />
Namo Arihantänam<br />
Namo Siddhänam<br />
Namo Äyariyänam<br />
Namo Uvajjhäyänam<br />
Namo Loe Savva Sähunam<br />
Eso Pancha Namukkäro<br />
Savva-Pävappanäsano<br />
Manglänancha Savvesim<br />
Padhamam Havai Mangalam.<br />
Teacher:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Now, I am going to tell you the meaning of the Namokär Mantra.<br />
NAMO ARIHANTÄNAM<br />
I bow to Arihantas<br />
(to conquer my weaknesses and to reflect inwardly in meditation).<br />
5
NAMO SIDDHÄNAM<br />
I bow to Siddhas<br />
(to reach the state of perfection and attain liberation).<br />
NAMO ÄYARIYÄNAM<br />
I bow to Ächäryas<br />
(to control my passions and to become compassionate).<br />
NAMO UVAJJHÄYÄNAM<br />
I bow to Upädhyäy<br />
(to be enlightened thru knowledge and meditation).<br />
NAMO LOE SAVVA SÄHUNAM<br />
I bow to all Sädhus and Sädhvis<br />
(in order to live my life in simplicity)<br />
ESO PANCHA NAMUKKÄRO<br />
I bow to all the five<br />
SAVVA PÄVA PANÄSANO<br />
Which destroy all the sins<br />
MANGLÄNANCHA SAVVESIM<br />
Amongst all that is auspicious<br />
PADHAMAM HAVAI MANGALAM<br />
Namokär Mantra is the most auspicious mantra.<br />
Teacher:<br />
Arihantas, Siddhas, Ächäryas, Upädhyäys and Sädhus and Sädhvijis are also collectively<br />
known as Pancha Parameshti in <strong>Jai</strong>n religion. We should make continuous efforts to be<br />
like them. Everyday in the morning and before we go to bed, we should pray as a<br />
reminder to us of our goal to be a better individual. We must remember that prayers are<br />
not for gaining the grace of Gods or Goddesses, or for good luck. They are used as an<br />
inspirational tool and also as a precursor to meditation.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) What is the most popular <strong>Jai</strong>n prayer?<br />
2) Can you recite that prayer?<br />
3) Can you give the meaning of the prayer?<br />
4) Who are the five supreme beings in <strong>Jai</strong>nism?<br />
6
LESSON 2 - Living and Non-Living (Jiv and Ajiv)<br />
(Teacher is putting something on the table)<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi, what is this?<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Neela:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ramesh:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ramesh:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sir, this is a baby doll.<br />
Right. Can this doll walk by itself?<br />
No, it cannot walk at its own wish, but I can make it look as if it is walking.<br />
Neela, can this doll see with its eyes?<br />
No, it cannot see with those eyes.<br />
Ramesh, can it sing?<br />
How can it sing when it cannot even talk?<br />
Well, it has ears so it should be able to hear us.<br />
(Laughing) Sir, it cannot hear or understand what we are talking about.<br />
Komal, can it eat since it has mouth?<br />
7
Komal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Chetan:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Children:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
No, it cannot eat or drink.<br />
Chetan, will it cry, if I drop it from the table?<br />
No, it will not cry.<br />
You all have given good answers. Do you all agree that this doll cannot walk, see,<br />
eat, or hear like we can?<br />
Yes sir, we all agree.<br />
What is the reason for this? What is the difference between the baby doll and us?<br />
Ravi, do you know?<br />
We are real people, while the baby doll is only a toy.<br />
Ravi, can you tell me what "real people" mean to you?<br />
(Scratches his head and does not answer)<br />
There is a big difference between toys and real people. Those who have one or<br />
more of the senses like touch, taste, smell, seeing, and hearing or feel pain and<br />
pleasure are known as living beings (Jiv). Those who have none of these senses<br />
are known as non-living objects or things (Ajiv). So now, Ravi, can you tell me<br />
the difference between the doll and us?<br />
Yes, since the doll cannot hear, talk, or feel pain and pleasure, it is a non-living<br />
thing (Ajiv). As we can talk, see, hear, and feel pain and pleasure, we are called<br />
living beings (Jiv).<br />
Very good, Ravi. Now you understand it correctly. Children, listen carefully, I am<br />
going to explain more about living and non-living objects.<br />
Anything which has the ability to know, learn, understand, feel pain and pleasure,<br />
or has various senses is known as a living being (Jiv). We can learn, know,<br />
understand, feel pain and pleasure, and we have five senses, so we are living<br />
beings.<br />
Anything, which does not have the senses to know, understand, feel pain, and<br />
pleasure, or does not have any senses is called non-living thing (Ajiv). Therefore,<br />
this doll is a non-living thing<br />
Teacher<br />
Komal, the bench on which you are sitting on, is living or non-living?<br />
8
Komal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Komal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
A bench is a non-living thing because it does not know, understand, or feel the pain<br />
of my weight.<br />
Komal is right. Now, what happens when you get an "A" on your test?<br />
I feel happy, because I have feelings.<br />
Ravi, can you name some examples of non-living objects around us.<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Books, table, chairs, pen, clock, and ruler are all non-living objects.<br />
Neela, can you name some living beings?<br />
9
Neela:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Children:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Yes. plant, dog, cat, cow, rabbit, parrot, lion, elephant, fish, chicken, insects, trees,<br />
grass, crops, and, human beings are all living beings.<br />
Children, do you have any questions?<br />
No sir, now we understand the difference between living beings and non-living<br />
things.<br />
Before we finish this class, I would like to remind you to be good to each other<br />
because everyone feels pain and pleasure.<br />
Let me give you homework. I would like everyone to write down the names of<br />
twenty living beings and twenty non-living things for our next class.<br />
Questions:<br />
What does Jiv mean?<br />
What does Ajiv mean?<br />
Can you name fifteen examples of Jiv?<br />
Can you name fifteen example of Ajiv?<br />
Circle whether the following sentences are true or false.<br />
A bench can talk.<br />
A lion cannot breath.<br />
An Ajiv has no senses.<br />
A doll can eat by itself.<br />
A ball can feel pain.<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
10
A man can learn.<br />
True or False<br />
1. Tell whether the following are Jiv or Ajiv:<br />
Lion<br />
Bench<br />
Doll<br />
Fish<br />
Dog<br />
Ball<br />
Chicken<br />
Cat<br />
Chair<br />
Parrot<br />
Books<br />
Clock<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
___________<br />
11
LESSON 3 - JIV<br />
I AM EARTH.<br />
I AM A LIVING BEING.<br />
I HAVE ONLY ONE SENSE.<br />
THIS SENSE IS TOUCH.<br />
I AM WATER.<br />
I AM A LIVING BEING.<br />
I HAVE ONLY ONE SENSE.<br />
THIS SENSE IS TOUCH.<br />
I AM FIRE.<br />
I AM A LIVING BEING.<br />
I HAVE ONLY ONE SENSE.<br />
THIS SENSE IS TOUCH.<br />
12
I AM AIR.<br />
I AM A LIVING BEING.<br />
I HAVE ONLY ONE SENSE.<br />
THIS SENSE IS TOUCH.<br />
I AM A PLANT.<br />
I AM A LIVING BEING.<br />
I HAVE ONLY ONE SENSE.<br />
THIS SENSE IS TOUCH.<br />
WE ARE VEGETABLES.<br />
WE ARE LIVING BEINGS.<br />
13
WE HAVE ONLY ONE SENSE.<br />
THIS SENSE IS TOUCH.<br />
WE ARE TWO-SENSED LIVING<br />
BEINGS.<br />
WE ARE LIVING BEINGS.<br />
WE HAVE TWO SENSES.<br />
THESE TWO SENSES ARE TOUCH AND<br />
TASTE.<br />
WE ARE THREE-SENSED LIVING<br />
BEINGS.<br />
WE ARE LIVING BEINGS.<br />
WE HAVE THREE SENSES.<br />
THESE THREE SENSES ARE<br />
TOUCH, TASTE, AND SMELL.<br />
WE ARE FOUR-SENSED LIVING BEINGS.<br />
WE ARE LIVING BEINGS.<br />
WE HAVE FOUR SENSES.<br />
14
THESE FOUR SENSES ARE<br />
TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL AND, SIGHT.<br />
WE ARE FIVE-SENSED LIVING<br />
BEINGS.<br />
WE ARE LIVING BEINGS.<br />
WE HAVE ALL FIVE SENSES,<br />
TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL, SIGHT<br />
AND, HEARING.<br />
Questions:<br />
Which sense do one-sensed living beings have?<br />
Give some examples of one-sensed living beings?<br />
Which senses do two-sensed living beings have?<br />
Give some examples of two-sensed living beings?<br />
Which senses do three-sensed living being have?<br />
Give some examples of three-sensed living beings?<br />
Which senses do four-sensed living being have?<br />
Give some examples of four-sensed living beings?<br />
Which senses do five-sensed living being have?<br />
Give some examples of five-sensed living beings?<br />
What are the different groups of five-sensed living beings?<br />
15
LESSON 4 - SOUL (Ätmä)<br />
I AM A SOUL. ALL SOULS ARE EQUAL<br />
I LIVE IN MY BODY<br />
I NEVER DIE.<br />
I CAN NOT BE SEEN.<br />
I HAVE INFINITE KNOWLEDGE.<br />
I HAVE INFINITE PERCEPTION.<br />
I HAVE INFINITE ENERGY.<br />
I AM IN AN EVERLASTING BLISSFUL STATE.<br />
I NEED A BODY TO LIVE IN.<br />
THE BODY AND I ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.<br />
THE BODY CANNOT SEE, THINK, OR FEEL WITHOUT ME.<br />
I AM CAPABLE OF ATTAINING MOKSHA.<br />
WHEN I AM IN MOKSHA, I AM LIBERATED AND DO NOT NEED A BODY TO LIVE.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) Where does a soul live before Moksha?<br />
2) Is a soul visible? Or Can anyone see soul?<br />
3) What kind of powers does a soul have?<br />
4) Are the body and the soul the same?<br />
5) Can a body see, think, or feel without a soul?<br />
16
LESSON 5 - WHO AM I?<br />
I AM A JIV (LIVING BEING).<br />
I AM A FISH<br />
I LIVE IN WATER.<br />
I CAN SWIM.<br />
I HAVE ALL FIVE SENSES<br />
TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL, SIGHT AND,<br />
HEARING.<br />
I AM A JIV.<br />
I AM A COW<br />
I LIVE IN A FARM.<br />
I EAT GRASS. I GIVE MILK.<br />
I HAVE ALL FIVE SENSES<br />
TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL, SIGHT AND, HEARING<br />
I AM A JIV.<br />
I AM A FLOWER.<br />
I GROW ON A PLANT.<br />
I SMELL GOOD.<br />
I HAVE ONLY ONE SENSE, TOUCH.<br />
17
I AM A JIV.<br />
I AM A MAN.<br />
I CAN MOVE. I CAN FEEL. I CAN PLAY.<br />
I HAVE THE POWER TO LEARN.<br />
I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS.<br />
I HAVE FIVE SENSES<br />
TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL, SIGHT AND, HEARING.<br />
