sadhu sadhavi samaj chintan
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अनसची
वषय पान करपरसतावना 2
जन ततव का राषटर नमारण म उपयोग -
साध सममलन क माधयम स
4
शरमण सघ - नई पढ नई सोच नई दशा 8
साध-साधवी परशण हत कायरयोजना 14
शरमण सघ क परबलकरण म सािधवयक नार शकती को बलवान करन कनई कायरयोजना
19
साधक-साधका परचारक इस नई कटगरका नमारण करना
25
आदशर चातमारस - एक नया दिषटकोण 29
ContentsPreface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
2
तावना
दनाक ०९०३२०१५
त
परमपMय आचाय सNाट डॉ ी 1शवमनजी मसा
एव सभी साध-सािवयक चरणो म
कोट) कोट) वदन
आचाय ी डॉ 1शवमनीजी मसा क आदशानसार अSखल भारतवषVय
Wवताबर थानकवासी जन कॉYफरYस 9क नायम अय2 ी नमीनाथजी
जन क नतव म आयोिजत साध समलन हत मर) हादक शभकामनाए |
मण सघ सDढ हो और नई उचाईतक पहच यह पर दशभर क जनीओक7
भावना ह | माच २०१५ का यह साध समलन समाज एव दश कल)य 1मल
का पथर सा_बत होगा | २८ साल क बाद आनवाल इस सनहर अवसर का
वधायक उपयोग करक लना चाहय | इस Dट)स दो माह पव मन इदोर
जाकर ी न1मनाथजी एव वaरठ पदाधीकार)य क साथ साध समलन स2म
बनान हत चतन-मनन 9कया | उसपर ी नमीनाथजी न इस चतन को आग
बढान कल)य मझ एव जन समाज क वaरठ नता ी शातीलालजी कवाड को
इस समलन म मागदशक 9क भ1मका नभानक आदश दय |
ी शातीलालजी कवाड यह जन समाज क एक भावशाल) नता ह | उYहोन
भी पना म आकर इस वषय पर मर चतन को समझन 9क को1शश 9क |
तपWयात परमपMय आचाय ी डॉ 1शवमनजी मसा वaरठ साध-सािव
एव पदाधकार)ओक साथ वचार वमश करनका हम मौका 1मला |
इस सदभ म हमन हमार चतन को आग बढाकर बनयाद) सझाव आचायीजी
को दन चाहय इसपर सहमती हई | इस1लय इस वषयपर सोचकर मर नजी
3
वचार आपक7 सवा म षत करनका यास कर रहा ह | मर म इतनी
2मता नह 9क म आचायीजी को सझाव द सक | इस1लय इसको सझाव क
eप म न दखकर यह समाज चतन ह इस Dट)स दख | म जो चतन रख
रहा ह यह मर) नजी राय ह | इसम महवपण वषय दय हय ह | यह
चतन अतम सझाव नह) ह | इसम 1सफ महवपण _बYदओको छन 9क
को1शश 9क ह | ी शातीलालजी कवाड इनक7 भी अलग सोच एव सझाव हो
सकत ह | हर लgय को परा करन कल)य अलग अलग रात भी हो सकत ह|
यह चतन अYय लोग अलग तर)कस भी रख सकत ह | इसपर जो भी नणय
आचायी लhग यह पर समाज कल)य 1शरोधाय होगा और हम सब उसका
नठास पालन करhग |
इस चतन म माi और माi धम एव समाज 9क सवा यह उjश ह | इसम
9कसी भी साध-सावी एव पदाधकार) 9क अलोचना करनका तनक भी उjश
नह ह | इसम एक kयापक Dट)कोन दया हआ ह | अगर मर वचारो स
9कसी क दल को ठस पहची हो तो म 2मायाचना करता ह |
आपका आlाकार)
शातीलाल मथा
4
जन तव का रा नमाण म उपयोग -
साध स+मलन क मायम स
वWव क सबस ाचीन धमm मh स एक जन धम अहसा और वय -
नयiण का माग दशाता ह जो उसक अनचर क 1लए मो2 ािnत का
मायम बन सकता ह अहसा अपaरpह और अनकाYतवाद य तीन मख
1सqात इस धम क7 जड़h हs जो भगवान महावीर क7 1श2ाओ स पट होता
ह भगवान महावीर क इन वचार मh इतनी गहराई ह 9क वय महामा
गाधीजी भी भगवान महावीर न बताए हए कई तव का कड़ा पालन करत
थ
जन धम का तवlान और उसक तव मनयमाi तथा कत क7 गती
मh नत उचत रह हs आज जब 9क चार ओर घणा हसा अYयाय और
असहणता का वातावरण फला हआ ह ऐस मh य तव और तवlान खास
कर अधक मायन रखत हs इन तवपर वWवभर मh अधक स अधक
aरसच 9कया जा रहा ह और वWवपर छाय अशािYत क बादलो मh इन तव
को सरज क7 9करण माना जा रहा ह इस महान धम क अनचर होन क नात
हम सब भाuयशाल) हs तव तथा qाओ क7 एक समq परपरा िजसमh
हम मh स हर एक को आयािमक शqता तथा आमlान क माग पर ल
जान क7 शि8त हमh वरासत मh 1मल) ह हम सभी को भगवान महावीर क
बताए माग पर चलन का भरसक यास करना चाहए
इसी भावना क साथ हमार छोट - बड़ झगड़ जो हमार वतमान का एक
हसा हs जो हमार दनदन अितव को भावत करत हs और जो हमh पर)
तरह स लपट मh ल सकत हs उनका याग करन क7 नतक िजमदार) हम
उठाए यद हमh जन तव क सvच उपासक बनना ह तो हमh साधारण
चीज़ क पर जा कर सोचन और काय करन क7 शि8त वय मh जटानी होगी
हमार आपसी भद जो जन धम क वशाल 1सqाYतो क सामन कोई मायन
नह) रखत उनक ऊपर उठकर सोचना होगा इन तव क सार करन और
5
सपण वWव मh उनक7 अvछाई भरन क माग तथा मायम पर हमh अपना
यान किYyत करना आवWयक ह
एक समदाय क eप मh जनी भारत क7 कल जनसzया क माi 05 हs और
मण सघ इस अपसzयक गट का एक बहत ह) छोटा हसा ह 9फर भी
जनय क पास जीवन क मलभत तव का खजाना ह जो क7 पढ़) दर
पढ़) आग चलता आया ह मण सघ िजसका अवभाMय अग ह उस जन
धम क समपत अनचरवारा न1मत यह पजी माi जन समदाय ह) नह)
बिक समच दश क 1लए उपयोग मh लाना आवWयक ह सघ जन धम क
कछ अयधक भावशाल) वचारक तथा सारक क एक_iत होन स बना ह
और उनक वचार उनक वचन मzय वाह मh लाना और अधक स अधक
लोग तक पहचाना अत आवWयक ह जनय का योगदान दश क सपण
समाज मh तथा अYतररा)य तर पर भी साaरत होना आवWयक ह जनय
को सना जाए दखा जाए और उनका अितव महसस 9कया जाए इसक
1लए सघ न जन 1सधाYतका सारमायम क व1भYन उपलध मचक
मायम स यास करना आवWयक ह
इस बात को शी अयावWयकता क भाव स तथा ल2त eप मh 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह इस दशा मh काय करन क 1लए सभाkय कतीरखा कछ इस
तरह क7 हो सकती ह -
1 -मण सघ वारा साध और सािवय क2 एक क4मट6 बनायी जाए
जन तवको दश और दनीया क सामन सार मयमक उपयोग
वारा तत करन का उतरदायव सपा जाए |
2 इस क4मट6 वारा व4भgtन सामािजक दाशनक प पकाए
काशन तथा िजनक2 समाज मA सदर तक पहच ह ऐस अgtय
मायम मA लख 4लख जाए |
6
3 वयमान उपलFध साGहय मA अ4भवIी करन का जन वरासत
उसका काय और गत कई वषK मA Lकए गए अनसgtधान को सचाM
ाMप मA लNखत करन का लOय रखA और उसक पPचात य
दतावज व4भgtन मच स बाहर6 दनया को Gदखाए | रा 6य
अतरा 6य workshops स4मनास एव अgtय मचका उपयोग कर
जन 4सधाgtतको दश और दनीया क सामन लाया जाए इस X ट6
स क4मट6 क2 थापना |
4 जन धम जन सथाओ का तथा समदाय क काय क बार मA
जानकार6 साZरत करन क 4लए अ[धकत वता क Mप मA कछ
[गन - चन महवपण सदय को नयत करA |
5 सय पZरिथत मA १३०० साध-सािवय मA काफ2 लोगोन
Graduation Post graduation एव Doctorates क2 पदवया हा4सल
क2 ह | इस Zरसोस का हमन परा लाभ लना आवPयक ह | इनमस
कछ लोग का Think Tank बनाकर इस वषय को Movement क2
तरह चलाना आवPयक ह |
6 दश मA Gहसाचार अयाचार बलाकार c टाचार क2 घटनाय
लगातार बढ़ती जा रह6 ह | इस वषय पर दरदशन क कई चनeस
पर घटो घटो बहस होती ह | अGहसा क पजार6 रहनवाल हमार कई
ववान साध-सािव इन सब वषयपर लगातार बहस मA Gहसा
लकर पण भारत वष क समाज पर अपना भाव डाल सकत ह |
इसमA धम और समाज दोनोक2 भी बड़ी सवा होती ह | इस बात
को इस स+मलन मA काफ2 गभीरतास लना आवPयक ह |
7
य शeआती 9कYत महवपण कदम इस मवमYट क बार मh जागत नमाण
करन क तथा भगवान महावीर का सYदश फलान क काय मh बहत उपय8त
1सq हो सकत हs य यास पर वWव मh जनय क7 पहचान बनान का काय
करhग वWव मh जनय का योगदान अधक सzया मh लोग वारा और
अधक गहराई स वीकारा जाएगा इसीस अपन समदाय स पर जा कर
मानवता क7 सवा करना चाहनवाल जनी तथा जन सथाओ क 1लए अनक
अवसर खल जाएग यह सह) मायन म भगवान महावीर वारा बताए माग
पर चलना 1सq होगा और जनय को जन धम क अनचर क यथोचत eप
स मनयमाi तथा मानवता क7 सवा करन 1लए वय को समपत करन का
अवसर ाnत होगा
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
2
तावना
दनाक ०९०३२०१५
त
परमपMय आचाय सNाट डॉ ी 1शवमनजी मसा
एव सभी साध-सािवयक चरणो म
कोट) कोट) वदन
आचाय ी डॉ 1शवमनीजी मसा क आदशानसार अSखल भारतवषVय
Wवताबर थानकवासी जन कॉYफरYस 9क नायम अय2 ी नमीनाथजी
जन क नतव म आयोिजत साध समलन हत मर) हादक शभकामनाए |
मण सघ सDढ हो और नई उचाईतक पहच यह पर दशभर क जनीओक7
भावना ह | माच २०१५ का यह साध समलन समाज एव दश कल)य 1मल
का पथर सा_बत होगा | २८ साल क बाद आनवाल इस सनहर अवसर का
वधायक उपयोग करक लना चाहय | इस Dट)स दो माह पव मन इदोर
जाकर ी न1मनाथजी एव वaरठ पदाधीकार)य क साथ साध समलन स2म
बनान हत चतन-मनन 9कया | उसपर ी नमीनाथजी न इस चतन को आग
बढान कल)य मझ एव जन समाज क वaरठ नता ी शातीलालजी कवाड को
इस समलन म मागदशक 9क भ1मका नभानक आदश दय |
ी शातीलालजी कवाड यह जन समाज क एक भावशाल) नता ह | उYहोन
भी पना म आकर इस वषय पर मर चतन को समझन 9क को1शश 9क |
तपWयात परमपMय आचाय ी डॉ 1शवमनजी मसा वaरठ साध-सािव
एव पदाधकार)ओक साथ वचार वमश करनका हम मौका 1मला |
इस सदभ म हमन हमार चतन को आग बढाकर बनयाद) सझाव आचायीजी
को दन चाहय इसपर सहमती हई | इस1लय इस वषयपर सोचकर मर नजी
3
वचार आपक7 सवा म षत करनका यास कर रहा ह | मर म इतनी
2मता नह 9क म आचायीजी को सझाव द सक | इस1लय इसको सझाव क
eप म न दखकर यह समाज चतन ह इस Dट)स दख | म जो चतन रख
रहा ह यह मर) नजी राय ह | इसम महवपण वषय दय हय ह | यह
चतन अतम सझाव नह) ह | इसम 1सफ महवपण _बYदओको छन 9क
को1शश 9क ह | ी शातीलालजी कवाड इनक7 भी अलग सोच एव सझाव हो
सकत ह | हर लgय को परा करन कल)य अलग अलग रात भी हो सकत ह|
यह चतन अYय लोग अलग तर)कस भी रख सकत ह | इसपर जो भी नणय
आचायी लhग यह पर समाज कल)य 1शरोधाय होगा और हम सब उसका
नठास पालन करhग |
इस चतन म माi और माi धम एव समाज 9क सवा यह उjश ह | इसम
9कसी भी साध-सावी एव पदाधकार) 9क अलोचना करनका तनक भी उjश
नह ह | इसम एक kयापक Dट)कोन दया हआ ह | अगर मर वचारो स
9कसी क दल को ठस पहची हो तो म 2मायाचना करता ह |
आपका आlाकार)
शातीलाल मथा
4
जन तव का रा नमाण म उपयोग -
साध स+मलन क मायम स
वWव क सबस ाचीन धमm मh स एक जन धम अहसा और वय -
नयiण का माग दशाता ह जो उसक अनचर क 1लए मो2 ािnत का
मायम बन सकता ह अहसा अपaरpह और अनकाYतवाद य तीन मख
1सqात इस धम क7 जड़h हs जो भगवान महावीर क7 1श2ाओ स पट होता
ह भगवान महावीर क इन वचार मh इतनी गहराई ह 9क वय महामा
गाधीजी भी भगवान महावीर न बताए हए कई तव का कड़ा पालन करत
थ
जन धम का तवlान और उसक तव मनयमाi तथा कत क7 गती
मh नत उचत रह हs आज जब 9क चार ओर घणा हसा अYयाय और
असहणता का वातावरण फला हआ ह ऐस मh य तव और तवlान खास
कर अधक मायन रखत हs इन तवपर वWवभर मh अधक स अधक
aरसच 9कया जा रहा ह और वWवपर छाय अशािYत क बादलो मh इन तव
को सरज क7 9करण माना जा रहा ह इस महान धम क अनचर होन क नात
हम सब भाuयशाल) हs तव तथा qाओ क7 एक समq परपरा िजसमh
हम मh स हर एक को आयािमक शqता तथा आमlान क माग पर ल
जान क7 शि8त हमh वरासत मh 1मल) ह हम सभी को भगवान महावीर क
बताए माग पर चलन का भरसक यास करना चाहए
इसी भावना क साथ हमार छोट - बड़ झगड़ जो हमार वतमान का एक
हसा हs जो हमार दनदन अितव को भावत करत हs और जो हमh पर)
तरह स लपट मh ल सकत हs उनका याग करन क7 नतक िजमदार) हम
उठाए यद हमh जन तव क सvच उपासक बनना ह तो हमh साधारण
चीज़ क पर जा कर सोचन और काय करन क7 शि8त वय मh जटानी होगी
हमार आपसी भद जो जन धम क वशाल 1सqाYतो क सामन कोई मायन
नह) रखत उनक ऊपर उठकर सोचना होगा इन तव क सार करन और
5
सपण वWव मh उनक7 अvछाई भरन क माग तथा मायम पर हमh अपना
यान किYyत करना आवWयक ह
एक समदाय क eप मh जनी भारत क7 कल जनसzया क माi 05 हs और
मण सघ इस अपसzयक गट का एक बहत ह) छोटा हसा ह 9फर भी
जनय क पास जीवन क मलभत तव का खजाना ह जो क7 पढ़) दर
पढ़) आग चलता आया ह मण सघ िजसका अवभाMय अग ह उस जन
धम क समपत अनचरवारा न1मत यह पजी माi जन समदाय ह) नह)
बिक समच दश क 1लए उपयोग मh लाना आवWयक ह सघ जन धम क
कछ अयधक भावशाल) वचारक तथा सारक क एक_iत होन स बना ह
और उनक वचार उनक वचन मzय वाह मh लाना और अधक स अधक
लोग तक पहचाना अत आवWयक ह जनय का योगदान दश क सपण
समाज मh तथा अYतररा)य तर पर भी साaरत होना आवWयक ह जनय
को सना जाए दखा जाए और उनका अितव महसस 9कया जाए इसक
1लए सघ न जन 1सधाYतका सारमायम क व1भYन उपलध मचक
मायम स यास करना आवWयक ह
इस बात को शी अयावWयकता क भाव स तथा ल2त eप मh 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह इस दशा मh काय करन क 1लए सभाkय कतीरखा कछ इस
तरह क7 हो सकती ह -
1 -मण सघ वारा साध और सािवय क2 एक क4मट6 बनायी जाए
जन तवको दश और दनीया क सामन सार मयमक उपयोग
वारा तत करन का उतरदायव सपा जाए |
2 इस क4मट6 वारा व4भgtन सामािजक दाशनक प पकाए
काशन तथा िजनक2 समाज मA सदर तक पहच ह ऐस अgtय
मायम मA लख 4लख जाए |
6
3 वयमान उपलFध साGहय मA अ4भवIी करन का जन वरासत
उसका काय और गत कई वषK मA Lकए गए अनसgtधान को सचाM
ाMप मA लNखत करन का लOय रखA और उसक पPचात य
दतावज व4भgtन मच स बाहर6 दनया को Gदखाए | रा 6य
अतरा 6य workshops स4मनास एव अgtय मचका उपयोग कर
जन 4सधाgtतको दश और दनीया क सामन लाया जाए इस X ट6
स क4मट6 क2 थापना |
4 जन धम जन सथाओ का तथा समदाय क काय क बार मA
जानकार6 साZरत करन क 4लए अ[धकत वता क Mप मA कछ
[गन - चन महवपण सदय को नयत करA |
5 सय पZरिथत मA १३०० साध-सािवय मA काफ2 लोगोन
Graduation Post graduation एव Doctorates क2 पदवया हा4सल
क2 ह | इस Zरसोस का हमन परा लाभ लना आवPयक ह | इनमस
कछ लोग का Think Tank बनाकर इस वषय को Movement क2
तरह चलाना आवPयक ह |
6 दश मA Gहसाचार अयाचार बलाकार c टाचार क2 घटनाय
लगातार बढ़ती जा रह6 ह | इस वषय पर दरदशन क कई चनeस
पर घटो घटो बहस होती ह | अGहसा क पजार6 रहनवाल हमार कई
ववान साध-सािव इन सब वषयपर लगातार बहस मA Gहसा
लकर पण भारत वष क समाज पर अपना भाव डाल सकत ह |
इसमA धम और समाज दोनोक2 भी बड़ी सवा होती ह | इस बात
को इस स+मलन मA काफ2 गभीरतास लना आवPयक ह |
7
य शeआती 9कYत महवपण कदम इस मवमYट क बार मh जागत नमाण
करन क तथा भगवान महावीर का सYदश फलान क काय मh बहत उपय8त
1सq हो सकत हs य यास पर वWव मh जनय क7 पहचान बनान का काय
करhग वWव मh जनय का योगदान अधक सzया मh लोग वारा और
अधक गहराई स वीकारा जाएगा इसीस अपन समदाय स पर जा कर
मानवता क7 सवा करना चाहनवाल जनी तथा जन सथाओ क 1लए अनक
अवसर खल जाएग यह सह) मायन म भगवान महावीर वारा बताए माग
पर चलना 1सq होगा और जनय को जन धम क अनचर क यथोचत eप
स मनयमाi तथा मानवता क7 सवा करन 1लए वय को समपत करन का
अवसर ाnत होगा
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
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क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
3
वचार आपक7 सवा म षत करनका यास कर रहा ह | मर म इतनी
2मता नह 9क म आचायीजी को सझाव द सक | इस1लय इसको सझाव क
eप म न दखकर यह समाज चतन ह इस Dट)स दख | म जो चतन रख
रहा ह यह मर) नजी राय ह | इसम महवपण वषय दय हय ह | यह
चतन अतम सझाव नह) ह | इसम 1सफ महवपण _बYदओको छन 9क
को1शश 9क ह | ी शातीलालजी कवाड इनक7 भी अलग सोच एव सझाव हो
सकत ह | हर लgय को परा करन कल)य अलग अलग रात भी हो सकत ह|
यह चतन अYय लोग अलग तर)कस भी रख सकत ह | इसपर जो भी नणय
आचायी लhग यह पर समाज कल)य 1शरोधाय होगा और हम सब उसका
नठास पालन करhग |
इस चतन म माi और माi धम एव समाज 9क सवा यह उjश ह | इसम
9कसी भी साध-सावी एव पदाधकार) 9क अलोचना करनका तनक भी उjश
नह ह | इसम एक kयापक Dट)कोन दया हआ ह | अगर मर वचारो स
9कसी क दल को ठस पहची हो तो म 2मायाचना करता ह |
आपका आlाकार)
शातीलाल मथा
4
जन तव का रा नमाण म उपयोग -
साध स+मलन क मायम स
वWव क सबस ाचीन धमm मh स एक जन धम अहसा और वय -
नयiण का माग दशाता ह जो उसक अनचर क 1लए मो2 ािnत का
मायम बन सकता ह अहसा अपaरpह और अनकाYतवाद य तीन मख
1सqात इस धम क7 जड़h हs जो भगवान महावीर क7 1श2ाओ स पट होता
ह भगवान महावीर क इन वचार मh इतनी गहराई ह 9क वय महामा
गाधीजी भी भगवान महावीर न बताए हए कई तव का कड़ा पालन करत
थ
जन धम का तवlान और उसक तव मनयमाi तथा कत क7 गती
