A Orientation day program

• Registration, collection of dues and documentation
• Facilitation, socialization, Indian and Jain customs
• Rules & regulations to be observed while attending the ISSJS programs; Hand book
• Facilities provided to all attending participants including books etc
• Jain salutations, mantra, signs

B. Academic program

1.0 History, culture, literature, arts, festivals, rituals

1.1 History

a. Pre Mahavira: Time cycles, eternity, 1st to 23 rd tirthankaras.
b. Mahavira: His life, society and reforms / teachings
c. Post Mahavira: schism, sects and sub sects. Important personalities (monks and laity)

1.2 Culture

a. Equality of all living beings, casteless society, not birth but your deeds determine your status
b. Four fold congregation, importance to those who practice path of purification also
c. Importance of food and basic personal habits

1.3 Arts, sculpture, paintings, temple architecture, iconography

a. Images, idols
b. Caves and stone engravings
c. Paintings
d. Temple architecture
e. Samosarana (holy congregation of the tirthankaras)

1.4 Literature

a. Historical development, classification of literature
b. Canonical literature (agamas) of both sects
c. Philosophical literature, commentaries
d. Story literature and world history (Puranas)
e. Poems, plays, short stories.
1.5 Contribution of Jain (acaryas) preceptors’ scholars and laity
a. Acaryas
b. Scholars
c. Laity
d. Recent ( 20th century) scholars, acaryas and laity

1.6 Religious activities

a. Daily: essential duties (Avashyakas), worships (pujas), etc
b. Festivals: Concept, types, celebration (Paryusana, Diwali, Mahavira Jayanti, Akshay Tritiya,
fortnightly and four monthly) c. Pilgrimage: Concept, types, Important pilgrimage places (Sammed Shikhar, Palitana, Shravanbelgol and others)

1.0 Ontology and Metaphysics

2.1 Ontology

a. Nature of reality (ODP), special aspects compared to other religions
b. Concept of substance (dravya), definiton and types; astikayas (existents)
c. Concept of soul, its nature, types, existences
d. Matter (pudgala), concept, types, nature etc

2.2 Metaphysics

a. Seven verities (tattvas), entities (padarthas). Concept and discussions on the path of
purification
b. Spiritual awakening (Samyak Darshana)
c. Causality (five samvayas, Purushartha)

2.3 Cosmology

a. Structure of cosmos and its description
b. Units of measurement of time, space, weight
c. Mathematics in Jainism

3.0 Karma doctrine

3.1 Concept

a. Karma (physics and physical), karma particles (varganas), four properties of karmas (prakrti, stithi, anubhag and pradesa),
b. Nature of karma: eight types and grouping as obscuring and non-obscuring, Role in our life.

3.2 Bondage

a. Nature and causes of bondages and their prevention.
b. Ten states of karmas and their import in our practice of religion.

3.3 Mysticism

a. Stages of spiritual purification (gunasthanas) and their discussions
b. Salvation /Liberation i.e. beyond gunasthanas.

4.0 Epistemology

4.1 Origin and growth of Theory of knowledge

4.2 Types of knowledge and its acquisition

a. Rational and perverted knowledge, Fivefold, Acquired and direct knowledge, Akalanka’s classification
b. Pramana and Naya doctrine, Niksepa

4.3 Multiplicity of viewpoints (Anekanta)

a. Metaphysical discussion
b. Application in life (social, business, medical, governance etc)
c. Expression: Conditional Dialectic (Syadavada), Seven fold expression (Saptbhangi)

5.0 Ethics

5.1 Concept, (Five types of conduct) , Importance of ahinsa, aparigraha and self restraint (sanyama)

5.2 Basic code of conduct

a. Purity of food (basic virtues
b. Seven abstinences
c. Essential duties

5.3 Conduct of the monks & Nuns

a. Concept
b. Major Vows, attitudes of restraint, carefulness
c. Afflictions and their conquest

5.4 Conduct of laity /householders

a. Concept, classification of householders
b. Minor vows, enhancing vows, teaching vows
c. Stages of development (Pratimas)
d. Discussions of minor vows
e. Self restraints

5.5 Ten fold virtuous practices (Dalakshan Dharma)

5.6 Penance

a. Concept, types and sub types
b. Detailed discussions: internal and external
c. Meditation

5.7 Art of die-ing: sallekhna /santhara. Peaceful death.

6.0 Special Topics

a. Non Violence: social and ecological
b. Non possession: Social (limiting and sharing possessions, conservation)
c. Democracy, Tolerance
d. Vegetarianism
e. Discipline, self restraint, forgiveness
f. Family and society<
g. Sociology of Jains
h. Social consciousness, contribution to society
i. Jain principles for economics, management, health
j. Role of women
k. Medical treatment /healing
l. Education
m. Religion & Morality
n. Gandhi and Jainism
o. Human Rights, Law
p. Comparative religions
q. Modern day issues

7.0 Scriptures

a. Uttaradhyayana
b. Ratna Karanada Shravakachara
c. Saman Suttam
d. Acharanga
e. Samayasara
C. Social interactions (visiting Jain institutions, householders, monks, nuns, etc.
D. Pilgrimages, rituals etc. actual observation.
Lal Mandir
Ahinsa Sthal
Dadabari
Sanskriti
Hastinapur