I AM A JIV.<br />
I AM A BIRD.<br />
I FLY.<br />
I BUILD A NEST IN A TREE.<br />
I HAVE ALL FIVE SENSES<br />
TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL, SIGHT AND,<br />
HEARING.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) How many senses does a fish have?<br />
2) How many senses does a cow have?<br />
3) How many senses does a flower have?<br />
4) How many senses does a butterfly have?<br />
5) How many senses does a snail have?<br />
6) How many senses does a shell have?<br />
18
LESSON 6 - AJIV<br />
I SEE A BOX ON THE TABLE.<br />
THE BOX DOES NOT HAVE ANY SENSE.<br />
IT DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEARN.<br />
IT CANNOT MOVE BY ITSELF.<br />
THE BOX IS CALLED AJIV (NON-LIVING BEING).<br />
Questions:<br />
Is the box Jiv or Ajiv?<br />
How many senses does the box have?<br />
What are the things that the box cannot do?<br />
Can you give fifteen more examples of Ajivas (non-living being)?<br />
19
LESSON 7 - Senses<br />
Teacher:<br />
Can anyone hold a piece of ice for a long time?<br />
Komal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
I can hold it, but not for a long time because my fingers will get cold.<br />
O.K. Is there anyone here who can hold his hands over a fire for a while?<br />
Bharati:<br />
Teacher:<br />
No way! The fire is too hot and we can get burnt!<br />
Right! Now can anyone tell me how much a football or a tennis ball weigh?<br />
20
Mohan:<br />
Teacher:<br />
(Holding out both balls), I cannot tell you the exact weight but foot ball is<br />
heavier than tennis ball.<br />
Good. Has anyone ever slept on a wooden bench before?<br />
Dinesh:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
I have! It is difficult to sleep on it for very long.<br />
I agree with you. Can anyone tell me how do we know that how cold the ice is,<br />
how hot the fire is, how heavy a football is, and how hard a bench is?<br />
I do. We can feel ice, fire, a football, and a bench.<br />
Children remember that this ability to feel is also called a sense. We can feel<br />
cold, hot, heavy, dry, wet, smooth, hard, etc., by touching so we call it the sense<br />
of touch. Through our skin, we can feel different things. The touch is our first<br />
sense.<br />
Has anyone here ever tasted ice-cream?<br />
Jateen:<br />
Sir, I am sure all of us have. It tastes sweet. I love ice-cream!<br />
21
Teacher:<br />
Rakesh:<br />
Can someone tell me what orange juice tastes like?<br />
Orange juice is tart.<br />
Teacher:<br />
Rakesh:<br />
Teacher:<br />
And how did you get that idea?<br />
I've tasted orange juice with my tongue, and it tasted that way.<br />
Children, with sense of taste we can tell if things are sweet, sour, bitter, or<br />
spicy, etc. So the taste sense is our second sense. The tongue can taste different<br />
things.<br />
Mina, can you tell us how do you decide which perfume to buy?<br />
Mina:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Teacher:<br />
It is easy. I smell them and I buy the fragrance that I like.<br />
Listen children, due to the sense of smell, we can tell whether a particular smell<br />
is pleasant or unpleasant. Our nose helps us decide this. Smell is our third sense.<br />
Koyal, what is the color of the sky?<br />
22
Koyal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Bharati:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Neela:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sir, it is blue.<br />
Bharati, what is the color of your chain and ring?<br />
Sir, the chain is golden and the ring is silver.<br />
Neela, can you tell me how people know the colors of these things?<br />
We can see colors with our eyes.<br />
You are right. Remember due to our visual sense we can see various colors and<br />
shapes. So sight is our fourth sense and eyes help us to see everything around<br />
us.<br />
(There is a lot of noise outside the window)<br />
Sir, can we take a break?<br />
Why?<br />
All the noise from outside makes it hard to hear what you say.<br />
What kind of noise do you hear?<br />
23
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
We hear the noise from a band, screaming children, and cars.<br />
How can you tell that these are all different noise?<br />
Sir, with my ears I can make out different noise.<br />
Right, Ravi. Remember that because of our ears, we can hear different noise<br />
and can tell where they come from. Hearing is our fifth and last sense.<br />
Thus, there are five senses in all.<br />
Now you know that we feel with our skin, taste with our tongue, smell with our<br />
nose, see with our eyes, and hear with our ears. We all have five senses.<br />
So human beings are the five-sensed living beings.<br />
Komal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sir, do all living beings in the world have all the five senses like us?<br />
Can anyone answer that?<br />
(Silence in the class)<br />
24
Teacher:<br />
No. Some living beings have five senses like us, while others have four, three,<br />
two, or one sense. Just like us, animals and birds have five senses. Insects may<br />
have four, three, or two senses and plants have only one sense.<br />
Ekendriya means one-sensed Jiv (living being).<br />
Beindriya means two-sensed Jiv (living being).<br />
Treindriya means three-sensed Jiv (living being).<br />
Chaurindriya means four-sensed Jiv (living being).<br />
Panchendriya means five-sensed Jiv (living being).<br />
We are very lucky that we have all the five senses. So we should be very careful<br />
how we use them.<br />
Questions:<br />
What does a sense mean?<br />
How many senses are there?<br />
Can you name all the senses?<br />
What is the least number of senses a Jiv (living being) can have?<br />
Which is the highest number of senses a Jiv (living being) can have?<br />
1. How many senses do Ajiv (non-living being) have?<br />
Match the followings:<br />
Ekendriya<br />
Beindriya<br />
Treindriya<br />
Chaurindriya<br />
Panchendriya<br />
Three senses<br />
Five senses<br />
One senses<br />
Four senses<br />
Two senses<br />
25
LESSON 8 - THE COMPASSION OF LORD PÄRSHVANÄTH<br />
Once a hermit named Kamath was performing a sacrificial ritual near the outskirts of a town. He<br />
was wearing a single piece of cloth and had ashes rubbed all over his body. The sun was shining<br />
and it was very hot. The hermit had also lighted a sacrificial fire all around him. All the people<br />
from the town came in big groups to see his amazing performance. They were bowing down to<br />
Kamath with reverence. Kamath blessed them all in return.<br />
Seeing groups of people, going to see Kamath’s performance, Prince Pärshvanäth became curious<br />
to see what was going on. So he also went there. He was surprised by hermit's performance. Soon,<br />
with his superpower, prince Pärshvanäth noticed a snake burning in the fire. Prince Pärshvanäth<br />
felt sorry for the hermit who was unknowingly indulging in gross violence. Prince Pärshvanäth<br />
said, "Oh Hermit, what are you doing? Do you realize that there is a snake burning in the fire? You<br />
are performing a sinful ritual.”<br />
After hearing these words, the hermit became very angry. He shouted, "Oh naughty child, You are<br />
very rude. You know nothing about this holy ritual.."<br />
Prince Pärshvanäth ignored the hermit. He asked his servant to pull the log out from the burning<br />
fire and split it open. To everyone's surprise, a half burnt snake fell out of the log. The hermit was<br />
ashamed. His face turned pale.<br />
The Prince recited the Namokär Mantra for the dying snake. The snake thanked the Prince in his<br />
mind and died peacefully while listening Namokär Mantra. Due to the snake's serenity while<br />
listening to Namokär Mantra, he was reborn as Dharanendra, the king of heavenly gods.<br />
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All the people left the scene thinking about the undesirable ritual of the hermit. Kamath felt<br />
disgraced and left with anger and hatred towards the prince. Kamath soon died without repenting<br />
for his anger and hatred towards the prince. Since he had some good karmas, he was reborn as a<br />
heavenly god whose function is to control the rain. He is known as Meghkumar.<br />
Prince Pärshvanäth became the king of the city of<br />
Väränasi. After a few years he renounced his<br />
worldly life and became a monk. Once, while he<br />
was standing in meditation, the angel Meghkumar<br />
saw him. Because of his anger towards<br />
Pärshvanäth during his previous life,<br />
Meghkumar's anger knew no bounds. He decided<br />
to take the revenge. He caused lots of physical<br />
tortures to monk Pärshvanäth. But, Pärshvanäth<br />
was in deep meditation and was not disturbed.<br />
This made Meghkumar furious. He created<br />
thunder, lightning and, heavy rain. The water<br />
began to flood. Its level started to rise.<br />
At that time the throne of Dharanendra (king of<br />
heavenly gods) began to shake. He made use of<br />
his special power to see what was happening. He<br />
saw monk Pärshvanäth, being harassed by<br />
Meghkumar. He came to the earth in the form of<br />
a multi-headed snake. He spread his hoods over the monk like an umbrella and protected him from<br />
the heavy pouring of the rain. He asked Meghkumar in anger, "Oh, atrocious creature, do you<br />
know what you are doing? Why are you acquiring more sins by causing Pärshvanäth to suffer?<br />
Now stop this havoc!" The monk was so deep in meditation that he did not even know what was<br />
going on.<br />
Meghkumar was frightened by Dharanendra's anger and instantly removed all the water. He asked<br />
for forgiveness from the Pärshvanäth and then left. Shortly after that incident Pärshvanäth attained<br />
omniscience and became the twenty-third Tirthankar of the present era.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) What was Kamath doing?<br />
2) Why did Prince Pärshvanäth ask his servant to pull out the log from the fire?<br />
3) Why did the snake become a heavenly angel in the next life?<br />
4) Why did Meghkumar pour heavy rain on Pärshvanäth?<br />
5) What did Dharanendra do? Why?<br />
6) What did Meghkumar do to the monk before he left?<br />
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LESSON 9 - NIRAV TALKS ABOUT JAINISM<br />
Teacher<br />
Nirav<br />
Sam<br />
Nirav<br />
Pedro<br />
Nirav<br />
Teacher<br />
Nirav<br />
Sarah<br />
Nirav<br />
Teacher<br />
Nirav<br />