मh नत उचत रह हs आज जब 9क चार ओर घणा हसा अYयाय और
असहणता का वातावरण फला हआ ह ऐस मh य तव और तवlान खास
कर अधक मायन रखत हs इन तवपर वWवभर मh अधक स अधक
aरसच 9कया जा रहा ह और वWवपर छाय अशािYत क बादलो मh इन तव
को सरज क7 9करण माना जा रहा ह इस महान धम क अनचर होन क नात
हम सब भाuयशाल) हs तव तथा qाओ क7 एक समq परपरा िजसमh
हम मh स हर एक को आयािमक शqता तथा आमlान क माग पर ल
जान क7 शि8त हमh वरासत मh 1मल) ह हम सभी को भगवान महावीर क
बताए माग पर चलन का भरसक यास करना चाहए
इसी भावना क साथ हमार छोट - बड़ झगड़ जो हमार वतमान का एक
हसा हs जो हमार दनदन अितव को भावत करत हs और जो हमh पर)
तरह स लपट मh ल सकत हs उनका याग करन क7 नतक िजमदार) हम
उठाए यद हमh जन तव क सvच उपासक बनना ह तो हमh साधारण
चीज़ क पर जा कर सोचन और काय करन क7 शि8त वय मh जटानी होगी
हमार आपसी भद जो जन धम क वशाल 1सqाYतो क सामन कोई मायन
नह) रखत उनक ऊपर उठकर सोचना होगा इन तव क सार करन और
5
सपण वWव मh उनक7 अvछाई भरन क माग तथा मायम पर हमh अपना
यान किYyत करना आवWयक ह
एक समदाय क eप मh जनी भारत क7 कल जनसzया क माi 05 हs और
मण सघ इस अपसzयक गट का एक बहत ह) छोटा हसा ह 9फर भी
जनय क पास जीवन क मलभत तव का खजाना ह जो क7 पढ़) दर
पढ़) आग चलता आया ह मण सघ िजसका अवभाMय अग ह उस जन
धम क समपत अनचरवारा न1मत यह पजी माi जन समदाय ह) नह)
बिक समच दश क 1लए उपयोग मh लाना आवWयक ह सघ जन धम क
कछ अयधक भावशाल) वचारक तथा सारक क एक_iत होन स बना ह
और उनक वचार उनक वचन मzय वाह मh लाना और अधक स अधक
लोग तक पहचाना अत आवWयक ह जनय का योगदान दश क सपण
समाज मh तथा अYतररा)य तर पर भी साaरत होना आवWयक ह जनय
को सना जाए दखा जाए और उनका अितव महसस 9कया जाए इसक
1लए सघ न जन 1सधाYतका सारमायम क व1भYन उपलध मचक
मायम स यास करना आवWयक ह
इस बात को शी अयावWयकता क भाव स तथा ल2त eप मh 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह इस दशा मh काय करन क 1लए सभाkय कतीरखा कछ इस
तरह क7 हो सकती ह -
1 -मण सघ वारा साध और सािवय क2 एक क4मट6 बनायी जाए
जन तवको दश और दनीया क सामन सार मयमक उपयोग
वारा तत करन का उतरदायव सपा जाए |
2 इस क4मट6 वारा व4भgtन सामािजक दाशनक प पकाए
काशन तथा िजनक2 समाज मA सदर तक पहच ह ऐस अgtय
मायम मA लख 4लख जाए |
6
3 वयमान उपलFध साGहय मA अ4भवIी करन का जन वरासत
उसका काय और गत कई वषK मA Lकए गए अनसgtधान को सचाM
ाMप मA लNखत करन का लOय रखA और उसक पPचात य
दतावज व4भgtन मच स बाहर6 दनया को Gदखाए | रा 6य
अतरा 6य workshops स4मनास एव अgtय मचका उपयोग कर
जन 4सधाgtतको दश और दनीया क सामन लाया जाए इस X ट6
स क4मट6 क2 थापना |
4 जन धम जन सथाओ का तथा समदाय क काय क बार मA
जानकार6 साZरत करन क 4लए अ[धकत वता क Mप मA कछ
[गन - चन महवपण सदय को नयत करA |
5 सय पZरिथत मA १३०० साध-सािवय मA काफ2 लोगोन
Graduation Post graduation एव Doctorates क2 पदवया हा4सल
क2 ह | इस Zरसोस का हमन परा लाभ लना आवPयक ह | इनमस
कछ लोग का Think Tank बनाकर इस वषय को Movement क2
तरह चलाना आवPयक ह |
6 दश मA Gहसाचार अयाचार बलाकार c टाचार क2 घटनाय
लगातार बढ़ती जा रह6 ह | इस वषय पर दरदशन क कई चनeस
पर घटो घटो बहस होती ह | अGहसा क पजार6 रहनवाल हमार कई
ववान साध-सािव इन सब वषयपर लगातार बहस मA Gहसा
लकर पण भारत वष क समाज पर अपना भाव डाल सकत ह |
इसमA धम और समाज दोनोक2 भी बड़ी सवा होती ह | इस बात
को इस स+मलन मA काफ2 गभीरतास लना आवPयक ह |
7
य शeआती 9कYत महवपण कदम इस मवमYट क बार मh जागत नमाण
करन क तथा भगवान महावीर का सYदश फलान क काय मh बहत उपय8त
1सq हो सकत हs य यास पर वWव मh जनय क7 पहचान बनान का काय
करhग वWव मh जनय का योगदान अधक सzया मh लोग वारा और
अधक गहराई स वीकारा जाएगा इसीस अपन समदाय स पर जा कर
मानवता क7 सवा करना चाहनवाल जनी तथा जन सथाओ क 1लए अनक
अवसर खल जाएग यह सह) मायन म भगवान महावीर वारा बताए माग
पर चलना 1सq होगा और जनय को जन धम क अनचर क यथोचत eप
स मनयमाi तथा मानवता क7 सवा करन 1लए वय को समपत करन का
अवसर ाnत होगा
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
4
जन तव का रा नमाण म उपयोग -
साध स+मलन क मायम स
वWव क सबस ाचीन धमm मh स एक जन धम अहसा और वय -
नयiण का माग दशाता ह जो उसक अनचर क 1लए मो2 ािnत का
मायम बन सकता ह अहसा अपaरpह और अनकाYतवाद य तीन मख
1सqात इस धम क7 जड़h हs जो भगवान महावीर क7 1श2ाओ स पट होता
ह भगवान महावीर क इन वचार मh इतनी गहराई ह 9क वय महामा
गाधीजी भी भगवान महावीर न बताए हए कई तव का कड़ा पालन करत
थ
जन धम का तवlान और उसक तव मनयमाi तथा कत क7 गती
मh नत उचत रह हs आज जब 9क चार ओर घणा हसा अYयाय और
असहणता का वातावरण फला हआ ह ऐस मh य तव और तवlान खास
कर अधक मायन रखत हs इन तवपर वWवभर मh अधक स अधक
aरसच 9कया जा रहा ह और वWवपर छाय अशािYत क बादलो मh इन तव
को सरज क7 9करण माना जा रहा ह इस महान धम क अनचर होन क नात
हम सब भाuयशाल) हs तव तथा qाओ क7 एक समq परपरा िजसमh
हम मh स हर एक को आयािमक शqता तथा आमlान क माग पर ल
जान क7 शि8त हमh वरासत मh 1मल) ह हम सभी को भगवान महावीर क
बताए माग पर चलन का भरसक यास करना चाहए
इसी भावना क साथ हमार छोट - बड़ झगड़ जो हमार वतमान का एक
हसा हs जो हमार दनदन अितव को भावत करत हs और जो हमh पर)
तरह स लपट मh ल सकत हs उनका याग करन क7 नतक िजमदार) हम
उठाए यद हमh जन तव क सvच उपासक बनना ह तो हमh साधारण
चीज़ क पर जा कर सोचन और काय करन क7 शि8त वय मh जटानी होगी
हमार आपसी भद जो जन धम क वशाल 1सqाYतो क सामन कोई मायन
नह) रखत उनक ऊपर उठकर सोचना होगा इन तव क सार करन और
5
सपण वWव मh उनक7 अvछाई भरन क माग तथा मायम पर हमh अपना
यान किYyत करना आवWयक ह
एक समदाय क eप मh जनी भारत क7 कल जनसzया क माi 05 हs और
मण सघ इस अपसzयक गट का एक बहत ह) छोटा हसा ह 9फर भी
जनय क पास जीवन क मलभत तव का खजाना ह जो क7 पढ़) दर
पढ़) आग चलता आया ह मण सघ िजसका अवभाMय अग ह उस जन
धम क समपत अनचरवारा न1मत यह पजी माi जन समदाय ह) नह)
बिक समच दश क 1लए उपयोग मh लाना आवWयक ह सघ जन धम क
कछ अयधक भावशाल) वचारक तथा सारक क एक_iत होन स बना ह
और उनक वचार उनक वचन मzय वाह मh लाना और अधक स अधक
लोग तक पहचाना अत आवWयक ह जनय का योगदान दश क सपण
समाज मh तथा अYतररा)य तर पर भी साaरत होना आवWयक ह जनय
को सना जाए दखा जाए और उनका अितव महसस 9कया जाए इसक
1लए सघ न जन 1सधाYतका सारमायम क व1भYन उपलध मचक
मायम स यास करना आवWयक ह
इस बात को शी अयावWयकता क भाव स तथा ल2त eप मh 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह इस दशा मh काय करन क 1लए सभाkय कतीरखा कछ इस
तरह क7 हो सकती ह -
1 -मण सघ वारा साध और सािवय क2 एक क4मट6 बनायी जाए
जन तवको दश और दनीया क सामन सार मयमक उपयोग
वारा तत करन का उतरदायव सपा जाए |
2 इस क4मट6 वारा व4भgtन सामािजक दाशनक प पकाए
काशन तथा िजनक2 समाज मA सदर तक पहच ह ऐस अgtय
मायम मA लख 4लख जाए |
6
3 वयमान उपलFध साGहय मA अ4भवIी करन का जन वरासत
उसका काय और गत कई वषK मA Lकए गए अनसgtधान को सचाM
ाMप मA लNखत करन का लOय रखA और उसक पPचात य
दतावज व4भgtन मच स बाहर6 दनया को Gदखाए | रा 6य
अतरा 6य workshops स4मनास एव अgtय मचका उपयोग कर
जन 4सधाgtतको दश और दनीया क सामन लाया जाए इस X ट6
स क4मट6 क2 थापना |
4 जन धम जन सथाओ का तथा समदाय क काय क बार मA
जानकार6 साZरत करन क 4लए अ[धकत वता क Mप मA कछ
[गन - चन महवपण सदय को नयत करA |
5 सय पZरिथत मA १३०० साध-सािवय मA काफ2 लोगोन
Graduation Post graduation एव Doctorates क2 पदवया हा4सल
क2 ह | इस Zरसोस का हमन परा लाभ लना आवPयक ह | इनमस
कछ लोग का Think Tank बनाकर इस वषय को Movement क2
तरह चलाना आवPयक ह |
6 दश मA Gहसाचार अयाचार बलाकार c टाचार क2 घटनाय
लगातार बढ़ती जा रह6 ह | इस वषय पर दरदशन क कई चनeस
पर घटो घटो बहस होती ह | अGहसा क पजार6 रहनवाल हमार कई
ववान साध-सािव इन सब वषयपर लगातार बहस मA Gहसा
लकर पण भारत वष क समाज पर अपना भाव डाल सकत ह |
इसमA धम और समाज दोनोक2 भी बड़ी सवा होती ह | इस बात
को इस स+मलन मA काफ2 गभीरतास लना आवPयक ह |
7
य शeआती 9कYत महवपण कदम इस मवमYट क बार मh जागत नमाण
करन क तथा भगवान महावीर का सYदश फलान क काय मh बहत उपय8त
1सq हो सकत हs य यास पर वWव मh जनय क7 पहचान बनान का काय
करhग वWव मh जनय का योगदान अधक सzया मh लोग वारा और
अधक गहराई स वीकारा जाएगा इसीस अपन समदाय स पर जा कर
मानवता क7 सवा करना चाहनवाल जनी तथा जन सथाओ क 1लए अनक
अवसर खल जाएग यह सह) मायन म भगवान महावीर वारा बताए माग
पर चलना 1सq होगा और जनय को जन धम क अनचर क यथोचत eप
स मनयमाi तथा मानवता क7 सवा करन 1लए वय को समपत करन का
अवसर ाnत होगा
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
5
सपण वWव मh उनक7 अvछाई भरन क माग तथा मायम पर हमh अपना
यान किYyत करना आवWयक ह
एक समदाय क eप मh जनी भारत क7 कल जनसzया क माi 05 हs और
मण सघ इस अपसzयक गट का एक बहत ह) छोटा हसा ह 9फर भी
जनय क पास जीवन क मलभत तव का खजाना ह जो क7 पढ़) दर
पढ़) आग चलता आया ह मण सघ िजसका अवभाMय अग ह उस जन
धम क समपत अनचरवारा न1मत यह पजी माi जन समदाय ह) नह)
बिक समच दश क 1लए उपयोग मh लाना आवWयक ह सघ जन धम क
कछ अयधक भावशाल) वचारक तथा सारक क एक_iत होन स बना ह
और उनक वचार उनक वचन मzय वाह मh लाना और अधक स अधक
लोग तक पहचाना अत आवWयक ह जनय का योगदान दश क सपण
समाज मh तथा अYतररा)य तर पर भी साaरत होना आवWयक ह जनय
को सना जाए दखा जाए और उनका अितव महसस 9कया जाए इसक
1लए सघ न जन 1सधाYतका सारमायम क व1भYन उपलध मचक
मायम स यास करना आवWयक ह
इस बात को शी अयावWयकता क भाव स तथा ल2त eप मh 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह इस दशा मh काय करन क 1लए सभाkय कतीरखा कछ इस
तरह क7 हो सकती ह -
1 -मण सघ वारा साध और सािवय क2 एक क4मट6 बनायी जाए
जन तवको दश और दनीया क सामन सार मयमक उपयोग
वारा तत करन का उतरदायव सपा जाए |
2 इस क4मट6 वारा व4भgtन सामािजक दाशनक प पकाए
काशन तथा िजनक2 समाज मA सदर तक पहच ह ऐस अgtय
मायम मA लख 4लख जाए |
6
3 वयमान उपलFध साGहय मA अ4भवIी करन का जन वरासत
उसका काय और गत कई वषK मA Lकए गए अनसgtधान को सचाM
ाMप मA लNखत करन का लOय रखA और उसक पPचात य
दतावज व4भgtन मच स बाहर6 दनया को Gदखाए | रा 6य
अतरा 6य workshops स4मनास एव अgtय मचका उपयोग कर
जन 4सधाgtतको दश और दनीया क सामन लाया जाए इस X ट6
स क4मट6 क2 थापना |
4 जन धम जन सथाओ का तथा समदाय क काय क बार मA
जानकार6 साZरत करन क 4लए अ[धकत वता क Mप मA कछ
[गन - चन महवपण सदय को नयत करA |
5 सय पZरिथत मA १३०० साध-सािवय मA काफ2 लोगोन
Graduation Post graduation एव Doctorates क2 पदवया हा4सल
क2 ह | इस Zरसोस का हमन परा लाभ लना आवPयक ह | इनमस
कछ लोग का Think Tank बनाकर इस वषय को Movement क2
तरह चलाना आवPयक ह |
6 दश मA Gहसाचार अयाचार बलाकार c टाचार क2 घटनाय
लगातार बढ़ती जा रह6 ह | इस वषय पर दरदशन क कई चनeस
पर घटो घटो बहस होती ह | अGहसा क पजार6 रहनवाल हमार कई
ववान साध-सािव इन सब वषयपर लगातार बहस मA Gहसा
लकर पण भारत वष क समाज पर अपना भाव डाल सकत ह |
इसमA धम और समाज दोनोक2 भी बड़ी सवा होती ह | इस बात
को इस स+मलन मA काफ2 गभीरतास लना आवPयक ह |
7
य शeआती 9कYत महवपण कदम इस मवमYट क बार मh जागत नमाण
करन क तथा भगवान महावीर का सYदश फलान क काय मh बहत उपय8त
1सq हो सकत हs य यास पर वWव मh जनय क7 पहचान बनान का काय
करhग वWव मh जनय का योगदान अधक सzया मh लोग वारा और
अधक गहराई स वीकारा जाएगा इसीस अपन समदाय स पर जा कर
मानवता क7 सवा करना चाहनवाल जनी तथा जन सथाओ क 1लए अनक
अवसर खल जाएग यह सह) मायन म भगवान महावीर वारा बताए माग
पर चलना 1सq होगा और जनय को जन धम क अनचर क यथोचत eप
स मनयमाi तथा मानवता क7 सवा करन 1लए वय को समपत करन का
अवसर ाnत होगा
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
6
3 वयमान उपलFध साGहय मA अ4भवIी करन का जन वरासत
उसका काय और गत कई वषK मA Lकए गए अनसgtधान को सचाM
ाMप मA लNखत करन का लOय रखA और उसक पPचात य
दतावज व4भgtन मच स बाहर6 दनया को Gदखाए | रा 6य
अतरा 6य workshops स4मनास एव अgtय मचका उपयोग कर
जन 4सधाgtतको दश और दनीया क सामन लाया जाए इस X ट6
स क4मट6 क2 थापना |
4 जन धम जन सथाओ का तथा समदाय क काय क बार मA
जानकार6 साZरत करन क 4लए अ[धकत वता क Mप मA कछ
[गन - चन महवपण सदय को नयत करA |
5 सय पZरिथत मA १३०० साध-सािवय मA काफ2 लोगोन
Graduation Post graduation एव Doctorates क2 पदवया हा4सल
क2 ह | इस Zरसोस का हमन परा लाभ लना आवPयक ह | इनमस
कछ लोग का Think Tank बनाकर इस वषय को Movement क2
तरह चलाना आवPयक ह |
6 दश मA Gहसाचार अयाचार बलाकार c टाचार क2 घटनाय
लगातार बढ़ती जा रह6 ह | इस वषय पर दरदशन क कई चनeस
पर घटो घटो बहस होती ह | अGहसा क पजार6 रहनवाल हमार कई
ववान साध-सािव इन सब वषयपर लगातार बहस मA Gहसा
लकर पण भारत वष क समाज पर अपना भाव डाल सकत ह |
इसमA धम और समाज दोनोक2 भी बड़ी सवा होती ह | इस बात
को इस स+मलन मA काफ2 गभीरतास लना आवPयक ह |
7
य शeआती 9कYत महवपण कदम इस मवमYट क बार मh जागत नमाण
करन क तथा भगवान महावीर का सYदश फलान क काय मh बहत उपय8त
1सq हो सकत हs य यास पर वWव मh जनय क7 पहचान बनान का काय
करhग वWव मh जनय का योगदान अधक सzया मh लोग वारा और
अधक गहराई स वीकारा जाएगा इसीस अपन समदाय स पर जा कर
मानवता क7 सवा करना चाहनवाल जनी तथा जन सथाओ क 1लए अनक
अवसर खल जाएग यह सह) मायन म भगवान महावीर वारा बताए माग
पर चलना 1सq होगा और जनय को जन धम क अनचर क यथोचत eप
स मनयमाi तथा मानवता क7 सवा करन 1लए वय को समपत करन का
अवसर ाnत होगा
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
7
य शeआती 9कYत महवपण कदम इस मवमYट क बार मh जागत नमाण
करन क तथा भगवान महावीर का सYदश फलान क काय मh बहत उपय8त
1सq हो सकत हs य यास पर वWव मh जनय क7 पहचान बनान का काय
करhग वWव मh जनय का योगदान अधक सzया मh लोग वारा और
अधक गहराई स वीकारा जाएगा इसीस अपन समदाय स पर जा कर
मानवता क7 सवा करना चाहनवाल जनी तथा जन सथाओ क 1लए अनक
अवसर खल जाएग यह सह) मायन म भगवान महावीर वारा बताए माग
पर चलना 1सq होगा और जनय को जन धम क अनचर क यथोचत eप
स मनयमाi तथा मानवता क7 सवा करन 1लए वय को समपत करन का
अवसर ाnत होगा
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
8
-मण सघ - नई पढ6 नई सोच नई Gदशा
जन धम क व1भYन सदाय क आदरणीय एव ववान साध-सािवय न
साथ 1मलकर मण सघ का गठन 9कया | यह 1950 क दशक क7 अत महवपण
घटनाओ मh स एक थी | यह सगम उन सभी साध-सािवय का एक सगठत यास था
िजसक वारा व जन धम क 1सqात का चार कर वWव मh शािYत और सदभाव क7
थापना करना चाहत थ | दश क इतहास मh जन सघ का यह यास अभतपव था |
पछल 65 वषm क अपन इतहास मh मण सघ न अपनी Dढ़ता और समपण वारा
अनक वपर)त पaरिथतय मh समाज क हत हत अपन अितव क7 र2ा क7 ह |
कई साध-सािवय मh वचाaरक मतभद क7 िथतया भी उपYन हई हs | इस कार क7
कई अवाछत घटनाए समय-समय पर सघ क अितव और मल उjWWय क 1लए
खतरा बनकर उभर) हs | इन सबक बावजद जन धम क7 मजबत सqातक बनयाद क
कारण सघ न इन सभी आतaरक मतभद एव बदलत समय क7 चनौतय स ऊपर
उठकर अपना अितव कायम रखा और अपनी नीव को कभी भावत नह) होन दया |
आज इस सघ मh 1300 ववान उvच1श2त और lानी साध-सािवया हs जो जन
समाज क 1सqात क पaरचायक हs | यह निWचत eप स गव क7 बात ह | 9कYत
