Jain system and Moral Education

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous educationist of the 19^th century had said, “The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means to an education.” From ancient times it has been considered that education without a solid base of morals is meaningless. Our present education system is marred by the mark system instead of the pupil's understanding of the subject. This system does not stress upon the amelioration of the curiosity so that the student will earn expertise in the field of his liking and will explore further to add to the branch of knowledge he is in. Indeed we can see that the curiosity of the student is suppressed forcing him to be bound to the curriculum. Freeing the students from the yoke of the orthodox education system is indeed needed in our country and let us hope that soon the necessary reforms will take place.

Moral education forms an important part of the education to make the student pro-society in which he lives in with positive and constructive mindset. The morals preached by the thinkers and philosophers differ or contradict many times and there always is debate among philosophers as to what is moral and what is not. The acts thought moral at some places can be treated as immoral elsewhere or the immoral of the past may prove to be moral on the ground of present standards. Some say that discussing morals is immoral for they are not permanent.

And still, we need morals for the better-civilized society. Morals that bring every individual together to form a homogenous cohesive society for a better future and prosperity in an economic and intellectual sense always are preferable. And this is what should be taught to the children when their mind is shaping. Jain philosophy believes in the principle of “live and let live. No harm should be caused to not only humans but any living being.” This is the highest principle, may not be practicable to its fullest extent but the feelings behind this principle are very novel and humanitarian of high degree. The education system, besides educating the pupils in a variety of branches of knowledge, the prime concern should be to make him a better member of society and that is not possible without moral education. Jain principles are very helpful in this effort.

Our education system hardly provides the moral education that can help him in being a responsible citizen. A citizen is not only a political living entity but an individual who inspires or get inspired for the betterment of the self and society. Though today's moral education is taking roots in the education system it seems that it is failing in creating a positive humanistic attitude and faith in the overall social goals in the students. This is happening because though we teach the necessary morals those educationalists feel necessary; they have failed in teaching the fundamental philosophy behind the morals those are being taught. This is why moral education just has become customary without reaching the hearts of the students.

This necessitates the definition of moral education and choosing proper philosophy to strengthen it. We find many values defined in Jain philosophy (Not religion) those can help the students in not becoming a better citizen but a person who is exploiting his all inner powers with immense curiosity and quest of raising and solving the questions to make the world even better so that the social values and the values of the life are aligned together.

Jain philosophy is secular. It does not believe in any creator or wish-fulfilling god. It believes every living soul is a god but because of the ignorance has fallen in the crevasse of the emotive world that engulfs him in the chaotic dark. With good deeds, he can raise himself and can help to rise up the ladder of human up-gradation. However, the present moral education is so far limited to teach civic rules without getting to the bottom of morals.

In moral education, the following points are important to teach-

1. Why and how to learn?
2. What values should determine the relationship between the student and the teacher?
3. What is the utility of the subjects the student learns to himself and society?
4. What is the ultimate eventuality of the subject’s student is taught?
5. Should the education mean study for study or to quench the curiosity of the student making him able enough to add his own to the field of his interest?

The moral values have necessarily social aspect as well that may include-

a. Which moral values are preferred and why for the cohesive society?

b. On which fundamentals the relationship between a person and society can become healthy and stronger?

c. What are the pros and cons of individualism and totalitarianism and which is preferable?

d. How the principles like non-violence, truth, non-attachment should be used and to use the principle of many-sided reality to solve the socio-moral issues?

e. How to take a universal approach in the subjects taught in the schools?

f. How to cope-up with the multi-cultural environment?

Then we come to the values those are very personal those every student should know and understand and that is-

1. Every individual has an innate ability to become enlightened in any field of his choice.
2. The universal values like truth, non-violence and non-attachment have no barriers of caste, creed, nation or religion.
3. Positive mindset through meditation, diet, and physical exercise.
4. Learning to compete with self, not the world to attain associative behavior for social and individual happiness.
5. Having a good memory is okay but the deep understanding of the subject is far better.

We will discuss in detail the essence of Jain moral system that can help modern educationalists to modify their approach towards moral education.