Today is a diversity day. We are going to talk about diversity within us and around the<br />
world. Nirav, would you like to talk about your culture and your beliefs to the class?<br />
Sure, my parents came from India. India has a very rich history and culture.<br />
So are you a Hindu?<br />
No Sam, I am a <strong>Jai</strong>n so, I practice <strong>Jai</strong>nism.<br />
What is that? I have never heard of it. Do you believe in God?<br />
We <strong>Jai</strong>ns are the follower of ‘Jina’ the victors. They are victors over their own inner<br />
weaknesses like anger, ego, greed, deceit etc… <strong>Jai</strong>nism is one of the oldest religions in the<br />
world, with over 5,000 years of known history. <strong>Jai</strong>ns do believe in God but not as a creator or<br />
controller. We believe that every soul in its purest form is God.<br />
I am a little confused. I read somewhere that Lord Mahävir started <strong>Jai</strong>nism around 600 BC.<br />
Wasn’t he the contemporary of Buddha?<br />
You are partially correct. Lord Mahävir was the elder contemporary of Buddha. But he was<br />
24 th and last Tirthankar (teacher) in this time cycle. <strong>Jai</strong>nism existed long before him. Sadly<br />
many books have very limited, even incorrect information on <strong>Jai</strong>nism.<br />
Do you have a ‘Bible’?<br />
<strong>Jai</strong>n scriptures are in many books. Collectively they are called ‘Ägams’.<br />
This is very interesting. Can you tell the class what are the main principles of <strong>Jai</strong>nism?<br />
Ahimsä, Aparigraha and Anekäntväda. Let me explain in detail.<br />
Ahimsä means non-violence in thoughts, words and in acts. <strong>Jai</strong>ns believe that all life forms<br />
have a soul and have right to live. Hence, <strong>Jai</strong>ns show compassion towards all living beings.<br />
Vegetarianism, respecting and protecting environment, being kind and respectful to others<br />
are some of the ways <strong>Jai</strong>ns practice this principle.<br />
Aparigraha means non-attachment. <strong>Jai</strong>ns believe that attachment to material things, or even<br />
to people can lead to anger, ego, greed, jealousy etc, which are the root cause of all our<br />
problems. Practice of non-attachment leads to peace and balance in our lives.<br />
Anekäntväda means many sidedness of reality or multiplicity of viewpoint or non-<br />
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absolutism. <strong>Jai</strong>ns believe that all knowledge is multisided and true only from a single point of<br />
view. There may be many other viewpoints that are equally valid. Understanding this creates<br />
greater tolerance, friendship and harmony in our lives. This principle alone can resolve all<br />
conflicts and bring peace in this world.<br />
Teacher<br />
Wow Nirav, this was great. We learned a lot today. <strong>Jai</strong>nism sure seems like a great religion.<br />
Thank you for sharing this with the class.<br />
Questions:<br />
What are <strong>Jai</strong>n scriptures called?<br />
Why do <strong>Jai</strong>ns practice Ahimsä?<br />
What does Aparigraha mean?<br />
What <strong>Jai</strong>n principle can be used for conflict resolution?<br />
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LESSON 10 - WHO IS RIGHT?<br />
How many times have we come across situations where we argue among ourselves and hurt others?<br />
Have you ever thought that someone else can be right? If we try to understand what someone else<br />
is saying, many of our problems can be resolved.<br />
Anil asked his sister Rita, to get him a coke at dinner. Rita only gave him half a glass as a joke.<br />
Anil was very mad and threw a fit saying the glass was half empty. The word empty annoyed Rita,<br />
and she screamed back, "No glass is half full." Soon they started fighting. Anil and Rita told their<br />
parents why they were screaming. Their mother said, "Both of you are right. Anil is looking at the<br />
empty part of the glass and Rita is looking at its filled part." They were both happy when they<br />
realized that they were both right.<br />
If we accept the fact that someone else has a right to have his/her opinion, we can avoid many<br />
quarrels. Lord Mahävir said that every thing can be seen from seven different ways (aspects) and<br />
there is truth in every aspect, though it may be only a partial truth of the overall truth. Lord<br />
Mahävir' preached about Anekäntväda or multiplicity of viewpoints. When we accept this style of<br />
thinking, we become tolerant of other views and our life is much happier. This lets different people<br />
with different ideologies live together with respect for one another.<br />
So the next time your friend says something that you do not agree with, give him a chance to tell<br />
his side of the story. You may be surprised and think, "He is right too!"<br />
Questions:<br />
Why did Anil and Rita fight?<br />
What did Anil and Rita's mother tell them?<br />
What does Anekäntväda mean?<br />
How does Anekäntväda help us?<br />
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LESSON 11 - MAHATMA GANDHI AND TRUTH<br />
You have heard the name of Mahatma Gandhi. He is considered the father of the nation of India<br />
just as George Washington is the father of America. Out of respect for him, we call him Gandhiji.<br />
His father's name was Karamchand Gandhi and mother's name was Putlibai. He was born in<br />
Porbandar in the state of Gujarat, India.<br />
His mother was very religious. Gandhiji too was very religious. Once a group of people came to<br />
perform a drama in Porbandar. It was about the ancient King Harishchandra who insisted on<br />
truthfulness all the time. Gandhiji saw how much Harishchandra had to suffer to be truthful. This<br />
caused a lasting impression on Gandhiji. He decided that he would also always tell the truth. Soon<br />
truth became his way of life. He made up his mind that even if the truth led him to trouble, he<br />
would never lie.<br />
One day, his father gave him a book about Shravan who was extremely devoted to his parents.<br />
Gandhiji read the entire book. He saw a picture in which Shravan was carrying his parents on his<br />
shoulders since both of them were blind, and wanted to go to all the holy places. Gandhiji decided<br />
that he would also take care of his parents.<br />
Gandhiji father followed Hindu religion and mother followed <strong>Jai</strong>n religion. When his father went<br />
to the temple, he took Gandhiji with him. When <strong>Jai</strong>n monks visited their house, they discussed<br />
religious matters and Gandhiji attentively listened. Leaders of other religions also visited them and<br />
they discussed their religions. Gandhiji was thus exposed to various religions in his early life.<br />
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Gandhiji was also vegetarian. When he decided to go to Europe to study law, his mother told him,<br />
"My son, since you are going abroad, make sure that you never drink alcohol, eat meat, or indulge<br />
in gambling." Gandhiji gave promise to his mother to abide by her wish and took a vow in the<br />
presence of a <strong>Jai</strong>n monk that he would never drink alcohol, eat meat, or resort to gambling.<br />
Gandhiji used to say, "If someone is kind and generous to us, we should return that favor; but we<br />
should be kind and generous even to those who do not possess those qualities."<br />
Questions:<br />
1) Who was Mahatma Gandhi?<br />
2) What drama had a big impact on his life?<br />
3) What did he decide after seeing the drama?<br />
4) What types of visitors used to visit his house?<br />
5) What promise did Gandhiji give to his mother before he went to Europe?<br />
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Lesson 12 - The Lion and The Herd of Goats<br />
Once upon a time, a shepherd found the newly born lion's cub. He took it home, fed it with goat's<br />
milk, and bred it with his herd of goats. Consequently, though it was a lion, it always moved, ate,<br />
and drank like a goat. The cub thought he was a goat.<br />
One day, the cub went to the forest with the goats. At the forest, a new lion appeared who roared as<br />
usual. All the goats got scared and began to run away. The cub also began to run. The lion of the<br />
forest saw the cub and said, "Hello brother, goats flee when I roar, but why do you run away?<br />
You are like me, a lion." The cub that was brought up with the goats said, "You are lying. I am not<br />
a lion. I am a goat. I am afraid of you and I want to run away."<br />
The lion realized that the cub had stayed with the goats and thought he was a goat. The lion said,<br />
"Friend, am I wrong? If my gigantic body makes you think that way, then you are mistaken. Your<br />
face is also round like mine. It is not long like a goat's. Your waist is as slender as my waist, and<br />
your feet have paws not hoofs like those of a goat. Look at your beautiful tail! The goat has a very<br />
tiny, ugly tail. You possess a mane on your neck. The goat does not. The goat and the lion are<br />
two entirely different animals. Cast aside your false impression and roar like me. Then you will be<br />
sure that you are a lion and not a goat."<br />
These words clarified the cub's doubt. He roared and began to think of himself as a lion. He<br />
started living the life of a lion.<br />
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Like the cub we have been wrongly staying in tune with our physical self. We should remember<br />
that the physical body does not constitute our true "Self." Our soul has infinite capacity. We<br />
should develop and manifest our capabilities with this idea in mind. To achieve such<br />
developments, we should try to stay away from the worldly attachments.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) Why the cub was raised by the shepherd?<br />
2) What happened to the cub when the lion roared?<br />
3) What did the lion tell the cub?<br />
4) How does this story affect our lives?<br />
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LESSON 13 - JAIN FUNDAMENTALS<br />
JAIN PRINCIPLES WERE PREACHED BY THE TIRTHANKARS.<br />
MAHÄVIR SWÄMI IS THE TWENTY-FOURTH AND LAST TIRTHANKAR.<br />
HE ATTAINED KEVALJNÄN THROUGH RIGHT KNOWLEDGE, RIGHT PERCEPTION<br />
AND, RIGHT CONDUCT.<br />
HE PREACHED US JAIN RELIGION<br />
ALL LIVING BEINGS HAVE A SOUL AND ALL SOULS ARE EQUAL AND CAPABLE OF<br />
ATTAINING LIBERATION. HENCE, WE MUST RESPECT ALL LIVING BEINGS.<br />