समय-समय पर उपYन होन वाल मतभद और मनमटाव न सभी क मन मh यह सशय
उपYन 9कया ह क7 ऐस मसल सघ क मल अितव क 1लए खतरा पदा कर सकत हs |
इसस पहल क7 यह बचन करन वाल सकत वशाल समया का eप धारण करh हमh हर
एक जनी क मन स इन नकारामक शि8तय को 1मटाना होगा|अब समय आ गया ह
9क सभी साध-सािव यह ठान लh क7 व सपण इमानदार) एव नठा क साथ सघ मh
परा वWवास रखत हए इसक मल 1सqात का चार करन मh सहयोगी एव सहभागी
हग |
आज हम एक ऐस चौराह पर खड़ हs जहा स 9कय गए माग का चनाव ह) सघ क भवय
को नधाaरत करगा |अतः २८ वषm क लब अतराल क बाद आयोिजत 9कया गया यह
समलन सघ क7 सरचना क7 सर2ा क7 ओर 1लया गया महवपण कदम ह |यह
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
9
समलन सvच मन स 9कया गया वह यास होना चाहए जो सभी साध-सािवय मh
वचार क7 एकता उपYन कर सघ क एकमत Dिटकोण को सामन ला सक और सभी
क वारा इस आमसात 9कया जा सक| सघ क7 कशलता क 1लए जर) ह क7 सभी
साध-सािव Dढनठा स सकप लत हए उन लgय और 1सqात को अपनाए
िजनको सघ का समथन ाnत ह |जब तक सभी साध-सािव समान वचार और कथन
को धारण नह) करत सघ क7 एकता को बनाय रखना दन-ब-दन कठन होता जाएगा |
यह बदलाव लान क 1लए सघ को अपन वचारो मh कई महवपण और kयापक
बदलाव लान हग | इन बदलाव क 1लए सभी सदय क7 सहमती आवWयक ह एव यह
भी आवWयक ह क7 सदय बड़ पमान पर सघ क7 जन समाज क7 और जन 1सqात क7
र2ा और चार क बार मh सोचh |
इस चनौतीपण पठभ1म क आधार पर सघ क7 कायशल) मh हम कछ बदलाव
ितवत कर रह हs और इसका मzय उjWय सघ क7 सरचना को आतaरक मजबती
दान करना ह | इस हत नन ताव हs
bull सघ क Xि टकोण क बार मA एक वतत दतावज ३-४ मह6न क2 अव[ध
मA बनाया जाकर तत Lकया जाना चाGहए | यह दतावज आचायK
यवाचायK एव वतक वारा 4मलकर बनाया जाना चाGहए यह दतावज
बनान कल6य बाहर6 ोफशनलस क2 मदद ल6 जा सती ह |
bull इस दतावज मA न+न4लNखत बातA शा4मल होनी चाGहए
bull सघ का तवjान (Philosophy) Xि टकोण (Vision) लOय (Mission)
उkPय और वशष काय (Aims amp Objectives)
bull सघ क यक महवपण ओहद एव थान स स+ब[धत भ4मका
िज+मदार6 और कायकाल का ववरण
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
10
bull सघ क यक सदय क 4लए आचार-सGहता
bull सघ क भव य क2 सभी योजनायA एव पव-नधाZरत लOय सभी लघ-
काल6न एव द6घ-काल6न योजनायA
bull सघ क महवपण आयोजन जस Lक चातमास एव साध-सावी स+मलन
क 4लए Gदशा-नदlश| चातमास क आयोजन क 4लए सघ क पदा[धकाZरय
को -ावक सघ एव जन काmA स क सदय स सलाह लकर Gदशा-नदlश
नधाZरत करन हग |
bull सघ क2 Lयाए एव 4शकायत नवारण णाल6
bull दरदशn Xि टकोण का यह दतावज सघ क सभी सदय को उपलFध
कराया जाना चाGहए िजसस Lक सभी क आचरण और लOय मA समानता
और एकMपता बनी रह
bull आचायK क 4लए कायकाल 15 वषK का हो और उनक2 आय 70 स अ[धक
ना हो |यह इस4लए आवPयक ह यLक 15 वषK क2 अव[ध उस ओहद क
oयित क 4लए सघ नमाण हत लOय नधारण और उन लOय क
न पादन हत काफ2 ह | कायकाल नधारण स यवा नताओ को भी नयी
सोच क साथ सघ को गतशील बनान का मौका 4मल सकगा |आय सीमा
क नधारण स बढती उq स उपgtन वाय स+बgtधी समयाओ स
सघ क काय भावत नह6 हग |
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
11
bull 15 वषK क कायकाल क पPचात आचायK को महा-आचाय या गणा[धपत
का थान ाrत होगा िजसक तहत व सघ क दनक कायK स नवत होत
हए भी और अ[धक स+मानीय और उsच पद पर वराजमान हग |
सभी वतकवात नय उपायाओ एव सचव क 1लए 5 वषm का
कायकाल नधाaरत 9कया जाना चाहए |यह आवWयक ह 8य9क पाच वष
का समय 9कसी kयि8त क 1लए सभी सभावनाओ को खोजन और अपनी
काय2मता क अनसार सघ क हत मh उYहh कायािYवत करन क 1लए
काफ7 ह |
हर पाच वष मh अSखल भारतीय साध-सावी समलन का आयोजन होना
चाहए | इसस सभी साध-सािवय को एक मच ाnत होगा जहा व साथ
1मलकर खल सवाद वारा बहत कछ 1सखन क साथ ह) अपन अनभव भी
बाट सकत हs | इन सवाद क वारा सघ क7 गत क 1लए और
आवWयक सधार क 1लए नणय 1लए जा सकh ग | समलन क आयोजन
स यक पाच वषm मh नए पदाधकाaरय क7 नयि8त क7 घोषणा भी क7
जा सकगी |इसस यह भी सनिWचत होगा क7 एक आचाय अपन कायकाल
मh अपन नतव और मागदशन मh ३ समलन मh हसा ल सकh ग |
यह Dिटकोण दतावज भवय मh सYदभ क eप मh सघ क नए सदय क 1लए
उYमखीकरण 1श2ण मोयल तयार करन मh मददगार 1सq हग |इस कार
सघ को 1श2त एव कायशील साध-सावी 1मल सकh ग |
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
12
कायm क7 समी2ा एव षण क 1लए भी एक नयी णाल) क7 आवWयकता
ह | पदाधकार) एक चौमासी षण व समी2ा णाल) तय कर सकत हs
िजसक वारा व आचायm को पव नधाaरत ाeप मh aरपोट द सकh | यह
aरपोट बहआयामी होनी चाहए िजसम सभी योजनाओ क7 वात-िथत
लgय ािnत एव चनौतय को शा1मल 9कया गया हो |आचाय को यह
सनिWचत करना होगा क7 उनक और सघ क सभी सदय क बीच एक
बतर सवाद क7 थापना हो सक | लgयपत और व1भYन कायm क7
माग क अनसार आचाय को समय-समय पर सदय क 1लए दशा-नदश
जार) करन हग |
एक द2 और भावी 1शकायत नवारण णाल) (Grievance Redressal
system) क7 थापना करक सघ को उस अपनाना चाहए | चौमासी
aरपोट स उपYन सभी समयाओ को दज 9कया जाना चाहए और इनक
नवारण हत उपय8त तर)क क7 पहचान होनी चाहए और उनक7 गभीरता
भापकर उनक नवारण होना चाहए | सभी छोट) समयाओ (िजनक7
साफ़ पaरभाषा Dिटकोण दतावज मh 1लSखत हो) का नवारण वतक
वारा 9कया जाना चाहए | गभीर और नाजक मामल मh (गभीर और
नाजक समयाओ क7 साफ़ पaरभाषा दतावज मh 1लSखत होनी चाहए)
आचायm को नराकरण करना चाहए | सभी छोट या बड़ ववाद
अधकतम एक मह)न क7 अवध मh सलझा दया जान चाहए |
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
13
आचाय वारा एक ऐसी स1मत का गठन 9कया जाना चाहए जो जन
समदाय वारा रानमाण और दश क हत मh मानवतापण कायm मh
योगदान दन क तर)क क7 ववचना कर सकh |
हर साध-सािवय वारा 9कसी न 9कसी गाव शहर मh चातमास होत ह)
ह| कछ जगह पर ावक वारा तो कछ जगह पर साध-सतो क कहनपर
अनाप-शनाप खचा 9कया जा रहा ह | इस बात को काफ7 गभीरतास
सोचकर चातमास कस हो उसम नमiण प_iकाए पोटस Banners
Advertisements मडप इयाद वषयपर एक Comprehensive
guidelines को बनाना अयत आवWयक ह| इसमh चातमास क साथ साथ
द)2ा एव साध समलन इन कायyenम का भी समावश होना चाहए |
काफ7 साध-सतक समह मh एक मख साध एव सािवयक साथ ३-४ स
लकर १०-१२ तक अYय साध एव सािवया रहती ह | खास करक यह पर
समह मh स १-२ लोग Most Active दखाई दत ह | अYय साध-सािव
भी काफ7 भावशाल) पढ़ 1लख एव active होत ह | इस महवपण
resource का मzय वाह मh ववध वषयक ऊपर उपयोग कस करक
ल इस Dिट स इस document मh हर जगह पर Action Plan मौजद ह |
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
14
साध-सावी 4शtण हत काययोजना
-मण सघ जन Pवता+बर सदाय क बीच जन धम क 4सIात का बहतर
चार करन क 4लए अितव मA आया ह | पछल कई वषK स यह सघ हमार
साध-सािवय क मडल मA जन धम क मख उuयPय को बढ़ावा दता रहा ह |
इन सभी बात का सार यह) ह 9क मण सघ क Dिटकोण मzय सYदश
वचार और उjWWय सपण सघ मh एकeपता स सचाaरत ह | सघ क
1सqात का समानता स सभी सदय तक पहचना और उनक वारा एक eप
मh pहण 9कया जाना सघ क अितव हत अत-आवWयक ह 8य9क य सभी
सदय एक बड़ अनyenम का हसा हs |
सघ क तकाल)न समाननीय सदय क मागदशन मh द)2ा लन क उपरात
जब 9कसी kयि8त का गणीजन क7 पवi सगत स थम पaरचय होता ह तो
यह उमीद क7 जाती ह 9क वह मण सघ क 1सqात का पaरचायक बनकर
रह और साथ ह) अपन गजन स ाnत kयि8तपरक धा1मक 1श2ा का
अनसरण भी करता रह |
यह तभी सभव होगा जब मण सघ क 1सqात का मानक7करण करक एक
नधाaरत तर)क स उYहh द)2ाथV को समझाया जाय ता9क द)2ा क पव ह)
वह धा1मक lान क साथ इन 1सqात को भी आमसात कर सक| इस तरह
का 1श2ण सघ क सदय मh गटनरप2ता और वचाaरक सहमत बनाय
रखन मh सहायक 1सq होगा| अतः हम इस कार क 4शtण कायम क
बनाय जान का ताव रखना चाहत हw | इसस मण सघ क7 1श2ा सामpी
और 1सqात का मानक7करण हो सकगा | मलतः यह 1श2ण कायyenम पव-
नधाaरत एव सीमाबq तर)क स सचा1लत होगा ता9क सभी सदय क मय
1श2ण सामpी और Dिटकोण सदव समान रहh |
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
15
इस ताव को साकार करन क 1लए नन1लSखत तर)क अपनाय जा सकत हs
a) -मण सघ क2 कA z6य स4मत - िजसम आचाय यवाचाय और वतक
शा4मल हग - वारा दशभर मA चार मय 4शtण कA z थापत
Lकय जाए जहा न+न4लखीत मलभत 4शtण दान Lकया जाएगा |
b) कA z6य स4मत 4शtण का ाMप और सामी तयार करन का िज+मा
कछ स+माननीय साध-सािवय को सप सकत हw िजgtहA -मण सघ
वारा अनमोGदत Lकया गया हो |
c) कA z6य स4मत वारा आतZरक (जरत पड़न पर बाहर6 भी) 4शtक
क2 पहचान और नयित क2 जानी चाGहए | यह 4शtक नधाZरत
सामी क अनसार 4शtण दान करAग |
उपरो8त आवWयकताओ को यान मh रखत हए नन कार क 1श2ण
मॉडयल बनाय जा सकत हs | उनक ायोिजत लाभ भी यहा दए गए हs
a) मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) वतमान मh द)2ा क पव साध-सािवय वारा द)2ाथय को
एक तय अवध क अतगत 1श2ण दया जाता ह 9कYत यह 9कसी
नधाaरत ाeप मh नह) होता ह| यह कारण ह 9क कड़ 1श2ण और
गहराई स दान क7 गयी 1श2ा क बावजद भी तi क भीतर ह) द)2ा लन
क7 वध मh असमानताए पायी गयी हs| 1श2ण को सवाह) बनान और
एकeपी 1श2ण सामpी क अभाव स जYमी असमानताओ को 1मटान क
1लए सघ को कh y)य तर पर एक मलभत साध-सािव 1श2ण कायyenम को शी पिYवत करना चाहए | इस 1श2ण कायyenम क अतगत
द)2ाथV मल धा1मक और सधािYतक 1श2ा ाnत कर सकh ग | इस
1श2ण कायyenम मh कछ हद तक लचीलापन भी होना चाहए ता9क साध-सािवय क नजी अनभव और lान को भी समाहत 9कया जा सक |
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
16
इस मलभत साध-सावी द6tा4शtण (Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha
training) क2 कायणाल6 न+न4लखीत पIत नसार कायािgtवत क2 जा
सकती ह |
bull मण सघ वारा इस नग का Sylabus तय कर लना चाहए | उसक7
9कताब एव training modul तयार करक एक training kit बनाना
चाहए |
bull यह training kit guidelines क साथ सभी साध-सिवओको वतaरत
करना चाहए | िजसका उपयोग कर 1श2ओ को एकeपी 1श2ा दान
कर सकh |
bull आज िजस तरह साध-सािव अपन 1शय को द)2ा क पहल training दत
ह उसी तरह यहास आग भी वो अपन 1शय को खदह) training दhग |
ल9कन यह training training kit क guidelines स दया जायगा |
bull इस training kit क7 मदद स साध-सावी द)2ा क 1लए 1श2ण दत
समय नधाaरत मापदड क अनसार सपण और सरचत 1श2ा द सकh ग |
bull इस कायyenम क वारा यक द)2ाथV क7 नजी 2मता समझ एव
इvछाशि8त का भी आकलन 9कया जा सकगा | इसस मण सघ को उस
kयि8त क7 2मताओ का सह) उपयोग सघ क कायm मh करन मh मदद
1मलगी |
b) नए सदय हत -मण सघ का अ4भवgtयास 4शtण (Shraman
Sangh Orientation training for new members)मण सघ क
सभी सदय वारा एक समान आचार सहता का अनपालन 9कया जाना
आवWयक ह और इसक 1लए यक सदय को सघ क Dिटकोण
वचार 1सqात कायशल) और लgय स भल)भात पaरचत होना
आवWयक ह | यह 1श2ण कायyenम सभी नए सदय को उपरो8त बात
स पaरचत करन क साथ ह) सभी सदय को समान उjWWय स बाधन
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
17
का काय करगा | इस कायyenम क7 अवध छः मह)न क7 हो सकती ह
और इस मzय 1श2ण कh y स 1श2त 1श2क वारा ह) चलाया जाना
चाहए |
अ4भवgtयास 4शtण स न+न लाभ हग
bull इसस सघ क सभी सदय क इराद और काय सगठत हग और एकह)
लgय पर किYyत गतवधया भी हगी |
bull इसस मतभद और अलगाव क मामल भी कम हो सकh ग |
उपरो8त दोन (a) तथा (b) 1श2ण ाnत करन क उपरात ह) 1श2 को
द)2ा दान क7 जाएगी |
c) मौजदा साध-सािवय का -मण सघ अ4भवgtयास 4शtण
(Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing
SadhuSadhavis)मण सघ वारा लघ अवध क kयापक
अ1भवYयास 1श2ण कायyenम 1श2त 1श2क वारा दशभर मh मौजद
साध-सािवय क समह क 1लए भी बनाय जान चाहए | इसस साध-
सािवय क अधकाधक समह मण सघ क मल Dिटकोण और 1सqात
स पaरचत हो सकh ग |
d) वषयक 4शtण (Subject trainings)जन धम स सबधत
व1भYन वषय पर सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत और जड़ हए साध-सािवय
को अपनी वीणताक आधार पर 1भYन कार क 1श2ण कायyenम तयार
करन चाहए | उदहारण क तौर परयान वया पर 1श2ण कायyenम
जन बालकबा1लकाओ क 1लए सकार 1श2ा एव जन धम क आधारभत
1सqात जस 9क अहसा अपaरpह और अनकावाद पर वषयगत 1श2ण
िजसका लाभ सामाYय जन नागaरक भी ल सकh | इसक वारा जनय मh
समता अहसा शात पश सर2ा 1श2ा एव वाnotय क महव पर
जागeकता उपYन क7 जा सकगी |
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
18
इन वशष 4शtण कायम स यह लाभ हग
bull गभीर सामािजक श2Sणक और मानवीय मसल पर कशल साध-सावी
सामाYय जन को सबोधत कर सकh ग |
bull साध-सािवय क lान और अनभव का उचत लाभ और सहयोग मण
सघ क Dिटकोण और 1सqात क चार हत 1मल सकगा |
e) साधक-सा[धका चारक 4शtण (Training for sadhak-sadhika
Pracharak) सघ क कh y)य तर पर साधक-साधका चारक क
1लए एक 1श2ण कायyenम बनाया जाना चाहए | यह 1श2ण उYहh
मzय कYy क मायम स दया जाना चाहए िजसस व सघ क
Dिटकोण एव लgय स पaरचत होकर अपन उचत और नधाaरत
कतkय का पालन सह) ढग स कर सकh | इस 1श2ण कायकरण स
साधक-साधका चारको क7 कायशल) अप2ाओ एव कतkय मh
एकeपता बनी रहगी | साथ ह) व पण पारद1शता स अपन कतkय का
नवाह कर सकh ग |
साधक-साधका चारक इस कड़ी का नमाण होन क बाद एव इनक7
समाचार) को अतम eप दन क बाद यह साधक-साधका चारक 1श2ण
(Training for sadhak-sadhika Pracharak) पाmacrयyenम तयार 9कया
जाना चाहए |
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
19
-मण सघ क बल6करण म सािवयक2 नार6 शती
को बलवान करन Lक नई काययोजना
वतमान मh मण सघ १३०० साध-सािवय का सघठन ह िजसक7 कh y)य
स1मत मh आचाय यवाचाय उपायाय वतक सyenटर)ज और वात नया हs|
सघ मh 900 सािवया (लगभग 70) एव ४०० साध (30) हs | एक
kयविथत और पव-नधाaरत ढाच क अतगत यह 1300 साध-सािवय का
समह एक ह) तरह क दायव का नवाह कर रह हs |
द)घ eप मh हमार दश मh महलाओ को रा नमाण का मख हसा बनान
हत ोसाहत 9कया जा रहा ह | इसक बावजद कई काय2i ऐस हs जहा
महलाओ क7 उपिथत माi 15 स अधक नह) ह | इसक वपर)त मण
सघ मh 70 सािवया हs जो सघ क 1लय सश8त eप स कायशील हs | इस
च9कत करन वाल) सzया क अलावा यह सािवया स9yenय उN क7 होन क
साथ ह) स1श2त और सयोuय भी हs | सघ क 1लए यह अत आवWयक ह
9क वह इन सािवय क7 शि8त और सामnotय का उपयोग सह) दशा मh करत
हए सघ क7 गतवधय मh उYहh ल2त eप स कायािYवत करh | मण सघ
न जन धम क हत मh अभतपव काय सपादत 9कय हs और सघ को चाहए
क7 वह इस गामी झकाव का परा परा लाभ उठाए तथा ऐसा एक
Mechanizum तsup2यार कर जो सघ क नटवक मh य काय करना सभव
करगा
यह तभी सभव ह जब इन 900 सािवय क गट क समथन मh समह मh स
एक सचाe चालन रचना का गठन 9कया जाय | वतमान गतवध सचालन
मh ह) एक ऐसा पयव2क एव सहायक तi समाहत होना चाहए जो सािवय
क समह का स2मीकरण भी करता रह | बहतर काय2मता हत सघ क7
वतमान सरचना मh कछ पaरवतन अनवाय हs |
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
20
इस वषय पर न+न4लNखत सझाव
1 मण सघ क सावी वग को एक वशष दजा दकर मण सघ क
अYतगत उनक 1लए एक वशष कायणाल) का नमाण करना
2 आचाय वारा इस 900 सािवय क समह क 1लए पाच वष क7 अवध
क 1लए एक सावी मखा क7 नयि8त करना
3 सावी मखा को नन1लSखत वषय पर काय करन क 1लए उचत
अधकार दान करना
4 सावी मखा को अपना कतkय नभान तथा उस दए गए सनिWचत
उjWWय को परा करन क 1लए व1शट मागदशक सचनाए दना
5 सघ क7 आचार सहता का पालन न करन पर जो मख समयाए आ
सकती हs उYहh पaरभाषत करना और उYहh आचाय तक पहचाना और
जो छोट) समयाए हs उYहh सावी मखा क तर पर नपटाना
