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 Committee
Managing 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
Members
Saket 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