WE SHOULD MINIMIZE VIOLENCE IN OUR DAILY LIFE (AHIMSÄ).<br />
WE SHOULD ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH (SATYA).<br />
WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THINGS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO US (ACHAURYA).<br />
WE SHOULD CONTROL OUR DESIRES (BRAHMACHARYA).<br />
WE SHOULD BE CONTENT AND LIMIT OUR NEEDS, DESIRES, AND POSSESSIONS<br />
(APARIGRAHA).<br />
WE SHOULD BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS’ VIEW POINTS (ANEKÄNTVÄDA).<br />
WE SHOULD BE FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL TO OTHERS (MAITRI).<br />
Questions:<br />
Who taught us the <strong>Jai</strong>n principles?<br />
Who is Lord Mahävir?<br />
How did Lord Mahävir attain perfect knowledge?<br />
What did he teach us about the soul?<br />
What is the main principle of <strong>Jai</strong>nism?<br />
How does <strong>Jai</strong>nism teach us to live with others?<br />
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LESSON 14 - FRIENDLINESS (MAITRI BHÄVANÄ)<br />
Father:<br />
Ramesh:<br />
Father:<br />
Ramesh:<br />
Father:<br />
Ramesh:<br />
Father:<br />
Ramesh:<br />
Father:<br />
Ramesh:<br />
Ramesh, do you like your friends?<br />
Of course daddy. Everybody likes his or her friends.<br />
Why?<br />
Because, all friends love each other. If my friends know that I need help,<br />
they will help me. Daddy can you tell me how I can make more friends?<br />
Son, you like those who help you and love you. Similarly other kids are<br />
looking for help and love. When you meet kids in your school or in the<br />
neighborhood, you should be nice to them. You should help them. Then,<br />
they will become your friends. It is not always necessary that you have to<br />
help someone so they will be your friends. Even if you praise the good work<br />
that they have done, you can also make new friends. You should not<br />
badmouth anyone and you should not be jealous of anyone. You should<br />
always wish good for everyone.<br />
If you see a kid in our neighborhood who is sad or depressed, you should<br />
comfort him and offer him your help. If your classmate is doing bad in<br />
school, you should help him bring his grades up. These are some things that<br />
will help you make more friends. But you have to be careful when you<br />
make friends.<br />
Daddy, what should I be careful about?<br />
You should be careful about selecting your friends. For example, you do not<br />
want to have a friendship with people who use drugs, who are bullies, or<br />
who are arrogant. We should not hate these people, but we should not be<br />
friends with them either. We should stay away from people who have bad<br />
habits.<br />
Can you tell me what a good friend is?<br />
A good friend helps his friends in need. He loves and admires his friends. He<br />
appreciates the good work done by his friends and whenever he gets a<br />
chance he praises it. A good friend keeps his friends away from bad<br />
activities. He only supports things, which are beneficial to others. A good<br />
friend forgives others for their mistakes. He wishes good for everybody. So<br />
make sure that you are such a friend and stay in the company of good<br />
friends.<br />
Yes, father. I will try to be a good friend to everyone.<br />
Questions:<br />
What does friendship mean?<br />
What are some different things that you can do to make friends?<br />
What kind of friends do you not want to have?<br />
What are the qualities of a good friend?<br />
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LESSON 15 - WHAT IS SWASTIKA<br />
(Siddha -Loka)<br />
THE FOUR REALMS OF EXISTENCE<br />
The Sanskrit word SWASTIKA means well-being. The SWASTIKA (Sathiya) is a symbol of wellbeing.<br />
The FOUR prongs of SWASTIKA show the FOUR states of existence (GATI) of the worldly<br />
souls:<br />
Human Beings (MANUSHYA)<br />
Heavenly Beings (DEVA)<br />
Animal and Plant Beings (TIRYANCH, VANASPATI)<br />
Hellish Beings (NÄRAKI)<br />
The human being is the most important of all. To become a JINA (conqueror of inner enemies) one<br />
has to be born as a human being.<br />
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In the above mentioned FOUR states of existence we are born, we get old and we die. In order to<br />
end the cycle of birth and death we should follow Right Belief (Samyag Darshan), Right<br />
Knowledge (Samyag Jnän) and Right Conduct (Samyag Chäritra). The THREE circles above the<br />
SWASTIKA symbolize these three jewels of <strong>Jai</strong>nism. These are the inherent qualities of the soul.<br />
These qualities are hidden by KARMA. We have to get rid of karma to reveal the basic qualities of<br />
the soul.<br />
The crescent moon on top of the SWASTIKA represents the ultimate resting-place of the soul<br />
(Siddhashilä).<br />
Thus, by making a SWASTIKA, we remind to ourselves, that with right knowledge, right<br />
perception and right conduct: I desire to end the cycle of birth and death in the four realms of<br />
existence and attain Siddhashilä, the permanent resting place, for my soul.<br />
Questions:<br />
What is Swastika?<br />
What is the difference between Manushya and Deva?<br />
What is Näraki?<br />
What is Vanaspati?<br />
What is the symbol of Swastika? Please also draw Swastika.<br />
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LESSON 16 - JAINISM, THE COMPASSIONATE RELIGION<br />
How do you feel when someone hurts you? Do you like it? Of course, you don't.<br />
Now, think about how others feel if we hurt them. Do they feel good? Naturally, they feel bad.<br />
Lord Mahävir said, you should not say or do anything to others that you would not like to be said<br />
or that is done to you. Everybody in this world wants to be happy. No one likes to be hurt.<br />
The message of Lord Mahävir is that we should love everybody and should not hurt anybody. We<br />
should try to help others and make them happy. To understand the pain and unhappiness that others<br />
are experiencing is compassion. The same is true about nonviolence (Ahimsä). Compassion is one<br />
of the main pillars of <strong>Jai</strong>n religion, and that is why <strong>Jai</strong>nism is called a compassionate religion.<br />
Ahimsä is the most important principle of <strong>Jai</strong>nism. Lord Mahävir became Arihanta by adopting<br />
supreme compassion in his life. His compassion reached climax during his encounter with the<br />
poisonous snake Chandkaushik. He was tortured by many people and animals but he forgave them<br />
all and had compassion towards them.<br />
<strong>Jai</strong>nism teaches us to be compassionate to all the living beings. <strong>Jai</strong>nism emphasizes observance of<br />
verbal and mental compassion also. We should be compassionate and friendly towards all and<br />
should have no animosity for any one.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) Do you like suffering?<br />
2) What did Lord Mahävir teach us?<br />
3) What is one of the main pillars of <strong>Jai</strong>nism?<br />
4) What did Lord Mahävir do when Chandkaushik bit him?<br />
5) What resolution about compassion should we make today?<br />
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LESSON 17- SPIRITUAL TEACHERS<br />
(<strong>Jai</strong>n Sädhus and Sädhvis - Monks and Nuns)<br />
Those who teach us are called teachers. Those who teach religion are called the spiritual teachers.<br />
Among <strong>Jai</strong>ns, they are called Sädhus (monks) or Sädhvis (nuns).<br />
To be a <strong>Jai</strong>n Sädhu or Sädhvi, people have to undergo vigorous spiritual training. During that<br />
training they learn about the <strong>Jai</strong>n philosophy, the <strong>Jai</strong>n scriptures, and the special code of conduct<br />
for monks and nuns. They learn to detach themselves from all their worldly ties. They learn to give<br />
up their families, businesses and social aspects. They must also learn to live without any money.<br />
Once they get used to this life of detachment, they will be allowed to become Sädhu or Sädhvi.<br />
They should not be and are not under any pressure to make this decision. This decision gives them<br />
the inner strength they need to be initiated as a true Sädhu or Sädhvi.<br />
Once an Ächärya decides to accept them as a Sädhu or Sädhvi, the ceremonial initiation (Dikshä)<br />
takes place. This is the time when they renounce their worldly life, and break their social and<br />
economic ties forever. They voluntarily accept following five great vows:<br />
I will not commit any violence. (Ahimsä)<br />
I will not lie. (Satya)<br />
I will not steal. (Asteya)<br />
I will not indulge in any sexual activity. (Brahmacharya)<br />
I will not have any possessions. (Aparigraha)<br />
They observe these vows in nine ways. They are:<br />
Physically,<br />
Verbally,<br />
Mentally.<br />
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Each of these three are further divided into three more ways<br />
By not doing themselves above five tasks,<br />
By not asking anyone else to do above five tasks,<br />
By not encouraging any one else to do above five tasks.<br />
If monks and nuns get involved in social and economic matters, they defeat the whole purpose of<br />
their renunciation. Involvement in worldly affairs would amount to breaking their vows; since they<br />
are supposed to be involved in spiritual uplift. Because of their detachment and spiritual uplift,<br />
monks and nuns are considered one of the Pancha Parameshti (the five supreme beings)whom we<br />
pray in the Namokär Mantra.<br />
A monk or a nun no longer considers their parents as parents any more from the social aspect. They<br />
interact with them the same way they interact with any other householders. Similarly, they have<br />
renounced all other relations like that of a husband, wife, brother, sister, son, or a daughter. They<br />
have also given up all their belongings including money, houses, cars, jewelry, or anything else<br />
that belonged to them.<br />
They have given up all the material comforts of life, and have adopted a very simple lifestyle.<br />
Monks who wear only white clothes are called Shvetämbar Sädhus. Those who have given up even<br />
clothes are called Digambar Sädhus. The nuns in both groups always wear white clothes.<br />
Sädhus and Sädhvis walk bare feet and do not travel by car, train, plane or any other type of<br />
vehicle. They don't live in the same place for a long time. The place where they live in called<br />