6 हर पाच वष क7 अवधी क 1लए सावी समह न कौन स वशष ोpाम
पर काम करना ह इसका नणय करना और इन कायyenम क7 पतV
करन का उतरदायव सावी मखा को सsup3प दना
सावी मखा क2 भ4मका और दायव इस कार हग
I सभी सािवय क 1लए पयव2क एव सहायक क7 भ1मका का नवाह
करना |
II सभी 900 सािवय का सव2ण करक उYहh उN 1श2ा दलचपी और
अYय मापदड क आधार पर रखािYवत करना ता9क उYहh उचत सावी
ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क दायव सsup3प जा सकh |
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
21
III उन महवपण वषय क7 पहचान करना जहा सावी ससाधन समह
(Sadhavi Resource Groups) पव नधाaरत लgय सहत महवपण
योगदान द सकत हs| हर पाच वषm मh इन वषय क7 समी2ा क7 जाए
और उनमh कटौती या बढ़ौiी करन क7 गजाईश हो|
IV सव2ण क वारा रखािYवत सािवय को उचत ससाधन समह मh
थान दान कर समह को स9yenय करना और समह क सदय को हर
पाच वष क अतराल पर बदलना |
V यक सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क 1लए एक
मख क7 नयि8त करना िजसका कायकाल पाच वषm का होगा|
VI सघ क7 कh y)य स1मत को निWचत समय एव ाeप मh aरपोट दान
करना|
VII एक बाहर) सलाहकार स1मत (external advisory council) क7 नयि8त
करना (वह महलापष हो सकत हs) जो गभीर वषय पर सह) सलाह
द सकh |
VIII सावी ससाधन समह क7 सचाता बनाय रखन क 1लए कh y)य स1मत
स परामश लना|
सावी ससाधन समह (Sadhavi Resource Groups) क2 मख सावी सGहत
थापना क न+न4लNखत उkPय और कायt हो सकत हw इन वषयोम
बदलाव Lकय जा सकत ह|
I यान साधना यान साधना इस वषय पर दनीया मh काफ7 सशोधन
चल रह ह | इस सद) का यह महवपण वषय माना जा सकता ह |
हमार वतमान आचाय डॉ 1शवमनजी इनका इस वषय पर काफ7 गहरा
और असामाYय चतन ह | इस यान साधना को उYहन अपन िजदगी
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
22
क साथ जोड़कर एक नया मकाम हा1सल 9कया ह | अब आवWयकता ह
इस यान साधना को एक mission क eप मh खड़ा करक इस दश मh
एक नयी Revolution ला सक | इस 1लए एक वतत project
report बनाकर उसक action plan को नधाaरत कर इस वषय को
दश और वWव मh अलग Dट) स पश करना | इस mission को आग
बढ़न क1लए िजन सािवयक7 दलचपी ह ऐस सािवयक समह को
इसमh जोड़ा जा सकता ह |
II सकार 4शवर (Sanskar Shibirs) जन समदाय क बvच अपन धम स
दर होत जा रह दखायी द रह हs| थानक मh उनक7 उपिथत लगातार
कम हो रह) ह जो जन समदाय क 1लए एक गहर) चYता का वषय
ह| इन बvच और यवाओ को जन धम क 1सqात और तवlान क7
ओर आकषत करन तथा उYहh जन दशनशाi मh मान1सक आधार
1मलन हत सकार 1शवर आयोिजत 9कय जान चाहए| यह 1शवर नई
पीढ़) को यान मh रखकर मiीपण और सरल ाeप मh आयोिजत 9कया
जान चाहए| इन 1शवर मh उvच और नई तकनीक क साथ क7 अpजी
भाषा का भी योग 9कया जा सकता ह िजसस नई पीढ़) क साथ सवाद
थापत हो सक|
III आदश चातमास (Ideal Chaturmas) कछ वष पव भारतीय जन सगठन
(बीजएस) वारा आदश चातमास क7 सकपना paraडजाईन एव आयोजन
वधमान थानकवासी सघ 1शवाजीनगर पण मh 9कया गया था | यह
आयोजन महासती ीतसधाजी क मागदशन मh हआ था | इस चातमास
क7 खा1सयत यह थी क7 इसक आयोजन मh यक आय क लोग क7
eच को यान मh रखा गया था और यह) इसक7 सफलता का कारण
बना | इसपर एक aरपोट और दतावज भी तयार क7 गयी िजसस
भवय मh रणा 1ल जा सक | तपWचात जलगाव मh भी इसी कारका
चातमास बीजएस वारा आयोिजत 9कया गया था| बीजएस वारा तयार
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
23
क7 गयी aरपोट का अययन कर दशभर क अYय थानक सघ भी ऐस
10 - 20 पायलट चातमास का आयोजन कर सकत हs | ऐस आयोजन
अवWय होन चाहए और बीजएस सदव इस कार क कायyenम को
अनक थानक मh करन क 1लए सहायता दान करन हत तपर ह |
a यवतय का सtमीकरण (Empowerment of girls) अतरजातीय ववाह
क बढ़त हए मामल जन समदाय मh सामन आ रह हs | यवा लड़9कय
क अपन पaरवार क साथ मतभद भी बढ़ रह हs | आज क समय मh
एक ऐस सjढ ढ़ मच क7 आवWयकता ह जो यवतय को बाहर) दनया
क7 सvचाई बतात हए उYहh अपनी भावनाए kय8त करन का मौका भी
द | इसस वह अपन पaरवार और समाज को एक नए और सलझ हए
नजaरय स दख सकती हs | अतः जन समदाय क7 यवतय क 1लए
व1भYन थान पर यवतय का स2मीकरण कायyenम आयोिजत 9कया
जाना चाहए |
b मGहला सगठनो को एकजट करना (Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans)
आज व1भYन थान पर अनक जन महला सगठन मौजद हs |समाज
क 1लए यह अयत हतकार) होगा यद इन सभी समह को एक साथ
जोड़ दया जाय और एक समान उjWय स इYहh कायािYवत 9कया जाय
| इस तरह इनक वारा 9कय कायm स अधकाधक लाभ होगा | इस
तरह क सगठन क7 पहचान कर उYहh आपस मh जोड़ना जर) ह ता9क
गभीर और आवWयक मसल पर व एकजट होकर समाज कयाण क
काय कर सकh और बहतर नतीज ाnत ह |
c सावी सहायता एव 4शकायत नवारण को ठ (Sadhavi Support and
Grievance Redressal Cell)- यह 900 सािवय का समह सचाe और
सखद eप स पaरचा1लत करन हत इनक7 समयाओ और अYय मसल
का तरत नराकरण करना आवWयक ह | कायशल) सर2ा 1श2ा
शोषण या अYय महला-किYyत समयाए कभी भी उपYन हो सकती
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
24
हs | समय पर इनका नराकरण हो इसक 1लए एक सावी सहायता एव
4शकायत नवारण को ठ बनाया जाना चाGहए | इस कार सभी
सािवया अपन-अपन 2i मh निWचYत होकर बहतर)न तर)क स काय
कर सकh गी | सावी मख को छोट मसल पर नणय लन का अधकार
ाnत होन चाहए एव गभीर समयाओ क 1लए व कh yय स1मत क7
मदद ल सकती हs |
यह सभी वषय 1सफ उदाहरण क तौरपर दए गए ह | इन वषयोमh स कछ
कम 9कए जा सकत ह तथा कछ बढ़ाय जा सकत ह | हर ५ वष बाद
आवशकता नसार वषय मh बदल 9कया जा सकता ह |
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
25
साधक-सा[धका चारक इस नई कटगर6
का नमाण करना
सन १९५० क दशक मh थानकवासी समाज क व1भYन सदाय क साध-
सािवयन 1मलकर एक छiछाया क अतगत आन क7 इvछा kय8त क7 | इस
वचार मथन क मायम स थानकवासी जन समाज क7 एक भkय सथा का
नमाण हआ | जो मण सघ क eप मh आज भी कायरत ह | पछल छ
दशक मh मण सघ क अतगत हजारो साध-सािवया पर दशभर मh जन
धमका चार और सार एव जन 1सqाYतोको दशभर मh फलान का काम बड़
जोश और उमग स कर रह ह |
अगर हम पछल ४-५ दशक का वचार करh तो कई भावी साध-सािवया
मण सघ छोड़कर अYय वचारधारा को जाकर 1मल ह | इस वषयपर साध
समलन मh गहरा चतन होगा | आज क मण सघ मh मौजदा १३०० साध-
सािवयको दखत ह तो हर एक kयि8त स2म वजनर) व कतववान ह |
ल9कन अपन अपन वचारधाराओ एव माYयताओ मh थोडबहत मतभद एव
मनभद होन क7 बात सामन आती ह | खासकर पछल ३ दशक स दश मh
आमलाp बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी सामन आयी ह दरदशन क इकलौत
चनल क बजाय २०० स अधक ट)वी चनल माक ट मh उपलध ह |
कयनकशनक मायम मh बहतह) बदलाव हो चक ह | ट8नोलॉजी क साथ
साथ मोबाईल और सोशल 1मparaडया अपना भाव तजीस डाल रह) ह | इन
सार) बदलती पaरिथतय को सामन दखकर साध-सािव भी भावत हो रह
ह | बहत सार साध-सािवया बहतह) कठोर नयमका सौ-तशत पालन करत
ह आज क ज़मान मh यह बड़ी बात ह | ल9कन कछ साध-सािवया वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल फसबक एव सोशल 1मparaडया का भी इतमाल कर रह ह
और करना चाहत ह | इस1लए यह साध समलन इस Dिटकोण स महवपण
ह क7 मण सघ क7 दशा 8या होनी चाहए एक ओर कड़ नयमका पालन
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
26
होन क7 माग उभरकर आयी ह और कड़ नयम का पालन न करनवाल
kयि8तओपर कारवाई करन क7 माग भी सामन आती ह | तो दसर) तरफ
वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया इसका उपयोग करन मh कोई
हज नह) ऐसा कहनवाल साध-सािवय क7 सzया भी बढ़ रह) ह | यह साध
समलन इस Dट) स पण जन समाज क 1लए टनग पॉइट 1सq हो सकता
ह | नणय 8या होन चाहए इसपर सभी साध-सािवय मh काफ7 उसकता ह
| इस सYदभ मh कछ भी नणय 1लया गया तो मण सघ मh दो अलग अलग
वचारधारा क pप होन क7 सभावना ह | उदा बहत कड़ नयम 9कए गय तो
िजनको इन नयम मh 1शथलता चाहए वो लोग मण सघ स नाराज हग
एव इन नयम मh 1शथलता द) तो जो लोग कड़ नयम करना चाहत ह वह
लोग मण सघ स नाराज होन क7 आशका ह |
इस बड़ी समया को लकर हम कछ नया सझाव दना चाहत ह
सझाव
१ जन समाज क7 नीव यागपर रची गई ह | मण सघ क साध-सािव
क 1लए जो समाचार) १९८७ क पना समलन मh वीकत क7 गई ह
उसमh माइक पख जसी छोट) छोट) बातh छोड़ अYय 9कसी मzय तव
मh बदल करनक7 आवWयकता नह) ह ऐसा हमh लगता ह | ल9कन जो
भी समाचार) तय होगी उसका ततोतत पालन होना और उस Dट) स
कड़ कदम उठाना यह नतात आवWयक ह |
सझाव क लाभ
जन समाज यागपर खड़ा ह | यह सभी साध-सािवया अपन घर पaरवार
सपित यागकर द)2ा लत ह | आज क ज़मान मh इस कार याग
करनवाल लोगक7 सzया बहतह) कम होती जा रह) ह | इस कार क
aरसोसस को दश क 1लए ह) नह) बिक पर वWव क 1लए महवपण मान
जान चाहए | यह हमार समाज का सबस बड़ा Asset ह | इसक7 तलना
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
27
धरती क 9कसी अYय चीज स नह) क7 जा सकती | यह 8वािYटट) स नह)
8वा1लट) स सामन आना चाहए |
सझाव क नकसान
साध-सािवय मh कछ लोग ऐस हग क7 िजनको लगता ह क7 वाहन
ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया क मायम स हम अपन
पोटिYशअल को अvछordm तरह स इतमाल कर सकत हs समाज और दश का
बड़ा काम कर सकत हs | कम समय मh अधक काम कर सकत हs| इस
मायम स समाज व दश बदल सकत हs | समाज को नई ऊचाई तक ल जा
सकत हs जन समाज क 1सqाYत का चार व सार जोर स कर सकत ह |
इस कार क7 माYयता क साध-सािव भी इस समह मh हो सकत ह | इस1लए
बहतह) कड़ नयम 9कय तो इस कार क साध-सािवया मण सघ स नाराज
होन क7 सभावना को नकारा नह) जा सकता |
इस साध समलन मh कोई भी एक नणय 1लया तो दसरा pप नाराज होकर
दसरा राता ढढन क7 को1शश करगा आज यह सार) शि8तया मण सघ क
एक छi क नीच काम कर रह) हs इनमh स कछ नाराज हग और ऐसा न हो
इस1लए इन दोन माYयताओ को मण सघ क7 raquoiछाया मh काय करन का
समान अवसर 1मलना चाहए इस1लए हमार कछ सझाव हs जो नीच दए हए ह |
२ साधक-साधका चारक (अलग नामकरण 9कया जा सकता ह) इस
कटगर) का नमाण करना | मण सघ क िजन साध-सािवय को ऐसा
लगता ह क7 वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव सोशल 1मparaडया आद
सभी साधन का उपयोग होना चाहए व इस कटगर) मh अपना योगदान
दhग | इनक 1लए अलग समाचार) का ावधान होना चाहए |
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
28
लाभ
१ जो साध-सािवया कठोर समाचार) मh नह) रहना चाहत ह और
ऊपaरनदट साधन का उपयोग करना चाहत ह ऐस लोग क 1लए
मण सघ क तरफ स इस णी क7 नमाण होन क7 वजहस सवधा
ाnत होगी और उYहh मण सघ छोड़न क7 जरत नह) पड़गी |
२ जो अभी साध-सावी नह) ह ल9कन िजनको अपन पaरवार का याग
करक जन धम क 1सqाYत का चार सार करना ह ऐस सभाkय
लोग क 1लए कड़ी समाचार) का पालन न करत हए मण सघ स जड़
रहन क 1लए यह णी वरदान 1सq होगी |
३ आज जन समाज मh पण समपत एव वाहन ट8नोलॉजी मोबाईल एव
सोशल 1मparaडया आद सवधाय8त चारक का कडर नह) ह | खास
करक कड़ी समाचार) का पालन करनवाल साध-सािवय को दशभर मh
एक जगह स दसर) जगह जान क 1लए काफ7 मिWकलh आती ह | इस
Dट) स य साध-सािवया य2 उन जगह पर नह) पहच पाती हs
उनक वचार समाज तक पहचान क 1लए यह चारक णी उपय8त हो
सकती ह | Sfrac14Wचन धम व तरापथ सदाय मh इस कार क7 णाल)
काफ7 लाभदायक सा_बत हई ह |
हमार) यह ाथना ह क7 इस नई 9yenया का उदय इस साध समलन मh होना
आवWयक ह | इसस हर कारक7 वचारधारा रहनवाल) साध-सािवय को
मण सघ स जड़ रहन का मौका 1मलगा एव मण सघ मजबत होगा |
इस णाल) को शe करत समय conference क पदाधकाaरयो को भी
वWवास मh लना उनक साथ इस कड़ी क7 समाचार) तय करना एव उनको
लगनवाल वाहन उनका mentainance मोबाइल computers आद
technology साधन मानवससाधन एव रोज क लगनवाल खच इन सभी
_बYदओपर गहराई स वचार वमश कर योजना तयार करनी चाहए |
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
29
आदश चातमास - एक नया Xि टकोण
दशभर क गाव-गाव मh जन समाज क हजारो थानक बन हए ह | समाज न
इन थानक का काफ7 उपयोग भी 9कया ह | जहा चातमास नह) होता वहा
पर सालभर इन थानक का परा उपयोग नह) 9कया जाता | जहा चातमास
होत ह वहा ४ माह छोड़कर अYय ८ माह मh भी इसका परा उपयोग नह) 9कया
जाता | पछल कछ वषm मh छोट बvच और यवा वग थानकस काफ7 दर
जात हए दखाई द रह ह | इसक कई कारण ह इसका अथ यह नह) क7 धम
क त उनका झान नह) ह बिक वहा चलनवाल) गतवधयम
समयानसार बदलाव क7 आवWयकता ह | बvचको एव यवाओको धम क साथ
जोड़ रखना यह आज सबक सामन बड़ी चनौती ह |
हम इस वषयपर आदश चातमास क मायम स एक नया Dिटकोण लाना
चाहत ह | िजसस थानक का योuय उपयोग भी हो और बvच और यवा धम
थानकस जड़ रह | यह एक काफ7 चनौतीभरा काम ह जो कछ वष पहल
पना क 1शवाजीनगर थानक मh योग क तौर पर भारतीय जन सघटन
(बीजएस) क मायम स लाग 9कया गया था | यह सारा ोpाम वल
डॉ8यमhटड ह | हमार) यह अप2ा ह क7 भारतवष मh १०-२० बड़ शहर क
थानक मh इसको एक पायलट क7 तरह समाज क सामन पश 9कया जाय |
सचाe eपस इस डॉ8यमhट 9कया जाय और 9फर कछ वष बाद अYय जगहपर
लाग करन का सोचा जा सकता ह | भारतीय जन सघठनन जो इस ोज8ट
को कामयाब 9कया ह उनक7 इस वषय मh पर) मदद लकर इस आदश
चातमास क7 सकपना को कायािYवत 9कया जा सकता ह |
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
30
1शवाजीनगर जन थानक मh आयोिजत चातमास क7 कछ झल9कया
नन1लSखत शदम द) गई ह
Holistic Development of Family (एचडीएफ)
सकeपना
वWवभर क जनधमVय सकती परपराए और लोकोपकार) काय स समq
तथा उयमशील समदाय क eप मh जान जात हs
जन समदाय न सार भारतवष मh और सभी सदाय मh धा1मक
आयािमक तथा सामािजक उपयोग क हत थानक भवन जस धा1मक
सथापन का नमाण 9कया ह हमार जन साध सावी इYह) सथापन क
मायम स समाज मh जन सकती नतकता और मय अYतनवट करन
क 1लए अथक पaरम करत आए हs
9कYत गत कछ समय स धा1मक थलपर होनवाल कायyenम क ोता
दशक गण क Dिटकोण मh हम बदलाव दख रह हs हमार आज क समाज मh
कछ अलगाव-सा आ गया ह हमार) नई पढ़) व1भYन कारण स इन
कायyenम क7 ओर आकषत नह) हो रह) हमार समाज क बलथान को एक-
दसर स जोड़न तथा उYहh और बढ़ावा दन क 1लए हर जन पaरवार एक
वशाल नटवक का हसा होन क7 तथा विWवक तर पर पहचन क7
आवWयकता ह
समदायक7 जeरतh सहभाग कम होन क कारण तथा लोग को सहभागी होन
क 1लए कस aरत 9कया जाए इन बात पर चचा करन क 1लए भारतीय जन
सगठन न एक वWलषणामक अfrac12यास 9कया िजसमh थमतः पर समाज क7
एक बठक ल) गई और उसक पWचात व1शट आय - गट क अनसार अलग
- अलग सभाए ल) गई
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
31
इस वWलषण मh आज क जन थानक स अYय अप2ाए रखत हs ऐसा एक
मjा सामन आया य अप2ाए ऐसी हs -
1 नटव9कग (लोग का मलजोल)
2 िकल डवलपमYट (कौशल वकास)
3 नॉलज अपpडशन (lान का उYनतीकरण)
4 जeरत पर आधाaरत आय - गट अनसार कायyenम
5 ऐसी एक जगह जहा पaरवार क सभी सदय अपन - अपन समान
अYय जन क साथ जड़ सकh तथा एक बलशाल) जन समदाय का
नमाण कर सकh
यह ोज8ट अfrac12यासपण ट8नोलॉजी पर आधाaरत लSखत (डॉ8यमhटड) तथा
वतार2म (कलबल) होगा और इसमh पaरवार क सभी सदय क 1लए
kयाzयान गोठordm वक शॉप 1श2ा वग क eप मh कायyenम हग जो
व1भYन थान पर चलाए जा सकh ग
कायणाल6 (Methodology)
हो1लिटक डवलपमYट ऑफ फ1मल) ोज8ट मh नन1लSखत महवपण 2i
मh सभी आय - गट क 1लए कायyenम सिम1लत हs -
1 4लल एrलोरस (4 - 13 वष) - 1श2ाािnत क7 आय मh
एि8टवट)ज का जोर बq नतक तथा मय 1श2ा को ए8ा
कaर8यलर एि8टवट)ज शार)aरक तYदती आद) बढ़ान पर होता ह
2 वाय - जनरशन (14 - 24 वष) - िजसक 1लए एिnटiquestयड एससमYट
सॉAgraveट िकस का वकास कaरअर मागदशन लड़9कय का
