Monday, June 6, 2011

Shri 1008 Mahavir SwamiImage via Wikipedia
  • Jains have contributed immensely in the education of India right from day one through their monasteries distributed across the country.
  • The family is the first school and nucelus for education in India.
  • In the primitive India, father and mother were the basic teachers of their children.
  • Jains also accepted the family concept which prevailed earlier the rise of the Jain religion and Jain philosophy.
  • Jains also focussed and developed the family based system of education not only of Jain religious values but other aspects of life social, cultural, business and others.
  • Grammar and correct speech and languageand communication was taught at home.
  • Their monastries continued to impart instructions and lectures and education on religious and secular values.
  • In the monasteries, the curricula included  instructions in religion, literature, arts and physical cultures.
  • The Jain monastries admitted the students of all castes.
  • Teachers were of two kinds : teaching religous values and other teachers teaching secular values.
  • The teachers/monkds in the Jain monasteries were required to study not less than three hours to upgrade and educate and evolve themselves.
  • Intermonasteries debates and sharing thoughts were encouraged.
  • In the Jain monastries library, the books, scripts relating religion, philosophy, astronomy, logic and arthmetic could be found.
  • Youths of mercantile communities were admitted and trained.
  • Rulers of ancient India competed with each other in honouring Tirthankars for their various kinds of contribution including that of the education.
to be continued.

by Dr B M Sharma

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