Upäshray. Except in the rainy season they move from one town to other town in order to preach<br />
<strong>Jai</strong>n religion. However, they do not travel before sunrise, after sunset, or when it is raining.<br />
For food, Sädhus and Sädhvis go to different houses for alms(Gochari) and accept very little food<br />
from each house. They do not accept any food which was made especially only for them. They<br />
accept food that was cooked for the householders’ consumption. They cannot accept any raw green<br />
vegetables. Shvetämbar monks keep a wooden bowls to accept food. While Digambar monks eat<br />
the food offered to them in their own hands. They only drink only boiled water. Except for boiled<br />
water, they do not consume anything between meals. They never eat or drink before sunrise or<br />
after sunset. Digambar monks eat and drink only once a day and accept them from only one house.<br />
Many monks and nuns observe austerities by fasting.<br />
Monks do not touch any females, and nuns do not touch any males. Those monks and nuns, who<br />
wear clothes, keep only two or three plain white clothes. Some monks wear a white cloth<br />
(Muhapatti) covering their mouth; some hold it in their hands, while others do not use a Muhapatti<br />
at all. Some keep Rajoharan (a small broom made of fine threads) to clean the area around them.<br />
Others keep a small broom made of peacock feathers. The feathers used for this broom were<br />
naturally shed by peacock. They do Pratikraman twice a day, once in the morning and the other in<br />
the evening. They perform various austerities. They also teach religious principles to<br />
householders.<br />
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They have a great deal of discipline in observing their vows. If a householder offers a Sädhu or a<br />
Sädhvi something that they can not accept, they nicely explain to the householders that they cannot<br />
accept certain things. They are highly respected everywhere.<br />
People like us who are ignorant of the real truth and are involved in worldly aspects can get<br />
religious advice from these monks and nuns. They explain the message of Lord Mahävir. We<br />
should bow down to such monks and nuns to show our reverence. When we bow down, we should<br />
kneel so that our knees, both hands and head touch the floor, and then we should say "Matthaena<br />
Vandämi" which means, "I am bowing down my head." While bowing down, males should not<br />
touch the nuns, and females should not touch the monks. We should try to follow the example set<br />
by Sädhus and Sädhvis.<br />
In conclusion, while renouncing their worldly aspects, there are three conditions they must fulfill to<br />
become a monk or nun. They are:<br />
Voluntary renunciation of all worldly possessions, and all social, and economic ties.<br />
Voluntarily taking and observing the five great vows.<br />
Wearing only white clothes or not wearing any clothes at all. ( All nuns wear white clothes).<br />
Questions:<br />
Who are our spiritual teachers?<br />
To become a monk or a nun what do you have to do?<br />
When they renounce their worldly lives, what do they give up?<br />
Name the five vows they take?<br />
Are monks and nuns spiritual leaders or are they social workers?<br />
What kind of water do they drink?<br />
How do they get their food?<br />
Do they accept raw green vegetables?<br />
Do monks and nuns touch people of opposite sex?<br />
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LESSON 18 - PRACTICING NON-VIOLENCE AND COMPASSION<br />
“Non-violence is compassionate behavior towards all living beings”<br />
-Dashvaikalik Sutra(6/9)<br />
Remember the practice of non-violence begins first with us.<br />
We must refrain from any activity of mind, speech and body that can harm us in any way. We<br />
should also make sure that we do not harm anyone else. We should not stop at physical nonviolence<br />
alone. We must make sure that our thoughts as well as our speech are also non-violent.<br />
Abusing others is a verbal violence.<br />
We must<br />
- never use harsh and insulting words towards anyone.<br />
- not engage in gossip or in spreading rumors.<br />
- always look for something good in others and compliment them.<br />
- cooperate rather than compete with others.<br />
- refrain (your mind) from anger and jealousy.<br />
- respect the nature around us and protect our environment.<br />
- always avoid waste. Only take what we need.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) What is non-violence?<br />
2) How should we practice non-violence?<br />
3) What do we mean by verbal non-violence?<br />
44
LESSON 19 - GOING TO PÄTHSHÄLÄ<br />
Ami:<br />
Sheela:<br />
Ami:<br />
Sheela:<br />
Ami:<br />
Sheela:<br />
Ami:<br />
Sheela:<br />
Ami:<br />
Sheela:<br />
Ami:<br />
Sheela:<br />
Sheela, most of the other <strong>Jai</strong>n centers have religious classes once a month, but<br />
your center has religious classes twice a month and you never miss it. Do you<br />
really like learning about religion? Or do you just go for the fun and food?<br />
I don't care about the food, however, I really do enjoy our Päthshälä.<br />
What is Päthshälä? What's so great about it?<br />
Everything. I get to learn how to be a better person and be truly happy. Also I<br />
make many new friends there.<br />
What do they teach you in Päthshälä?<br />
Quite a lot! They teach us morals and values like compassion, respect,<br />
forgiveness, honesty etc. They tell us many stories. We sometimes get to see a<br />
video or even play a game.<br />
You don't have to ruin your whole weekend for that! You can always watch<br />
video and play games at home. They always talk about this moral stuff in school;<br />
it’s so boring.<br />
In school there is not much importance given to this. In fact if you talk about<br />
morals, other students make fun of you. <strong>Jai</strong>n Päthshälä gives me safe environment<br />
to be able to practice and experiment with the morals and values.<br />
I think you are right. They must be teaching you good things there. Because the<br />
other day when Manisha blamed you for something you did not do, you didn't get<br />
mad at her. You didn't even tell your mom about it. When I told Manisha's mom<br />
about that, she got mad at Manisha but she was really proud of you. I bet you<br />
learned how to control your temper in <strong>Jai</strong>n Päthshälä!<br />
Yes, that’s right. You know, these days I don’t get much annoyed with my little<br />
sister any more. Our <strong>Jai</strong>n teachers are so wonderful, they show us how to put<br />
things in right perspective. You should come there and see for yourself.<br />
I shall go home and ask my mom right now. Oh, wait a minute! I forgot to ask<br />
you if there are any rules that I should know?<br />
There are some rules that we must follow. Many of them are the same rules we<br />
follow in school. But some others rules are used only in <strong>Jai</strong>n Päthshälä.<br />
The general rules are:<br />
Go to every Päthshälä class.<br />
Be at the Päthshälä on time.<br />
Wear clean and simple clothes.<br />
Take your books to class.<br />
Do not chew gum or eat candy in class.<br />
Take off your shoes before entering the center (<strong>Jai</strong>n Päthshälä).<br />
Say "<strong>Jai</strong>-<strong>Jinendra</strong>" to the teachers and to other students.<br />
Be nice to everyone in the class.<br />
No fights and shouting.<br />
45
Be polite to everybody and do not use bad language.<br />
Do not show off in class.<br />
Pay attention during class.<br />
Keep your books in their proper place and do not throw them around.<br />
Do not wear any leather products.<br />
Do not wear silk material.<br />
Participate in the discussion.<br />
If the teachers give you homework, finish it before the next class.<br />
Tell your friends to come to the Päthshälä.<br />
Ami:<br />
Sheela:<br />
Ami:<br />
I can follow these rules easily. I'll see you at the next Päthshälä class.<br />
I'll be glad to see you there. "<strong>Jai</strong> <strong>Jinendra</strong>."<br />
"<strong>Jai</strong> <strong>Jinendra</strong>."<br />
Questions:<br />
1) How often are the Päthshälä classes at your <strong>Jai</strong>n center?<br />
2) Do you go to the Päthshälä?<br />
3) Can you write about what you learned at your last class?<br />
4) Why should you tell your friends to come to the classes?<br />
5) What are some things you can do at the Päthshälä?<br />
6) What are some things you cannot do in class?<br />
46
LESSON 20- BE GENTLE AND HELPFUL<br />
I will be kind and gentle to all animals, birds, and bugs, etc.<br />
I will avoid walking on grass.<br />
I will look at plants and flowers, but will not pick them.<br />
I will try not to step on any bugs, while walking.<br />
I will play with other children. I will not fight with them, and I will not hit anybody.<br />
I will be nice to my brothers and sisters, and I will respect them.<br />
I will help my grandparents and other elders.<br />
I will help my parents.<br />
I will put my toys and games back in place, when I have finished playing.<br />
Circle true or false.<br />
I will hurt animals, birds and bugs.<br />
I will walk on grass.<br />
I will put my things in place.<br />
I will not help my grandfather.<br />
I will not fight with others.<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
True or False<br />
47
LESSON 21 - TRUE MONKS<br />
Once upon a time, there lived a king. One day, he decided to offer gold coins to monks. He called<br />
one of his ministers and gave him a bag of gold coins. The king told him to give the coins to all the<br />
monks in the town.<br />
The minister looked for monks all day, but he could not find even a single monk to give the coins<br />
to. He gave the bag of coins back to the king. The minister very politely told the king that he could<br />
not find a monk to give the coins to. The king became very angry and said, "What is this nonsense!<br />
You could not find a single monk, in such a big city." The minister admired the king for his good<br />
intention, and said that real monks did not accept the gold coins. The others, who did want to<br />
accept the coins, were not true monks, because true monks do not take money. He added that the<br />
king would not want to give gold coins to greedy people, who wore the clothes of monks but did<br />
not observe the religious principles. After listening to the explanation of the minister, the king<br />