स2मीकरण ववाह आद) बात पर जोर होता ह
3 यवा oयावसायक (25 - 40 वष पMष) - यह जीवन का ऐसा मोड़ ह
जहा वकास क7 तीAacute इvछा को साथी जन बYधओ क वशाल नटवक
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
32
का आधार 1मलता ह जहा नजी तथा kयावसायक सफलता पान हत
वचार तथा कपनाओ का आदान - दान 9कया जा सकता ह उvच
1श2ा ाnत क7 जा सकती ह और अvछordm कायपqतय का lान बाटा
जा सकता ह
4 ल6डग लडीज (25 - 40 वष िया) - घर चलान क सजनशील
कौशल मh बढ़ौiी करना जस खाना पकाना घर सजाना 1शश सगोपन
आद) बात मh व1भYन वषय क वशषl क kयाzयान का आयोजन
5 पZरवार मख (40 स अ[धक वष) - सखी पaरवार बYध kयवसाय को
मजबती और पर काम सsup3पना और नणय लना गव क साथ नवती
वाnotय सबYधी जानकार) क7 समयाओ का समाधान
महाराज साहब क साथ परामश करक कायyenम का एक सचाe कलYडर
तsup2यार 9कया गया ह िजसमh उनक वारा नयोिजत चातमास क7 9yenयाए
ाथ1मकता स सिम1लत क7 गई हs और शष समय मh जन समदाय क7
जeरतh पर) करनवाल) अYय 9yenयाए सिम1लत क7 गई हs यह कलYडर सभी
जन पaरवार को जानकार) क हत तथा ऐस कायyenम मh सहभागी होन को
aरत करन हत समय स पहल भजा गया ह
िजन थान पर थानक भवन जस धा1मक सथापन का उपयोग जन
समदाय समाज क 1मलन क 1लए चातमास क अलावा सपण वष मh 9कया
जा सकता ह वहा य कायyenम अपन - अपन पर समय तक चलत हs
लाभ
1 पaरवार क सभी सदय मh थानक पर आन क7 सकती का नमाण
2 धम क त लगाव बढ़ाना
3 एक मजबत नटवक वाल समाज का हसा बनन का अवसर
4 समदायक गट का नमाण
5 सामािजक सर2ा
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
33
6 lान मh वq
7 चनौतय का सामना करन क 1लए नय कौशल वक1सत करन क
अवसर
8 वक शॉप तथा 8लासस क 1लए दर मh कमी
9 पaरवार तथा समाज मh जो गप हs उYहh परा करना
10 समदाय मh वाnotय क7 अvछordm जानकार)
11 समदाय क सभी उप - गट को एक होन क 1लए एक nलटफाम
अतZरत सझाव -
1 वयमान मख साध-सािवय क वचन क वषय का एक अलग
कलYडर बनाया जाए िजसस समदाय मh और अधक जानकार)
साaरत क7 जा सकती ह और लोग को थानक मh आन को aरत
9कया जा सकता ह |
2 दनदन वचन क वीparaडयो वबसाईट you tube पर अपलोड करन
क7 9yenया शe क7 जाए ता9क जो लोग वचन क 1लए य2
उपिथत ना रह पाए उYहh भी इसस लाभ हो सक इसका बYध
ऐसा हो िजसस वWवभर क हमार जन बYध चातमास दख सकh साथ
1मल सकh साध-सािवय क वचन सन सकh तथा अvछा जीवन
_बतान क बार मh वचार कर सकh |
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
34
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
35
Contents
Preface 37
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles for nation building 39
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation new thoughts and new
direction 41
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis 45
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of Sadhavi wing under Shraman
Sangh 49
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed Cadre of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh 53
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective 57
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
36
(Strictly for Internal and private circulation only)
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
37
Preface Date 9th March 2015
To
Parampujya Acharya Samrat Dr Shivmuniji MS and to all respected
SadhusSadhavis
Koti Koti Vandan
On the occasion of the Sadhu Sammelan organized under the aegis of the All
India Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Conference held at the behest of Hrsquoable
Acharya Dr Shri Shivmuniji MS and led under the able leadership of
respected Shri Neminath ji Jain I hereby extend my warmest and deepest
regards to one and all
It is an earnest desire on behalf of the entire Jain community for the
Shraman Sangh to emerge as a powerful institution prepared to scale much
greater heights This Sadhu Sammelan -March 2015 will establish itself as a
major milestone for our community as well as our nation We must ensure
that such a momentous and promising occasion which has arisen after 28
long years must not go waste and should herald the beginning of a very
decisive and fundamental journey to be undertaken in the times to come
With this intent I had the privilege to share my ideas and thoughts with
Shri Neminath ji and few other senior office bearers two months back
during my visit to Indore with a view to strengthening Shraman Sangh in
different ways In order to take these ideas forward Shri Neminath ji urged
me along with Shri Shantilal ji Kawad a very senior leader of the Jain
Samaj to offer ourselves in the advisory role for this Sadhu Sammelan Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad is a very charismatic leader of the Jain Samaj and he
took the pains to visit me in Pune to understand my views in greater depth
Subsequently we also got the opportunity to exchange our ideas with
Parampujya Acharya Shri Dr Shivmuniji MS few senior SadhusSadhavis
and the office bearers of Shraman Sangh
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
38
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my si
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
you all to consider these views as a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought pro
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
These views can also be presented and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
everyone with deepest regard and commitment
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
attempted to offer my views with a multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
inadvertently
Yours obediently
Shantilal Muttha
It was decided that we should offer some fundamental suggestions to
Acharya ji in this regard Hence this is a humble attempt from my side to
put forth my personal views to strengthen the institution of Shraman
Sangh I neither possess nor claim to possess the capability to offer
lsquosuggestionsrsquo to somebody of Acharya jirsquos stature Hence I sincerely request
a perspective and as a prerogative and
not in the form of suggestions The views presented by me are entirely my
own and revolve around several important topicsissues By no means are
these views to be construed as the final expression of my thought process
This is simply an attempt to touch upon certain critical aspects Shri
Shantilal ji Kawad may also have his personal views and perspectives in this
regard Multiple means can be conceived towards achieving a common end
ted and articulated in different ways by
different people The decisions taken by Hrsquoable Acharya ji based on these
thoughts will be binding on the entire Jain community and will be abided by
Service to Jainism and service to the community is the sole objective behind
this effort I have absolutely no intent of criticizing or causing hurt to the
sentiments of any SadhuSadhavi andor office bearer I have only
multi dimensional perspective I would
like to offer my sincere apologies in case my views offend anybody
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
39
Sammelan A call for harnessing Jain principles
for nation building
Spreading the message of Jainism Jainism one of the oldest religions prescribes a path of ahimsa and self
control the means by which its followers can attain liberation It is a
religion deeply rooted in the cardinal principles of Ahimsa (non violence)
Aparigriha ( non possessiveness) and Anekantavada (non absolutism) as is
evident from the teachings of the Lord Mahavir Such is the profundity of
these thoughts of Lord Mahavir that Mahatma Gandhi was himself an ardent
practitioner of some of the principles espoused by Lord Mahavir
The philosophy and principles of Jainism have been eternally relevant for
the furtherance of mankind and nature They especially find great merit in
todayrsquosrsquo turbulent times wrecked by hatred violence injustice and
intolerance These principles are increasingly being researched worldwide
and are being acknowledged as the panacea for the disquiet that is looming
large upon the world As followers of this great religion we are all blessed
to inherit a rich tradition of principles and beliefs that have the power to
take each one of us on the path of spiritual purity and enlightenment This
legacy that has been bequeathed on us is not without good reason This
inheritance comes with a message a message that we all are the
ambassadors of each of the profound principles which forms the cornerstone
of Jainism and that we must all strive to follow the path suggested by Lord
Mahavir
It is with this spirit that we must assume the moral responsibility of letting
go of our petty squabbles that can consume us simply because they are a
part of our present and affect our daily existence If we are to be the true
practitioners of Jain principles we must empower ourselves to think and act
beyond the mundane think beyond our mutual differences which are
inconsequential in relation to the larger cause of Jainsim We must
concentrate on ways and means to propagate these principles and infuse the
world at large with their goodness
Jains as a community constitute barely 05 of the total population of India
and Shraman Sangh is a miniscule part of this minority However inspite of
this fact the Jains possess a treasure trove of the most fundamental
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
40
principles of life which have been passed on from one generation to the
next This asset created by the devout followers of Jainism of which the
Shraman Sangh forms an integral part should be utilized for the society at
large and not be restricted only to the Jain community The Sangh is an
amalgamation of some of the most powerful thinkers and ambassadors of the
Jain philosophy and it is of utmost importance that their views their
discourses be brought into the mainstream and be made available to a wider
audience The contribution of Jains should spread out throughout the socio-
political landscape of the country and in the international circles The Sangh
must endeavour to make the Jain presence felt seen and heard more
emphatically from a wide range of media platforms available
This has to be done with a sense of urgency and in a focused manner
A possible line of action to this effect is proposed as follows
a) The Shraman Sangh should constitute a committee of Sadhus and Sadhavis which should be entrusted with the responsibility of projecting the work of Jains to the external world
b) This committee should contribute to articles in the social political
philosophical journals publications and other forms of media which
have a greater penetration and reach
c) The committee should aim at upgrading the current literature
available document the Jain legacy its work and the research
carried out over the years in a presentable format which should then
be showcased to the external world at a variety of forums and
platforms
d) The committee should appoint few key members to be officially designated as spokespersons to spread the word on Jainism and the work of Jain institutions and the community
These initial but significant steps can go a long way in creating awareness of this movement and in spreading the message of Lord Mahavir This effort shall serve to preserve the identity of the Jains in the whole world The contributions of Jains to the world will be more widely and deeply acknowledged and it will throw open a plethora of opportunities for Jains and Jain institutions to serve the mankind looking beyond their own community This will truly result in walking along the path prescribed by Lord Mahavir and enable the Jains to offer themselves to the service of mankind and humanity in a manner befitting of the followers of Jainism
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
41
Shraman Sangh Towards a new generation
new thoughts and new direction
Suggestions for Strengthening Shraman Sangh The era of the 1950s witnessed a momentous phenomenon when highly
revered and scholarly SadhusSadhavis belonging to various sects of Jainism
came together to form the Shraman Sangh in 1952 This confluence signified
a united effort to promote the cause of Jainism and spread the message of
love and peace to the world at large through a concerted effort on the part
of Jain monasticism
Over last 65 years of its existence the Shraman Sangh has stood firm and
undeterred inspite of several upheavals in the past There have been
instances of differences in ideology and outlook amongst several Sadhus and
Sadhavis resulting in their dissention from the Sangh These and several
other undesirable occurrences have threatened to crush and mar the core
fabric of the Sangh However the Sangh firmly rooted in a rock solid
foundation of Jain principles has withstood the test of time and has so far
managed to overcome the internal strife that has regularly attempted to
rock the foundation
Today the Sangh comprises an overwhelming pool of 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis all of whom are highly intellectual competent and are an epitome
of what Jainism stands for This is indeed a matter of great pride for
Shraman Sangh Yet a pervasive undercurrent of contention disharmony has
