JAINA Education in North America

Pravin K. Shah

Education is Important

“First is Knowledge then Action; that is how the Disciplined Live.

How would an ignorant discriminate between Good and Evil or Right and Wrong”

- Dashvaikalik Sutra of Shayambhava

Our Mission – Education Committee

• To prepare Pathashala educational material for Jain children.

• To provide material, resources and training to all Pathashala teachers and educators.

• To establish Jain eLibrary in order to provide reference material to teachers and students

Our Mission – Education Committee

• To develop print, multimedia and web based education for Jains as well as for people interested in Jainism.

• To support Jain academic activities.• To promote and facilitate Jain literature

throughout the western world.

Our approach

• In education we must have a refreshing sense of openness

• View all Jain Traditions objectively.• Desire to experiment with new concepts,

approaches and techniques.• Re-evaluate our practices as well as the paradigm

they are based on.

Our Vision

• The basic spiritual principles of Jainism are scientific and the ‘Truths’ presented in our scriptures are universal

• However, their interpretations and thus the applications have to be made in the context of time and space in which we find ourselves.

Use Dynamic tools

• Learn current marketing techniques• Communicate using video, computers,

internet, multimedia presentations• Hook using quiz, games, live

demonstrations, stories, etc…• Stories that children can relate to

JAINA Education Sub-Committees

• Education Material Compilation Committee• Members from different Sects

• Compilation, Review, Edit, Updates of existing material

• Teachers’ Resource Books, Lesson Plans

• Recommendations for new Material

• Language books

• Ritual Books require more members of each sect/community

Pradip Shah Mukesh Doshi Dilip Bobra Harendra Shah

Darshna Shah Jadvaji Keniya Shweta Daftary Rekha Banker

Parinda Shah Sudhir Shah Anita Shah Hiral Shah

Mamta Mehta Rita Lodaya Anuben Varia Samuel Wallace

Ach. Nandigoshsuri Pan. Ajaysagarji Dr. Sagarmal Jain

JAINA Education Sub-Committees

Education Material Inventory and Operation Committee

Unicode fonts

Page Maker, In-design, Publisher etc..

Receiving and Distribution operation for USA and India

Maintenance of Shopping Cart Activities

Members

Virendra Shah Sudhir Shah Rajendra Mehta

Bharat Shah Hemant Parikh Dilip Kothari

Anita Shah Sudesh Shah Manubhai Shah

Ramesh Doshi Darshana Shah Koba – Gyan Mandir

JAINA Education Sub-Committees

Internet / Website Management CommitteeManaging eLibrary and Pathashala Education books in the website

Managing Scanning operation in India including book selection

Managing Shopping Cart and PayPal Accounts

Managing Yahoo and Google groups

MembersSaket Singhi Narendra Jain Rajendra Mehta

Sudesh Shah Ashish Shah Sudhir Shah

Ramesh Doshi Madhuker Mehta Koba – Gyan Mandir

Päthashälä Books Published

• Level 1 – JES101 Jain Activity Book – 2003 • Level 1 – JES102 Basics of Jainism - 2007• Level 1 – JES103 Alphabet book - 2003• Level 1 – JES104 Jain Moral Skits – 2004• Level 2 – JES202 Jain Story Book – 2005• Level 2 – JES203 First Step to Jainism – 2005• Level 3 – JES302 Jain Philosophy and Practice I - 2003• Level 4 – JES401 Jain Philosophy and Practice II - 2005

Päthashälä Books Published

Reference Books• JES 901 – Jainism: Religion of Compassion – 2004• JES 911 – Essence of World Religions - 2004• JES 921 – The Book of Compassion – 2000• JES 931 – English Pratikraman – 2006• JES 931 – English Pratikraman – Audio mp3 - 2009• JES 941 – English Sutra Book – 2014

Pathashala Books Publishing In the process

• Jain Anushthän CD and Sutra Book– Sutra Book of Sthanakvasi being prepared by Shweta Daftary– Sutra Book of Digambar being prepared by Dilip Bobra

• Jain Temple / Sthanaka Ritual Books (under planning)– Prayer Book– Puja Book– Samayik, Chaitya vandan, Pratikraman Book– Vidhi and Pachchhakhan Book

Education Enhencement

• Curriculum Enhancement & Continued refinement• On-line availability• Teacher’s Aid• More Teachers’ Training Workshops• Jain Exhibition• Jainism Multimedia

Jaina Education Books

• Books are not only for students who attend Päthshäla

• They are also for all Sädhaks & Sädhikäs (aspirants) of all ages

• They are compiled / edited by leading scholars, educators and Pathshala teachers

• They are in simple American English

Jaina Education Books

• Books emphasize on Main Stream Jain Philosophy, practice & art of living

• Books cover all aspects of Jain philosophy for all ages of aspirants

• Books cover from an activity book to alphabet book to first step to skits to stories to basics to fundamentals to advanced topics of Jain Philosophy

Jaina Education Books

• Books are developed with the philosophy that they must appeal to our common sense, give reasons, inspire to practice, involve self-effort and self-initiatives and make us proud of our rich Jain Heritage.

• Inspire us to be a Jain without a pre-fix of different sects of Jainism such as Digambar or Swetambar

Jaina Education Books

• Books are worth having in our houses• Can also be used for Prabhävanä and

gifts• Just go to www.jainelibrary.org and on

the home page click the link - Buy JAINA Edu. Books online