calmed down and started thinking. He realized that his minister was right, and gave him one<br />
hundred gold coins as a reward.<br />
True monks don't have or keep any wealth. <strong>Jai</strong>n monks and nuns don't keep or ask for money for<br />
any reason. They don't ask anyone to collect and keep money for them either. They have given up<br />
all the worries about their needs. They may encourage you to give to charities out of compassion,<br />
but they don't get involved in its management.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) What did the king intend to do with the gold coins?<br />
2) Why did the king get angry?<br />
3) What did the minister say about the monks?<br />
4) Do <strong>Jai</strong>n monks and nuns ask for money?<br />
48
LESSON 22 - LORD MAHÄVIR<br />
Lord Mahävir is the twenty-fourth Tirthankar. He was born in 599 B.C. at Kshatriyakund,<br />
(Vaishäli, according to some). His father's name was King Siddhärtha and his mother's name was<br />
Queen Trishalä. They were very religious people and were followers of Lord Pärshvanäth. Queen<br />
Trishalä had fourteen dreams (Digambars believe sixteen dreams) when she conceived Lord<br />
Mahävir. While she was pregnant, King Siddhärtha and his kingdom prospered significantly. The<br />
parents attributed their prosperity to the baby to be born. So when the baby was born, he was<br />
named Vardhamän, which means continuously increasing prosperity.<br />
He was very bold and while playing he once saved his friends from a snake. Another time, a<br />
vicious angel joined them in the disguise of a young boy. According to the rules of the game,<br />
Vardhamän had a chance to ride on the boys back. While he was riding, the boy turned into a<br />
monster in order to scare him. Vardhamän, however, overpowered the monster. The vicious angel<br />
then appeared in his true form. He praised Vardhamän for his boldness and called him "Mahävir"<br />
meaning very brave.<br />
49
Though Mahävir was born with worldly comforts and luxuries, he was never attracted to them. He<br />
lived a simple life. So when his parents died, he decided to become a monk. He asked for<br />
permission from his elder brother, Nandivardhan. His brother was still mourning the loss of their<br />
parents. He therefore requested Mahävir to wait for a couple of years before becoming a monk.<br />
Mahävir waited for two years, during which he led a totally detached life. After realizing this, his<br />
brother gave him permission to become a monk.<br />
Mahävir was thirty years old when he renounced his worldly life and all worldly activities. He<br />
spent most of his time in austerity (simplicity) and in meditation. He suffered a great deal of<br />
physical pain and torture from various sources. Among them, the most severe was the biting by the<br />
highly poisonous snake Chandkaushik. Lord Mahävir remained calm and peaceful in the midst of<br />
all these torturous events. He never lost his serenity and never developed hatred for anyone. He<br />
forgave all of them. He led such a highly austere life for twelve and a half years. At the age of<br />
forty-two he attained omniscience(Kevaljnän). He became Jina, the twenty-forth Tirthankar of the<br />
present era. As omniscient he knew everything of the past, present and future.<br />
As the last Tirthankar, he revived the religious order (Tirth) consisting of monks, nuns, Shrävaks<br />
and Shrävikäs. This order is known as the <strong>Jai</strong>n Sangh. Lord Mahävir had eleven Ganadhars<br />
(immediate disciples). His first disciple was Gautam-swämi. He was a well-known Brahmin<br />
scholar. These Ganadhars compiled twelve sacred books based on the preaching of Lord Mahävir.<br />
These books are called Anga Ägams. Later on other Ächäryas compiled additional books which<br />
are known as Anga Bähya Ägams. Collectively both Anga Ägams and Anga Bähya Ägams are<br />
called Ägams or Ägam Sutras. These Ägam Sutras are the scriptures of <strong>Jai</strong>n religion. These books<br />
were passed on verbally from preceptor to pupil for a long time. They were put into writing about<br />
980 years after Lord Mahävir’s Nirvän (death).<br />
The ascetic followers (monks and nuns) of Lord Mahävir followed five great vows. The five vows<br />
are:<br />
Non-violence (Ahimsä)<br />
Truth (Satya)<br />
Non-stealing (Asteya)<br />
Celibacy (Brahmacharya)<br />
Non-possession (Aparigraha).<br />
During Lord Mahävir’s time, people in the name of religion conducted violent sacrificial rituals.<br />
The teachings of Lord Mahävir opened their eyes and they also adopted the principle of nonviolence.<br />
His sermons encouraged people to build a happy and harmonious society.<br />
50
After providing guidance to the people for thirty years, Lord Mahävir attained Nirvana in 527<br />
B.C., at the age of seventy-two. Nirvana means that he attained liberation (Moksha) and became a<br />
Siddha who no longer has to undergo the cycle of birth and death.<br />
Questions:<br />
Who was Lord Mahävir?<br />
What were his parent’s names?<br />
How old was he when he became a monk?<br />
For how many years did he perform austerity and meditation?<br />
How old was he when he became a Tirthankar?<br />
What are the four different parts of the <strong>Jai</strong>n Sangh?<br />
How old was Lord Mahävir when he attained Nirvana?<br />
How many years ago did Lord Mahävir attain Nirvana?<br />
51
LESSON 23 - SAGE KAPIL<br />
In a town called Kaushambi there lived a royal priest named Kashyap Shästri. He had a son named<br />
Kapil. Kapil grew up in luxury and did not go to school and did not study any religious books.<br />
Consequently, when his father died, the priesthood was passed on to another Brahmin. Kapil's<br />
mother was sad to see this happen.. She thought, "If only my son would have studied, he would<br />
have become the royal priest." Tears rolled down from her eyes. When Kapil saw that, he asked,<br />
"Mother, why are you crying? What is wrong?"<br />
The mother sighed and said, "My son, I regret that you did not become the royal priest. If you<br />
would have studied well, you would have succeeded your father's position." These words deeply<br />
touched Kapil. He made up his mind to get good education. He went to a friend of his father in the<br />
city of Shrävasti. His name was Indradatt Upädhyäy.<br />
Indradatt was known all over the country as a highly learned man and many students came to him<br />
to study. He was glad that Kapil wanted to study and he started teaching him. According to the<br />
prevailing practice of that time Kapil had to get his food by going from door to door and asking for<br />
alms. That took too much of his time and affected his studying. Indradatt therefore requested a<br />
wealthy man of the town to make some arrangement for his daily meals. The man arranged for<br />
Kapil's daily meals at the place of a young Brahmin widow, named Manorama.<br />
Kapil now started taking his meals at Manorama's place. Now he could devote enough time for his<br />
education. But the relationship of the two slowly grew into intimacy. After a while Manorama<br />
became pregnant. She started worrying about how to meet the expenses of delivery and baby.<br />
Kapil knew that the king gave two gold coins to the person who first blessed him every morning.<br />
He decided to go to the palace early in the morning to get the gold coin. The next day Kapil went to<br />
the palace in the morning, but some other Brahmin had already reached the palace before him. The<br />
next day too Kapil was late. He tried for eight days, but every time he was late.<br />
Kapil was very unhappy that he was late to reach the palace everyday. So he decided to sleep in the<br />
garden so that he could be the first at the palace. Soon he noticed the moon in the horizon. He<br />
mistakenly took it as sunrise and started running towards the palace. A policeman, who was<br />
patrolling the street, saw Kapil running towards the palace. He suspected him to be a thief and<br />
arrested him. Kapil tried to explain his position to the policeman but he simply said, "You may tell<br />
your story to His Majesty in the morning.”<br />
In the morning Kapil was brought to the royal court. He was trembling, because he had never been<br />
in the court before. The king noticed the fear in his face and thought he cannot be a thief. The king<br />
asked him, "Who are you? What were you doing at midnight?<br />
52
Kapil humbly replied, "Your Majesty, I am a Brahmin and I was running to get to the palace to<br />
confer blessings upon you."<br />
The king asked, "why so early?"<br />
Kapil said, "Your Majesty, I have been trying to confer my blessings upon you for the last eight<br />
days to earn two gold coins, and I have always been late. So last night, I got up very early in order<br />
to be the first one. But that did not work and here I am before you as a thief."<br />
The king said, "You have suffered so much for just two gold coins. Oh Brahmin, I am pleased with<br />
your honesty and permit you to ask for anything that you want and I shall grant it."<br />
Kapil requested some time to think. The king gave some time to think. He left to go to the garden<br />
to think.<br />
Now Kapil started thinking, "I should ask for ten golden coins instead of two. But how long will<br />
that last? I should ask for fifty coins. But that won't be enough for later expenses." He continued<br />
to think of more and more amount until he reached to ten million coins. He thought even that<br />
would not be enough for maintaining prosperity for his whole life. He then thought of asking for<br />
half of the kingdom and ultimately the entire kingdom.<br />
Suddenly he thought, "The king has been kind enough to give me whatever I want. Why should I<br />
make him miserable? That is not fair. If I ask for half of the kingdom, I will be his rival. Why<br />
should I annoy the person who wants to help me? Should I then ask for ten million golden coins?<br />
What is the use of that much money? Too much money brings troubles. I will ask for ten thousand<br />
coins." But his conscience did not permit him to even ask for ten thousand. "Shall I ask for one<br />
thousand coins? A hundred? A fifty? A twenty-five?" He decided not to ask for anything more<br />
than what he had gone for which was only two gold coins.<br />
53
But Kapil still kept on thinking, "It is the desire that makes one unhappy. It also leads to<br />
greediness, which is the root cause of all sins. In order to get rid of it, I should ask for nothing.<br />