been sensed by one and all from time to time which is detrimental to the
fundamental existence of the Sangh In the light of these disquieting signals
it is felt that the time has come to contain these overpowering forces
present within each one of us before they assume alarming proportions The
time has come to urge all the members to owe and swear a much greater
degree of allegiance to the Sangh and its mission and go forward with an
unwavering faith in the larger cause which the Sangh promotes
Today we are all standing at a crossroad The future of the Sangh will largely
be determined by the direction that we all henceforth resolve to venture
into Hence this sammelan organized after 28 long years has the potential
to serve as the tipping point for the existence of the Sangh This Sammelan
is a sincere attempt to bring together the Sadhus and Sadhavis in their
thoughts and action so that a common unified vision of the Sangh can be
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
42
put forth and internalized by each one This is essential to the well being of
the Sangh because unless all members swear allegiance to a common cause
espoused by the Sangh unless they share common beliefs and speak the
same language it would be difficult to hold the Sangh together with each
passing day In order to facilitate this transformation certain sweeping
changes need to be made in the manner in which the Sangh conducts itself
It is desired that the members be open to these changes for the larger good
of the Sangh the Jain community and above all for the principles of Jainism
Against this challenging backdrop certain changes are being proposed in the
functional aspects of the Sangh with the sole intention of strengthening it
from within These are as follows
1) A comprehensive vision document should be produced within a
stipulated time of 3-4 months This document should be jointly prepared
by the Acharya Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks after consultations with
two external professionals This document should incorporate the
following
a) the philosophy vision mission aims objectives guiding principles
of the Sangh
b) roles and responsibilities tenures for every position held in the
Sangh
c) the code of conduct for every member of the Sangh
d) the future roadmap for the Sangh with well defined milestones
short term and long term goals
e) Guidelines for the conduct of important events core to the Sangh
like Chaturmas and Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelans The guidelines for
Chaturmas should be created by the office bearers of the Sangh in
consultation with Shravak Sangh and members of the Jain
Conference
f) The grievance redressal system and procedures for the Sangh
2) This vision document should be made accessible to every member of the
Sangh for achieving uniformity in intent and action
3) The tenure for the Acharya should be decided for 15 years not
exceeding the age of 70 This is necessary because 15 years is an
optimum time for an individual of that stature to envision plan and
execute the plan in alignment with the roadmap The tenure of 15 years
also paves the way for a younger leader for the subsequent term who
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
43
can infuse fresh thoughts and ideas into the Sangh The age limit of 70
takes care of any limitation that may be posed by the age factor on
account of health or otherwise and serves in the larger interest of the
institution
4) After serving the tenure of 15 years the Acharya will be elevated to the
position of Mahacharya or Ganadhipati thereby commanding a higher
degree of veneration serving in an advisory capacity and refraining from
assuming an active role in the routine functions of the Sangh
5) The PravartaksPravartinis Upadhyayas and the Secretaries will have a
fixed tenure of 5 years This is essential because five years is an
optimum time for the designated member to explore and fruitfully
utilize hisher own potential to the area of work accorded to himher
6) The All India Sadhu Sadhavi Sammelan must be organized every five
years This is vital because the Sammelan will provide a platform for all
Sadhus and Sadhavis to come together have an open dialogue to share
the learnings experiences and challenges encountered It will also
enable the Acharya and the office bearers to review and reflect along
with the entire group on the progress and achievements of the Sangh
and provide an opportunity for constructive deliberations for course
corrections if any The Sammelans must be organized every five years
to provide an open platform for declaring and appointing new office
bearers for the next term of five years Having a Sammelan every five
years will ensure that an Acharya can witness three Sammelans under his
leadership and guidance
7) The vision document should serve as a reference document for designing
the training modules for Sangh Orientation Training which is to be
imparted to new people getting initiated into the order and for existing
Sadhus Sadhavis
8) A revamped system of reporting and review needs to be established The
office bearers can decide upon a quarterly system of reporting to the
Acharya as per a pre defined format The reporting should be multi
faceted and include the status of the plans drawn goals achieved as
well as the challenges reported The Acharya must ensure that a smooth
communication channel is established between himself and the members
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
44
of the Sangh He must issue regular guidelines to the members of the
Sangh as per the demands of the work undertaken
9) An efficient Grievance Redressal system should be established and
adopted by the Sangh All the issues emerging from the quarterly reports
or otherwise should be recorded and appropriate channels for redressal
as per the gravity of the issues should be established Minor issues (with
clear definitions of the term lsquominorrsquo as mentioned in the vision
document) should be resolved by the Pravartaks Critical and sensitive
matters (with clear definitions of the terms lsquocriticalrsquo and lsquosensitiversquo as
mentioned in the vision document) should be resolved by the Acharya
All the issues major or minor must be resolved within a maximum time
frame of 1 month
10) The Acharya must also constitute a committee which should decide and
deliberate on the multiple ways in which the Jain community can
contribute to the broader goal of nation building by addressing national
concerns through humanitarian work
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
45
Action Plan for Training of SadhusSadhavis
Training Need Identification for Shraman Sangh The Shraman Sangh has been constituted at the helm for Jain monasticism
for the Sthanakwasis with the larger aim of propagating the philosophy of
Jainism amongst the Jain community Over last so many years this body has
been instrumental in furthering the cause of Jainism with its network of
Sadhus and Sadhvis
It is of an utmost essence that the philosophy vision mission aims and
objectives of the Shraman Sangh be percolated uniformly down the monastic
order It is fundamental to the existence of the Sangh that there be
homogeneity of approach in the dissemination of the Sanghrsquos principles so
that a homogeneity is maintained in the understanding of all its members
each of whom is a significant part of the larger order
When an individual is initiated into the hallowed coterie of Sadhus and
Sadhavis after attaining Diksha accorded by the revered SadhusSadhavis of
the Shraman Sangh it is expected that the newly initiated member would be
an embodiment of the principles propounded by the Shraman Sangh while
still practicing the religious teachings received from hisher respective
SadhuSadhavi This is only possible if a systematic plan is adopted to
standardize the Shraman Sangh centric ideological training that needs to be
imparted alongside the religious training as a pre requisite to attaining
Diksha In the absence of such training we run the risk of non alignment on
the part of its members with the mission of the Shraman Sangh Hence we
propose the creation of a structured training program with a view to achieve
a definite degree of standardization in the content of the ideological
teachings of the Shraman Sangh It is desired that the core training programs
be conducted within the boundaries of a well defined protocol to achieve
uniformity in content and approach
The mechanism which may be adopted to facilitate this concept is as
follows
a) The central body of the Shraman Sangh comprising the Acharya
Yuvacharyas and the Pravartaks will need to establish four prime
training centres in the country for conducting the core training
program as explained later
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
46
b) The central body should assign the task of designing the core
training modules to few identified SadhusSadhavis which should be
vetted and approved by the central body of the Shraman Sangh
c) Internal (and if need be external) trainers should be identified by
the central body to conduct the core training modules so prepared
and finalized
Following types of training capsulesmodules have been identified in
accordance with the need mentioned above Their intended benefits have
also been stated below
a) Core Sadhu-Sadhavi Diksha training Currently the training for
obtaining the Diksha is imparted to the disciples by the Sadhus and
Sadhavis over a specific duration without a prescribed structure
Hence although the trainings are extremely rigorous and attuned to
the demands of the order the absence of a uniform structure has
resulted in considerable variations across the network in the manner
of obtaining the Diksha To streamline the process in order to
minimize these variations arising because of high level of
subjectivity it is imperative that a Core Sadhu Sadhavi Diksha
training module be designed at the central level This training will
comprise core religious and philosophical teachings for the trainees
to obtain the Diksha This training module should accommodate a
fair degree of flexibility to incorporate and enrich the module with
the personal learnings and experiences of the SadhusSadhavis
The handbook of this training module should be provided to all
SadhusSadhavis to encourage them to follow this process to achieve
uniformity in delivery The benefits of this training module would be
bull This training module with its handbook would enable the
SadhusSadhavis to conduct the Diksha training in a structured
manner with well defined checkpointsmilestones
bull This training module with its handbook would provide a good
documentary base for showcasing the program to a wider external
audience
bull This module would also provide an effective metrics to gauge the
strength the comprehension and the capacity of each disciple based
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
47
on which the central body of Shraman Sangh may decide the
pathway to utilize each onersquos potential for future trainings
b) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for new members In order to
ensure conformity to a common code of conduct within the Shraman
Sangh it is vital that all its members be acquainted with its ideology
vision mission aims and objectives This course will essentially
comprise the training module to orient all the new members on the
same and ensure a unified sense of purpose The duration of this
module could be of 6812 months and should be conducted from
the designated prime training centres by qualified trainers
The benefits of this orientation training would be
bull It would ensure the members of the Shraman Sangh to be unified in
intent and action and in sync with the Sanghrsquos mission
bull This unification would bring down instances of dissention and
discord
The Diksha would be bestowed upon the new members on successful
completion of (a) and (b) training programs mentioned above
c) Shraman Sangh Orientation training for existing SadhuSadhavis
The Shraman Sangh Orientation training should also be made
available as short term comprehensive capsules and be conducted by
qualified trainers at different locations within the country to orient
the existing groups of SadhusSadhavis towards the philosophy and
mission of the Sangh
The benefit of these short term capsules would be to ensure that the
philosophy vision mission aims and objectives of the Sangh are
well percolated throughout the Sanghrsquos order for the same reasons
as mentioned in the previous point
d) Subject trainings A variety of training programs on wide ranging
topics central to the theme of Jainism should be identified by the
central body of the Sangh and designed by few SadhusSadhavis
identified by the central body as per their proficiency and interest
