dear ALL JAIN FRIENDS, a project for imparting a value based [ jainism principles] education is to be developed for which support will be available for the execution of projects.. so. all COUNCIL MEMBERS, give your inputs and ideas for developing this.. and how the
www.jainfriends.com and JainDoctorsFederation can work together for this.. dr. gandhi ravindra.. following matter contains some broad thoughts sent to me by Dr. Kamal Jain of Bhiwandi...
Value-Based Education
Introduction:
We are living today in a world of conflicting values; a world in which there is increasing disparity between what is preached and what is practiced; a world where age old moral , spiritual and social values are rapidly crumbling down. Caught up in such a world our young and growing students are bewildered and confused and are striving to find meaning and a sense of direction to their lives.
By being merely endowed with human form, men do not become really human. There are millions of human beings, but how many of them display genuine human qualities? Only when human qualities are manifested can man claim to be truly human.
During recent years many schools report that pupil attitudes and behavior are all too often negative and challenging. We have seen School going Students shooting their own classmate, Beating there Teachers, Consuming Drugs. Many students see School as a proving ground rather than a training ground. Such behavior inhibits the development of both, school and student. An Environment is to be created which encourages pupils to be self-disciplined and develop holistically.
Today values have become words mired in controversy, embraced and reviled that we scarcely know how to use them, without turning them into slogans
Having a degree does not give people power, Real power is being able to make the choice between good or evil, life and death, between empowerment and nurturing of people or putting people down. Education is too often viewed as the exit route to a better lifestyle rather than the beginning of a journey, which will take a lifetime.
Swami Vivekananda had said, “We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet.” Much of this can be achieved by giving student a Value-Based Education that is the formation of qualities to help students become decent human beings.
If a young healthy man sitting in a seat on a bus, and an old lady comes onto the bus, he should without hesitation offer her his seat. That is not a religious commandment. It is common courtesy. It may not seem like much, but common courtesy is the "moral fabric" that holds a culture, a country, a family together. And this is what we Jains / Indians want our each and every student to grow with. A value based education seems to be the only answer to this search and value education is certainly the need of the hour.
What is Value based Education?
The factors that make an individual worthier and more joyful are called Human Values. Good character increases the value of a person. Human values are like valves in our personalities. When a value is operational in our being, it is acting like a safeguard. Each value is a safety valve just like valves in our heart. They operate to protect us from thoughts, words and arid actions that will be destructive to ourselves when we are faced with crisis or conflict situations.
The word value is derived from the Latin word ‘Valerie’ meaning to be strong and vigorous. To be of value is to have certain virtues. From the historical point of view value means a thing which is good, a widely accepted concept of value in traditional philosophy is as ‘Truth, Goodness and Beauty’ i.e. “Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram”.
In the Jain Philosophy- Value is celibacy, asceticism and control of senses.
In the Buddhist thought- value means Liberation and service of sentient beings of the world.
Value Education is the aggregate of all the processes by means of which a person develops abilities, attitudes and other forms of behavior of positive value in the society in which he lives.
What is the purpose of values-based education?
It is the fact that too many students see college as a proving ground rather than a training ground. Many teachers and students spend their time trying to convince others that they are knowledgeable rather than concentrating on knowing. Admitting ignorance is hard. Yet if the truth were known, we all know very, very little.
The purpose of values-based education is:
· To help the school community think about and reflect upon positive universal values and the practical implications of expressing them in relation to themselves, others, the community and the world.
· To inspire individuals to choose their own positive personal, social, moral and spiritual values and be aware of ways for developing and deepening them as world citizens.
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has said: Every parent would like to have a child whose personality shines wherever the child goes. It is the personality that is appreciated everywhere. Such pleasing personality is what the main aim of this Value based Education"
JDF Vision & Mission for values-based education
Our Vision: Enable each student to attain intellectual, physical, emotional maturity through Science and Spirituality.
Our Mission:
· Approach based on a critical realism that will enable to integrate the humanities and the sciences as well as give a central place to philosophy and theology.
· Promote intellectual and ethical leadership by contributing the resources of the Indian intellectual tradition to the critical development and transformation of human culture.
· Enable the students to blossom to their fullest potential along with knowledge of health hazards by visiting various Schools.
· Broaden the vision and deepen the roots of our inherited Culture. (Like rooming with shoe in the house - spreads infection).
· Create an Ethical Society through integrated value education.
· Articulate a proper understanding of the hygiene and health significance and to show how authentic spirituality can contribute to the renewal of the wider society
In short, Nurture every Individual student to achieve his best in a broad and balanced range of activities, to become a discipline, life long learner and to develop sound values based on Scientific and Spiritual teachings so that each may become a fulfilled human being of worth and a contributing citizen of INDIA and the World.
How can JDF impart value-based education?
Some of the techniques, which can be included in the JDF curriculum to impart value-based education, are as follows:
A) Emotions: Anger, fear, joy, grief, shock, worry and sadness are all emotions which can affect our health. Teach the techniques to Control Emotions.
B) Behaviors: Healthy be-haviors such as exercising and eating sensibly lower the risk of conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Science tell us that whatever one eats, it has an effect on one’s behaviour. Meat eating promotes only animal qualities. It has been well said that the food one consumes determines one's thoughts. By eating the flesh of various animals, the qualities of these animals are imbibed. "Jaisa Anna, Vaisa Mann - as is the food, so is the thought. As is the feeling so is the experience - Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati. So we have to partake of food in a proper way. It is because of food that we have all sorts of durguna, duralochana and duschinta- bad habits, and bad thoughts. How sinful is it to feed on animals, which are sustained by the same five elements as human beings! This leads to demonic tendencies, besides committing the sin of inflicting cruelty on animal.
While unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and excessive drinking taking Drugs raise the risk of conditions like lung cancer and liver disease. Stress is to be made on bad effects of smoking, eschewing drinking which ruins our health. One without health cannot achieve any small thing. And as it is said, “As is the food, so is the head”. So one should have regulation of food.
C) Meditation/Prayer: Meditation helps to quieten the body and the mind and thus enables the student to focus his thoughts and become more concentrated. In order to achieve tangible results such as improvement in memory, concentration, intuitive power and the development of calm and balanced nature, students should practice meditation regularly and patiently.
D) Envoirnment:
E) Sprituality:
please give your ideas for formulating the guidelines and principles for value based education project to be developed by JAIN DOCTORS FEDERATION with plenty of funding support available for a large scale YUVA-SANSKAAR project , primarily based on JAINISM for YOUNG JAINS...