Look, where my desire had led me! Forgetting that I came here to become a learned man, I have<br />
been drawn into a situation of losing morality and becoming a beggar." Let me stay content. I will<br />
not ask for nothing."<br />
Kapil went back to the palace. The king asked, "Oh Brahmin, what have you decided?"<br />
Kapil replied, "Your Majesty, I do not want anything from you."<br />
"What?" the king asked.<br />
Kapil replied, "Your Majesty, desire is the root cause of all evils. The more one gets, the more<br />
greedy one becomes."<br />
The king said, "Revered Brahmin, I am not sure if I understand what you mean."<br />
Kapil said, "Oh King, now I do not need anything. Contentment is the supreme wealth and I am<br />
happy with that."<br />
With these words Kapil left with the sense of complete detachment and he renounced worldly life<br />
to become a monk by accepting Dikshä.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) Who was Kapil?<br />
2) What happened to him while he was studying?<br />
3) Why did policeman arrest him?<br />
4) What did he tell the King?<br />
5) Why did Kapil not ask for anything?<br />
54
6) What is the supreme wealth?<br />
LESSON 24 - TRUE LEARNING<br />
A long time ago, there was a dormitory of Maharshi Satyik at the foot of a hill. A few students<br />
lived there. Dormitory consisted of many small huts. The students studied about general interest<br />
topics and religious scriptures. They gave importance to moral values. They lived only on milk<br />
and whatever they grew in the farm. They were not dependent on anyone for their food.<br />
One day, King Vikram, his queen and some servants were passing by this area. They stopped at the<br />
riverbank near the dormitory to have lunch. After a while, some students passed by. The king saw<br />
them and offered them food. The students said with respect, "We can not take anything." The king<br />
was very pleased with them for not showing any temptation.<br />
After sometime, the king, queen, and everybody left for the city. After a while, some students were<br />
passing through there again. They noticed a shiny gold necklace. They brought it to their teacher<br />
and asked him, "What should they do with the necklace? " The teacher calmly said, "Hang it on<br />
the nail outside. Whoever it belongs to can take it from there." They put the necklace on the nail<br />
and everybody went back to their work.<br />
Meanwhile, on the way back home, the queen noticed that her necklace was missing. She was<br />
scared that she may have lost it while they were resting at the river. She told this to the king and the<br />
king went back to the river to look for it. He also got worried because he could not find the<br />
precious necklace. He went to the dormitory to ask the students if they had found it.<br />
The teacher greeted the king with kind words.<br />
55
The king asked him, "Has any of your students seen the queen's gold necklace?"<br />
The teacher said, "If we find anything that does not belong to us, then we put it on the nail outside.<br />
So go and look over there."<br />
The king went to the nail and found the necklace hanging there.<br />
He started thinking to himself, "These people do not have much money and yet they live like as if<br />
they have everything." He realized that these people were living a simple and peaceful life, while<br />
he had everything but no peace in his life. He was living a life of temptations, while these people<br />
were content with what they had.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) What were the students learning at dormitory?<br />
2) What did the students do when the king offered them food?<br />
3) Why didn't the students hide the necklace?<br />
4) What did King think about his life compared to the life of the students?<br />
56
LESSON 25 - PARYUSHAN - A FESTIVAL OF FORGIVENESS<br />
Paryushan/Das Lakshana Parva is one of the most important festivals of <strong>Jai</strong>ns, which falls in the<br />
month of August or September. At the end of Paryushan we do Pratikraman; asking for forgiveness<br />
for all the sins we have committed during the entire year.<br />
As people, we tend to ignore our own faults and magnify the faults of others. We usually know<br />
when we make mistake, but our pride makes it difficult to admit them. Asking for forgiveness<br />
makes us humble. It is a lesson in humbleness. It also teaches us to be more aware so that our<br />
words or our actions do not cause harm to anyone.<br />
We must also learn to forgive others truly. Many times people around us knowingly or<br />
unknowingly disappoint us. This causes us to be angry. Forgiveness is the best way to get rid of<br />
this anger within us. Forgiveness not only makes us pure again, it energizes us and makes our<br />
world more beautiful than ever.<br />
Let us learn the <strong>Jai</strong>n Kshamäpanä Sutra<br />
Khämemi Savva Jive,<br />
Savve Jiv Khamantu Me,<br />
Mitti Me Savva Bhuesu,<br />
Veram Majjham Na Kenai.<br />
Meanings of these sentences<br />
I Grant Forgiveness To All Living Beings,<br />
And All Living Beings Grant Me Forgiveness,<br />
My Friendship Is With All Living Beings,<br />
My Enmity Is Totally Non-Existent.<br />
Questions<br />
What is <strong>Jai</strong>n festival of forgiveness called?<br />
1) Which Kashäya is eliminated by asking for forgiveness?<br />
Forgiving others gets rid of this Kashäya.<br />
Can you recite Kshamäpanä Sutra?<br />
What do <strong>Jai</strong>ns do at the end of the festival of forgiveness?<br />
57
LESSON 26 - ARIHANTA<br />
Rita:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Rita:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Rita:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Rita:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Rita:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Rita:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sir, many of my friends in school, talk about God. Jesus is their God, Lord<br />
Krishna is another God. Can you tell me something about our God?<br />
Many religions say, "God created the world. He maintains it. He controls<br />
it. He is very kind. He forgives us for our sins. He knows everything. He<br />
makes us happy. "<br />
Does <strong>Jai</strong>nism say the same thing about God?<br />
No. <strong>Jai</strong>ns have a different concept of God. It is not God, but the godhood<br />
that can be attained by every soul. He/she, who attains the godhood, is<br />
supreme. He is free from the four Ghäti Karmas meaning that he possesses<br />
infinite knowledge, perception, power, and conduct. We call these great<br />
souls Arihantas. There have been many Arihantas. In each time cycle,<br />
there are twenty-four of them who re-establish the religious order to help<br />
us end the cycles of birth and death. The religious order consist of the <strong>Jai</strong>n-<br />
Tirth which consists of Sädhus, Sädhvis, laymen (Shrävak) and laywomen<br />
(Shrävikä) and that is why they are also called Tirthankars. The <strong>Jai</strong>ns<br />
worship them and consider them Gods of <strong>Jai</strong>nism.<br />
Did they create universe?<br />
No, the world is a natural phenomenon. It is eternal which means that it<br />
was here from the beginning of time and will be here forever.<br />
Sir, what are the different names for Tirthankar? Who were they before<br />
they became Tirthankar?<br />
In <strong>Jai</strong>nism Tirthankars are also known as Jinas, Vitaräg, or Arihantas.<br />
They lead us to the spiritual path and ultimately to liberation. Before<br />
renouncing their worldly life, some of them were kings or princes, while<br />
others were ordinary people.<br />
In <strong>Jai</strong>nism we believe that every human as well as any other living being<br />
has the potential to become perfect and omnipotent. But not all living<br />
beings may have this potential capability in this life.<br />
Can we say then, that Lord Mahävir is a "<strong>Jai</strong>n God"?<br />
Yes, Lord Mahävir is a "<strong>Jai</strong>n God". There were twenty-three such "Gods"<br />
before Him in this time cycle. However, they are really not called "Gods"<br />
in the sense of being the creator of the world. We call them Tirthankars or<br />
Arihantas.<br />
Oh! Now I can tell my friends that Arihantas or Tirthankars are our Gods.<br />
Will you tell us more about Lord Arihantas?<br />
Sure. You know that every name has a meaning. Kumud means "lotus",<br />
and Ravi means "sun." Similarly the word Arihanta is made up of two<br />
words. They are "Ari" and "Hant." Ari means "enemy" and Hant means<br />
"destroyer". So Arihanta literally means "destroyer of enemies."<br />
58
Payal:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Amar:<br />
Teacher:<br />
But, sir, the other day you said that <strong>Jai</strong>ns do not hurt anyone. Then how<br />
can our Lord Arihanta be a destroyer? I do not understand that.<br />
Payal, you are right. As <strong>Jai</strong>ns, we are not supposed to hurt or destroy<br />
anyone. An Arihanta’s enemies were not animals or people like you and I.<br />
Arihantas did not have enemies outside but they were all within<br />
themselves.<br />
The enemies within themselves!!!<br />
Some times you get mad at friends, brothers, or sisters for very small<br />
matters. Sometimes we hide our toys when our friends come to our house.<br />
Sometimes you cry at the mall when your parents don't let you buy toys.<br />
Some kids show off in their class and act as if they know everything.<br />
These all may look good to us, and we may consider ourselves smart, but<br />
this kind of behavior sooner or later will get us in trouble.<br />
This kind of behavior is a result of our passions. Passions (anger, ego,<br />
deceit and greed) are not good. Since they stay within us, they are called<br />
our inner enemies<br />
Sheela:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sunil:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Hina:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sheela, Does this make sense to you? Can our passions be our enemies?<br />
Yes Sir, now it makes sense. I remember the other day when I got mad at<br />
my best friend she stopped talking to me. A few days later, when I really<br />
needed her help to study for a test, she did not help me and I got a grade<br />
"B" on the test. Now I realize how getting mad caused put me in trouble.<br />
Sunil, have you experienced this kind of trouble?<br />