level in the specified areas Eg Training modules on topics like art
of meditation sanskar teachings of Jainism for Jain children
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
48
structured thematic training capsules on the cardinal principles of
Jainism namely Ahimsa Aparigriha and Anekant vad which can be
applicable to the general public even outside of the Jain community
for spreading the message of peace and non violence establishment
of cattle shelters establishment of schools establishment of
hospitals etc
The benefit of these subject specific training modules would be
bull To enable critical social educational humanitarian issues to be
addressed by a group of proficient and interested
SadhusSadhavis
bull To enable proper utilization of the potential of the
SadhusSadhavis for the larger vision and mission of the Shraman
Sangh
e) Training for ShramanShramani With reference to the proposed
group of ShramanShramani a training program should be designed
at the central level and conducted from the prime training centres
for the ShramanShramanis to acquaint them with the Sanghrsquos
mission with their roles and responsibilities in this context
The benefit of this dedicated ShramanShramani training program
would be for ensuring uniformity in the duties roles and
expectations from this group and enabling them to discharge their
duties with perfect clarity
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
49
Channelizing Woman Power by Creation of
Sadhavi wing under Shraman Sangh
Suggestions for Structural Changes for Empowerment of
Sadhavis Currently Shraman Sangh is a network of approximately 1300 Sadhus and
Sadhavis governed by the Central Body comprising the Acharya Yuvacharyas
and PravartaksPravartinis Out of these 900 (almost 70) are Sadhavis
while the remaining 400 (30) are Sadhus Presently this entire group of
1300 performs similar functions in the absence of a well defined and
differentiated functional structure
At a macro level our country is encouraging women to come forward and
participate more actively in nation building Yet several work spheres face a
deficit in female representation which is not more than 15 of the total
workforce within that sector Shraman Sangh on the contrary has to its
credit an astounding 70 of its current strength as Sadhavis who represent a
strong active force for the Sangh Besides their strength in numbers most of
them work wise fall under the active age bracket and all of them are very
well qualified It is of paramount importance for the Sangh to realize the
might and merit of this resource pool and leverage the same for taking
forward the mission of Sangh in a more targeted manner Shraman Sangh
with its phenomenal body of work dedicated to the larger cause of Jainism
should capitalize on these progressive trends and evolve a mechanism which
will allow this to happen within its network
This can be done only when the present group of 900 Sadhavis is supported
by an appropriate operational structure carved out of the existing pool This
entire group must be empowered with a supervisory and a supporting
mechanism integrated into the current scheme of operations Hence a
streamlining of the present structure is proposed for better operational
efficiency of the Sangh This can be done in the following manner
a) The Sadhavi community of the Shraman sangh should be accorded a
special status and a separate system for their working should be
instated within the Shraman Sangh
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
50
b) The entire group of 900 Sadhavis must be headed by a Sadhavi
Pramukha who should be appointed by the Acharya for a tenure of 5
years
c) The Sadhavi Pramukha should be entrusted with suitable powers to
operationalise the working as per the focus areas mentioned below
d) The Sadhavi Pramukha must be given specific guidelines to discharge
her duties and accomplish the defined goals within a period of five
years
e) The major issues which can arise in relation to non compliance to
the code of conduct of the Sangh should be so defined and brought
to the notice of the Acharya but the minor issues in this context
must be resolved at the level of the Sadhavi Pramukha
f) The focus areas which need to be decided every five years for the
Sadhavis to work on should be decided and the responsibility for
their completion should be handed over to the Sadhavi Pramukha
g) The roles and responsibilities for the Pramukha would be as under
I to serve in the supervisory and supportive capacity for the
entire group of Sadhavis working under her
II to conduct a survey of the 900 Sadhavis for the purpose of
profiling on the basis of age qualifications interest areas and
any other parameter(s) as deemed fit which shall be
instrumental in creation of Sadhavi Resource Groups
III to identify focus areas in which the Sadhavi Resource Groups
can actively contribute with pre defined targets The focus
areas must be revisited every five years with scope for
additiondeletion
IV to identify and group the Sadhavis as per the profiling drawn
out through the survey in order to activate the various
Sadhavi Resource Groups The Resource Group members
should be changed every five years
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
51
V to appoint the Head of each Sadhavi Resource Group with a
tenure of five years
VI to report to the central body of the Sangh at a pre determined
frequency ampformat
VII to appoint an external advisory council (comprising male
andor female members) to provide guidance and inputs on
critical matters
VIII To seek guidance from the central body in various matters
crucial for the smooth functioning of the Sadhavi Resource
Groups
h) The focus areas for which various Sadhavi Resource Groups will be
set up with a Head of the Group for planning supervising and
reporting the progress regularly to the Pramukh could be as under
I Sanskar Shibirs It has been observed that the young children
of the Jain community are distancing themselves from their
religion There has been a decline in their presence in the
sthanaks and is a matter of grave concern for the Jain
community In order to attract the younger generation towards
the principles of Jainism and enable them to find an anchor in
the Jain philosophy Sanskar shibirs for Jain kids must be
conducted in a format which will be friendly and more
acceptable to the children of today Hence such shibirs must be
supported with the use of appropriate technology and be
conducted preferably in English to generate a higher level if
interest amongst the targeted audience
II Ideal Chaturmas Few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted by Bharatiya Jain
Sanghatana at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi Sangh Shivajinagar
Pune in the presence of Mahasati Preetisudhaji The uniqueness
of this Chaturmas was that the views of all age groups were
taken into consideration while designing This success story has
been completely documented with reports for reference and
was also successfully conducted in Jalgaon the following year
Such ideal Chaturmas programs should be replicated in 10-20
sthanaks in the country after a proper study based on the
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
52
experience of BJS The assistance of BJS can also be sought for
scaling up this program in multiple locationssthanaks
III Empowerment of girls It has been noticed that inter religion
marriages are on the rise within the Jain community Similarly
there are rising tensions between young girls coming of age and
their respective families Hence there is a need to provide a
platform for interaction with the young girls of our community
and sensitize them towards these issues which are of
immediate concern to their ownselves to their families and the
community at large Thus campsworkshops for empowerment
of young girls of the Jain community should be conducted at a
regular frequency at various locations
IV Mobilizing Mahila Sangathans Currently various Mahila
Sangathans within the Jain community exist in various
locations It would be very advantageous for the community if
these Sangathans were brought together and mobilized to work
on a common agenda to multiply the impact of their work on
the ground There is a need to identify such Sangathans and
strengthen them by augmenting their existing capacities and
capabilities in order to drive them towards certain common
actionable areas for them to deliver results on
V Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal Cell- In order to
facilitate the smooth running of a large community of 900
Sadhavis it is important to promptly deal with several issues
that may arise with respect to the nature of work performed by
them These may involve matters pertaining to their safety
security harassment other women centric problems as much
as issues centred around their self development like facilities
for research further studies etc This entails setting up of a
Sadhavi Support and Grievance Redressal cell to expedite the
redressal mechanism and also to provide the required support
and resources to encourage the Sadhavis striving for excellence
in their field The Sadhavi Pramukh should be empowered to
take disciplinary action for minor issues and consult the central
body in case of major issues
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
53
Action Plan for Creation of a Selfless Committed
Cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak for Shraman Sangh
Around the 1950s the sthanakwasi community witnessed a never seen
before phenomenon when the Jain sadhussadhavis from different sects
expressed an earnest desire to form a conglomeration for the common
purpose of spreading the message of Jainism This led to the inception of a
great institution known as Shraman Sangh which is functional over last 6
decades wherein thousands of Sadhus and Sadhavis have taken on the
mantle of preaching the fundamental principles of Jainism throughout the
country with great perseverance
However we need to take cognizance of the fact that over last 4-5 decades
numerous Sadhus and Sadhavis of great intellectual prowess have deflected
from the Shraman Sangh and gone their own separate ways for reasons
which must be understood and be reflected upon Inspite of this exodus the
remaining 1300 Sadhus and Sadhavis who continue to owe their allegiance to
the Sangh are extremely proficient and have greatly contributed to the
cause of Jainism The fact that the current community of Sadhus and
Sadhavis too continue to battle differences with the Sanghrsquos philosophy time
and again must not be overlooked These differences have largely been
compounded by the onset of technology over last 3 decades Just to put
things in perspective today we have the option to resort to an assortment of
over 200 satellite channels in place of one Doordarshan The spurt of digital
technology has transformed the way in which communication works today
Mobile platforms along with social media have completely tamed the
traditional modes of communication and are here to stay for the better The
presence of technology in every sphere of our lives has but naturally caught
the eye of several members of the SadhuSadhavi community who find great
merit in their usage
This has led to a digital divide of sorts within the Shraman Sangh community
On one hand there exists a faction within the monastic order which believes
in complete non possessiveness and refrain from using any form of
technology while on the other hand we have a set of Sadhus and Sadhavis
who would like to avail the use of different forms of communication like
vehicles and media like mobiles and social networking sites to work more
efficiently Such conflicting viewpoints have resulted in a great degree of
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
54
resentment among both factions The more austere believe that adherence
to the code of conduct be strictly enforced and the necessary disciplinary
action be invoked wherever the code of conduct has been violated whereas
the more flexible group believes that the Sangh should provide some leeway
in this regard in keeping with the changing times Hence this Sadhu
Sammelan holds special importance in order to decide the future direction
and policy of the Sangh and it holds the promise of being a major turning
point for the entire Jain community Every concerned member is waiting in
anticipation for the future course of action that the Sangh will resort to Any
decision that will be taken in this regard may result in permanent fissures
arising in the Sangh on account of the contradictory thought processes Eg A
decision to enforce the prevailing code of conduct very stringently may
result in a high rate of dissention from the Sangh by the increasing numbers
of Sadhus and Sadhavis who desire for some relaxation in the norms on the
use of technology and communication The same may hold true for the
opposite group if a decision is taken otherwise In order to overcome this
crisis facing the Sangh we have put forth certain choices which the Sangh
may consider evaluating
1) Jain community is hinged on the principle of renunciation We are of the
opinion that the Code of Conduct for Sadhus and Sadhavis which was
created in 1987 during the Poona Sammelan and accepted by all is
complete in itself barring the necessity of a few trivial inclusions like
the provision of a mike system fans etc However changes if need to
be done should be incorporated with due deliberations and the final
revised Code of Conduct be rigorously enforced without leaving any
leeway It is only then that Shraman Sangh can demonstrate its
alignment to the fundamentals of renunciation
Proposed benefit
The Jain philosophy and the Jain community is hinged on the principle of
renunciation wherein we have all the Sadhus and Sadhavis having
renounced their homes families and wealth to be granted the Diksha
This degree of austerity and sacrifice is hard to come by in the current
times This resource must be held in high esteem and considered
extremely valuable not only for the country but for the entire world
This is the most prized asset which the Jain community has to offer to
the world and which remains unparalled in its quality a fact which must
be brought to light in a befitting manner
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
55
Potential risk
The promulgation and enforcement of a very stringent and austere code
of conduct which maintains that Sadhus and Sadhavis should renounce
all material possessions and aids may not go down well with the faction
of SadhusSadhavis who think on the contrary This group who is pro-
technology and which wishes to use the available options like vehicles
mobiles social media to spread the message of Jainism more effectively
may choose to depart from the Shraman Sangh
Thus any particular lsquostandrsquo taken by the Sangh will result in a further
polarization and an exodus from the Sangh by the opposing bloc It is in the
larger interest of the Sangh to continue to exist with a unified vision and
purpose on the part of each of its members in order to propagate the
principles of Jainism in the society Hence it is crucial to stop dissention of
either group from the Sangh In order for this to happen we present the
second option
2) Creation of a new cadre of SadhakSadhikaPracharak (Alternative
nomenclature can be decided) This category should be created to
accommodate those members who feel the need to use modern
communication channels like vehicles mobiles social media for their
work A different Code of Conduct should be created for this category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak to ensure smooth functioning
Potential benefit
a) This group of pro-technology members will be greatly facilitated by
the provisions under the new category This shall also prevent them
from departing from the Sangh and they can continue to work for
the cause of the Sangh in ways and means more appealing to them
by the use of faster and progressive modes of communication
b) This new category would also serve as a boon to those individuals
who have not currently joined the ranks of SadhusSadhavis but who
have renounced their worldly life in order to be associated with the
Sangh They can do so even if they do not wish to comply with a
stringent code of conduct
c) The creation of this cadre will also address one other challenge
currently facing the Shraman Sangh namely that of a lack of
dissemination of Jain principles far and wide This challenge has
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
56
arisen because of the reluctance on the part of several Jain Sadhus
and Sadhavis to use alternate forms of communication to spread the
message with a wider reach The Sangh in the past has faced many
a challenge while arranging for their travel from one place to the
other for their public discourses The Sadhaks and Sadhikas who will
agree to be a part of this new category can greatly simplify the
above mentioned concern because of their propensity to use
alternate modes of communication It has been seen that such a
system has greatly benefited when adopted by the Christian
missionaries and the Tera Panth
We sincerely urge you to consider the second option during the
upcoming Sadhu Sammelan This will ensure the continued support and
participation of all SadhusSadhavis harbouring a variety of belief
systems and thought processes
In the event of the creation of this new category of
SadhakSadhikaPracharak it will be imperative to simultaneously create
a new Code of Conduct with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of
every SadhakSadhikaPracharak It also entails an added responsibility
for the organizing members of this Sammelan If the Sangh decides to
create this cadre then all the necessary facilities required for the
members (existing and new alike) of this cadre would have to be
provided A comprehensive project report delineating the roles
responsibilities benefits of this cadre to Jainism along with the entire
mechanism to operationalize this system will have to be created Once
the decision to create such a cadre has been taken in the Sammelan the
next steps for the project planning have to be initiated based on the
number of members enrolling in this category The views of Acharya
Yuvacharya Upadhyay Pravartaks and Secretaries should be taken into
consideration along with the Sammelan proceedings while planning for
this project
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
57
Ideal Chaturmas A New Perspective
The Jain community has established thousands of Sthanaks in multiple
locations within the country and these Sthanaks have been utilized by the
Samaj for various programs in the past Out of all these Sthanaks those
which do not conduct the Chaturmas are greatly under utilized Even those
where the Chaturmas is conducted get considerably under utilized over the
remaining 8 months
That apart it has been seen that over last few years the young children and
the youth belonging to the Jain community have distanced themselves from
the programs of the Sthanaks and Jainism generally This doesnrsquot imply that
this population is turning irreligious rather it flags the critical need to
change the age old processes of the Sthanaks in keeping with the changing
times A major challenge posing in front of all of us is to reestablish the
weakening connect between our religion and the youth and the children
In order to address this issue we have offered to outline a new perspective
through the medium of lsquoIdeal Chaturmasrsquo by virtue of which not only will the
Sthanaks be optimally utilized but this will also serve to bring the youthkids
of the Jain community closer to the principles of Jainism and get involved
with the programs of the Sthanaks This seemingly challenging proposition
was addressed when a few years back an ideal Chaturmas was
conceptualized designed and conducted at the Vardhaman Sthanakwasi
Sangh Shivajinagar Pune by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) This success
story has been completely documented with reports for reference We hope
and expect this concept to be taken up as a pilot project by the big Sthanaks
in 10-20 cities across the country The implementation of this project should
be showcased to the Jain community be well documented and subsequently
be considered for up scaling to other Sthanaks of the country BJS has met
with success in this project and will be willing to offer assistance for the roll
out of this concept of ideal Chaturmas
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
58
The program highlights of the ideal Chaturmas have been presented as
follows
Holistic Development of Family (HDF)
Concept
Jains world over have been known for being an entrepreneurial community
rich in its culture traditions and its philanthropic activities
The Jain Samaj has built religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India for religious spiritual and social
purposes in all sampradayrsquos Our Jain SadhuSadhavirsquos have been working
tirelessly to imbibe the Jain culture moral and values to society through
different platforms via these establishments
However off late we have been noticing a paradigm shift in the audiences
participating in the religious establishment programs There is a certain
disconnect is our todayrsquos samaj Our younger generation is not being
attracted to attend for reasons many It was felt necessary that each of the
Jain Families must be a part of a large network and have a global reach to
enhance and synergise the community strengths
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana conducted a needs analysis first a general
community meeting followed by specific age-group wise meetings to ponder
over the needs of society reasons on low-participation and what will
encourage them to participate The analysis drew upon the point that
todayrsquos Jains are additionally looking at the Sthanak as a platform for
1) Networking
2) Skill development
3) Knowledge Upgradation
4) Need-based age-group wise programs
5) A place where ALL members of the family connect with respective
fellow Jains and create a Strong Jain Community
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana is proud to announce the pilot implementation
of ldquoHolistic Development of Familyrdquoa well-researched technology
backed documented in detail scalable project which includes programs for
all members of a family in the form of lecturesseminarsworkshops classes
designed to be implemented at various locations
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
59
Methodology
The Holistic Development of Family project comprises of programs for all
age-groups across the following thrust areas
1 Little Explorers (4 ndash 13 years) At schooling age activities are
focused to enhance their brainpower moral amp value education
coextra-curricular physical fitness skills etc
2 Y-Jaineration (14-24 years) where aptitude assessment soft-skills
building career guidance empowerment of girls marriage will be the
focus
3 Young Professionals (25-40 years male) A turning point where
passion for growth is backed by a large network of fellow Jains to
exchange ideas pursue learning and share best practices to achieve
personal and professional success
4 Leading Ladies (25-40 years female) Creative home management
skills will be honed to include cooking home decoration
child development lectures on various subjects by experts etc
5 Family Heads (40+ years) Happy family management business
strengthening delegation and decision making retirement with pride
health awareness issues will be addressed
Some programs have been developed in-house and for some subjects BJS
have invited experts to come and present their subjects in the form of
panel discussions lectures workshops classes etc
A well designed calendar of events is planned in consultation with the MS
wherein the Chaturmas activities planned by them is first incorporated and
in the Remaining time activities are plugged in to meet the requirements
of the Jain community This calendar is prepared and sent to all the Jain
families for information and encouraging them to join the programs in
advance
Also the programs continue for its respective time span even after the
Chaturmas where the religious establishmentrsquos like Temples Sthanaks
Upashrays Bhavanrsquos all across India can be used all year round as the
centre point of the jain samaj society meeting up
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
60
Benefits
1) Imbibe a culture for all members of a family to come to the sthanak
2) Nurturing religious attachments
3) Being a part of a strong networked samaj
4) Formation of social circles
5) Social Security
6) Increased knowledge
7) Opportunities for building new skills to face challenges
8) Collective bargaining for workshops classes
9) Addressing family and society gaps
10) Health informed society
11) Platform to integrate all sub-sects of society
Additional Suggestions
1) We should create a separate calendar of the presiding MSrsquos
pravachan topics to enable more information being passed on to the
community and entice them to come to the Sthanaks
2) We should enable the process of uploading videos of the daily
pravachans on the website for the benefit of all those who have not
been able to attend the pravachans in person This has been
designed such that all our fellow Jains globally have access to a
chaturmas come together listen to the MS pravachans and ponder
over to lead a better life
top related