Yes sir. One day my sister and I were alone at home. My sister was hungry<br />
and wanted to order pizza. She did not have enough money, and I would<br />
not share any of my money with her. So she had to remain hungry. A few<br />
weeks later, our parents dropped us off at the mall for shopping. While we<br />
were at a clothing store, I noticed a nice jacket that I wanted to buy. I<br />
checked the price, and I saw that I did not have enough money. I asked<br />
my sister, if she would let me borrow some money. She said "No' and<br />
reminded me about when she wanted to order pizza. I told myself, if I<br />
would have shared money and not been so mean, she would have given me<br />
money to buy that jacket. Later she said, "Don't feel bad. I am not going<br />
to be like you, but remember that it is good to share." Now I know that<br />
sharing is a very good idea.<br />
Does anyone else want to say anything?<br />
Yes sir, now I realize what our inner enemies are. We should control our<br />
anger. We should not be greedy. We should not insult anyone. We should<br />
not deceive anyone. In other words, we should control our passions.<br />
Yes, we should have total control on our desires, so that no matter what<br />
happens, we don't get mad, greedy, or arrogant.<br />
Arihantas did not destroy people, animals, birds or bugs, but they<br />
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Ashish:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ashish:<br />
Teacher<br />
destroyed their inner enemies like anger, greed, ego, and deception<br />
(AGED).<br />
Now I know who the Arihantas are. They destroyed their inner enemies,<br />
but I still do not understand why we call them Gods?<br />
Now, we are coming to the rest of the story. Once a person becomes an<br />
Arihanta, he/she knows everything and can perceive everything in the<br />
universe. He knows what is happening now, what will happen in the<br />
future and what has happened in the past at the same time. There is<br />
nothing that he does not know. He teaches us that we should be free from<br />
our inner enemies. When we die, we are reborn as something else. When<br />
Lord Arihanta dies, he/she becomes Lord Siddha and is never born again.<br />
He is liberated from the cycle of birth and death forever. That is why Lord<br />
Arihantas are called Gods.<br />
I still have one question. When we go to the temple our parents tell us to<br />
pray to the Gods. What are we supposed to pray to them?<br />
When we pray, our prayers admire the Tirthankars or Jinas for being free<br />
from their inner enemies. Our prayers should not wish for rewards, but<br />
should remind us how to live a good <strong>Jai</strong>n life. We also pray to them for<br />
being our role models. We must try to follow their teachings in order to<br />
achieve the supreme goal of liberation.<br />
Questions:<br />
1) Do <strong>Jai</strong>ns believe in God?<br />
2) What do other religions say about their Gods?<br />
3) Do <strong>Jai</strong>ns believe God is the creator of the universe?<br />
4) What are the different names for <strong>Jai</strong>n Gods?<br />
5) What does Arihanta mean?<br />
6) What are our inner enemies?<br />
7) Can anyone be an Arihanta?<br />
8) Who is a Lord Siddha?<br />
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LESSON 27 - RESPECT<br />
Sheela:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sir, I read in a book "Respect (Vinay) is complimentary to knowledge". Can you<br />
please explain that to me?<br />
That is a very good question. It is important for everybody to learn to respect others.<br />
You cannot retain knowledge, if you do not respect your parents, teachers, and<br />
religious books, etc.<br />
Respect is expressed in several different ways. For example, worshipping the<br />
Tirthankars, bowing down to monks and elders, taking good care of your books,<br />
paying attention in class, listening to your parents, being polite to everybody, and<br />
having good manners.<br />
Respect destroys the ego, brings forth good thinking, results in the use of polite<br />
language, and showing kindness towards other living beings. All these factors help in<br />
elevating the soul.<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Ravi:<br />
Teacher:<br />
Sir, can you tell us how to show respect to elders?<br />
Anybody who is older than you is an elder than you. Parents, teachers, uncles, and<br />
aunts are your elders. You should greet them with "<strong>Jai</strong> <strong>Jinendra</strong>." whenever you see<br />
them. You should offer them a seat when they visit you. It is always polite to offer<br />
them a glass of water or juice. Listen carefully to your elders without interruption and<br />
answer politely.<br />
Sir, are there any other types of elders?<br />
Yes, those people who have more knowledge are also called elders. They may be our<br />
teachers. Those who teach and practice ethical values are also our elders. All the<br />
monks and nuns are our elders. They may not be very old in age, but they are at a<br />
higher spiritual level. So we should respect them.<br />
Can you tell us more about how to show respect towards elders?<br />
When elders leave,<br />
Walk them to the door.<br />
Do not laugh or giggle at them.<br />
Do not interrupt them when they are talking.<br />
Do not make fun of them.<br />
Never say bad things about elders.<br />
You know, people everywhere praise respectful children. And when they become<br />
elders, they also receive respect from other elders.<br />
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Questions:<br />
1) What does Vinay mean?<br />
2) What happens when we respect to elders?<br />
3) What are some different ways we show respect?<br />
4) Who should we show our respect to?<br />
5) How should we greet friends, teachers and elders?<br />
6) Can you give few examples of showing disrespect?<br />
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Lesson 28 - MONKEY AND SUGARI<br />
Sugari's (bird) is known for its<br />
very well woven and artistic<br />
nest. It provides protection<br />
from wind and rain. On one<br />
rainy day, a Sugari was sitting<br />
in her nest and it was raining<br />
heavily and thundering with<br />
frequent flashes of lightening.<br />
At this time, a monkey troubled<br />
by the cold wind and rain took<br />
shelter under the tree. The<br />
Sugari sarcastically asked,<br />
"You are so clever then why<br />
didn't you build a nest to live in<br />
on the rainy day?” The monkey<br />
got angry and told the Sugari to<br />
shut up. He kept on shivering.<br />
Sugari could not resist teasing<br />
him, she said, "Why did you<br />
waste the summer time in<br />
laziness?"<br />
Upon hearing this, the monkey<br />
was enraged and verbally<br />
abused Sugari. Rain and<br />
thunder got worse and Sugari<br />
once again started to tease<br />
monkey. The monkey was so<br />
mad by now that he said, "Keep<br />
quiet, you bad mouth. If you<br />
keep on passing these stupid<br />
remarks, I will shatter your nest<br />
and make you homeless. The Sugari kept quiet. But the shivering monkey started to shiver even<br />
more due to rain and cold strong wind, and the Sugari once again could not resist advising monkey<br />
with her words of arrogant wisdom. At last, the monkey could not control his anger any longer.<br />
He said, "Although I have no ability to make a house, I do possess the ability to break one.” He<br />
climbed up the tree and destroyed the Sugari’s nest, making poor Sugari also homeless. Now both<br />
of them suffered from cold wind and rain.<br />
Key Message:<br />
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Such occasions are very common. We should not point out the faults of others. We should remain<br />
indifferent to them. Everyone is responsible for what he or she does. We should try to learn from<br />
other people's good and bad experiences. We should improve ourselves and get rid of our faults<br />
first. This is one of the many messages of Lord Mahävir.<br />
LESSON 29 - THE STORY OF SILK<br />
Many of us use silk material and silk products because they look very nice and you get<br />
compliments from others. But while enjoying the different kinds of silk we may not realize or we<br />
may be ignoring what goes on behind the scene to obtain this material. We <strong>Jai</strong>ns, the believers of<br />
Ahimsä, should be very careful and should learn how silk is obtained.<br />
The purpose of this chapter is to show us whether this luxury is really worth it. It will show us what<br />
we are putting the silk worms or silk moths through. What is done in the past is done but we can<br />
control the future.<br />
To obtain silk, silkworms are raised. These worms are kept in totally clean trays.<br />
These silkworms have appetites like pigs. They eat all the time. They are fed fresh mulberry leaves<br />
and these tiny worms grow into fat worms about 3” long and 1” thick.<br />
These worms look very adorable.<br />
When they stop growing, they secrete a gum-like fluid which hardens and forms a fine thread.<br />
After spinning for about 3 days a cocoon formation is completed around the worm. Now the<br />
worms change into a pupa, which lives inside the cocoon and matures till a mature moth can<br />
emerge out of the cocoon.<br />
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If the pupas are allowed to have their natural life they would grow to be a silk moth in about 3<br />
weeks inside the cocoon. However, they are not allowed to reach this stage. Do you know why?<br />
When the worms break the cocoon these silk threads are broken into small fragments and these<br />
fragmented threads cannot be used to make silk yarns.<br />
Instead, these cocoons are put in the boiling water (ouch!) for a period of time till the pupa dies and<br />
continuous thread of silk is obtained. Poor pupas! They have to die so we can wear silk.<br />
To produce 100 grams of elegant silk yarn you have to kill about 1,500 pupas. So you can calculate<br />
how many pupas would have to be killed to obtain different silk products for our pleasure. Maybe<br />
1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000; or more.<br />
We as <strong>Jai</strong>ns, believers of Ahimsä, have many more choices of what to wear. The choice is ours<br />
whether we care or not about the pupas that have to be killed to make the silk. We have a choice,<br />
the pupas do not!<br />
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