JOURNEY OF

ENLIGHTENMENT

THE TREASURY OF
BHAGWAN MAHAVEER'S
LIFE AND TEACHINGS
Navkar Mantra

Namo Arihantanam I bow down to Arihanta

Namo Siddhanam I bow down to Siddha

Namo Ayariyanam I bow down to Acharya

Namo Uvajjhayanam I bow down to Upadhyaya

Namo Loe Savva-sahunam I bow down to Sadhu and Sadhvi

Eso Panch Namokaro These five Obeisance

Savva-pavappanasano Destroy all the sins

Manglananch Savvesim Amongst all that is auspicious

Padhamam Havei Mangalam Navkar Mantra is the foremost

1
LESSON 1 - NAVKAR MANTRA

Namo Arihantanam Namo Uvajjhayanam

I bow down to the Arihantas to I bow to the Upadhyays to learn and
defeat my inner enemies meditate
The Arihantas are those humans, Upadhyays are the ascetic teachers.
who have reached enlightenment by They explain Jain scriptures and show us
overcoming their inner passions and the importance of a spiritual life over a
enemies like hatred, ego, jealousy, material life.
anger. They have attained infinite
knowledge, show the path that Namo Loe Savva-sahunam
brings an end to the cycle of birth, I bow down to all Sadhus and Sadhvis
death and suffering. to lead a simple life
Sadhus & Sadhvis are the ascetics who
Namo Siddhanam strictly follow the five great vows of
I bow down to the Siddhas to attain conduct & inspire us to live a simple life.
liberation
Siddhas are liberated souls, who Eso Panch Namokaro
have attained the state of perfection I bow down to all five supreme beings.
and immortality.
Savva Pava Panasano
Namo Ayariyanam This will help diminish my negative
I bow down to the Acharyas to vibrations and sins.
control my desires
Acharyas are the head of the Jain Mangalanancha Savvesim
worshipers and preach the Amongst all that is holy,
principles of religion, which is the
unity of Right Faith, Right Padhamam Havei Mangalam
Knowledge, and Right Conduct. Namokar Mantra is the holiest.

2
I bow and seek inspiration from While chanting Navakar Mantra we
perfected human souls, liberated should remind ourselves:-
souls, enlightened ascetic leaders,
ascetic teachers, and all monks and - To be forgiving and understanding
nuns in the world who practice non-
violence (Ahimsa), truthfulness, - To be honest and simple
non-stealing, celibacy, and non-
possessiveness in their conduct, - To be nice to everyone
non-absolutistic viewpoint
(Anekantavada) in their thinking. - To be thankful for everything we have

Every morning, as soon as we get - To be helpful to all living beings

up, we should recite Namokar
Mantra to respect and remember - To respect the environment
the qualities of the five supreme
beings (Pancha Paramesthi). We
should think that we have the ability
to do all the good things. We Questions:
should love everyone and treat
everyone nicely. What is the main prayer in Jainism?

Similarly while going to bed, we Whom do we bow down to in the

should recite Namokar Mantra and Navakar Mantra?
think about our actions for the day.
If we were angry that day, we
should decide not to get angry the
next day. If we were not helpful to
someone that day, we should decide
to be helpful the next day.

3
LESSON 2 -
ABOUT JAINISM

Jainism is an ancient Indian religion.

Followers of Jainism are called
"Jains".

The word Jain is derived from the

Sanskrit word Jina which means victor,
thus referring to the path of victory. A
human being who has conquered all
inner passions like attachment, desire,
anger, pride, greed, etc. and embodies
truth, love, peace, and compassion is
called Jina. Jina is also called
Thirthankar or Arihant. Jainism also says we should be
caring and helpful to others. This
There are twenty four Thirthankars. means showing love & compassion
Bhagwan Rishabhanath (Adhi to everyone we meet, just like how
Bhagwan) is the first Thirthankar. we treat our friends and family.
Bhagwan Mahaveer is the 24th Another important thing Jainism
Thirthankar. Bhagwan Parsva Nath was teaches is to keep life simple.
the 23rd Thirthankar who lived nearly Instead of wanting more and more
250 years before Mahaveer. things, we should be happy with
what we have and not be too
Jainism teaches us to be kind to all attached to material things.
living things, like animals and plants Jainism teaches that our souls can
and never hurt anyone or anything. This become pure if we get rid of bad
means no hitting, no being mean, and things like anger, selfishness, ego,
even being careful where we step so we pride, greed etc. Hence, by being
don't accidentally hurt small animals or kind, honest, and thoughtful, we
plants. can become better people.

4
Jainism, insists us to see things from Let us understand and follow
different points of view. This is
called Anekantavad or non- 1.The practitioner of non-violence has
absolutism. We should respect no enemy.
other people's ideas and beliefs,
even if they're different from ours. 2.Non-violence is for the brave and
In a nut shell, Jainism is all about strong, and not a sign of cowardice.
being kind, caring, and
understanding towards everyone 3.Hurt no one, life is dear to all living
and everything around us. It's like beings.
spreading love and happiness
wherever we go. 4.Non-violence is the greatest religion,
follow it.
Bhagawan Mahaveer, the 24th
Thirthankar, said that we should 5.Respect for all living beings is
treat others as we would wish to be non‑violence.
treated. We should love all living
beings and not hurt any living being. 6.Non-Violence is the welfare of all
We should help others and make living beings.
each other happy. According to Him,
Kindness means to understand the 7.Non-violence & kindness to living
pain and unhappiness of others. beings is kindness to oneself.

Questions: 8.Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave,

insult, torment, torture, or kill any living
Who is a Jina? being.

What is Bhagwan Mahaveer’s 9.No living creature should be killed or

message? enslaved.

10.Don't try to oppress any living being.

5
LESSON 3 - JAIN THIRTHANKARS

Thirthankar is also known as Arihanta. The word Arihanta is made of

two words: “Ari” which means enemies, and “Hant” which means
destroyer. Therefore, Arihanta means “destroyer of enemies”.

Arihantas are perfected human beings. According to Jainism, our inner

weaknesses and our passionate emotions like anger, ego, deceit and greed
are our real enemies. Until we overcome these weaknesses, the true nature
of our soul will not be realized. When a person conquers these inner
enemies, he/she attains Kevaljnana (omniscience), and is known as a Kevali.
Now, Thirthankar has infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite power
and infinite bliss. He is free from all impurities.

Thirthankars are human beings like us who have gone through the cycle of
birth and death. But they attained perfect knowledge and they start
spreading the message of compassion towards all living beings,
anekantavada, non-possessiveness and self control to all living beings.

The idol represents the qualities of a Thirthankar but not the physical body.
Hence the idols of all Thirthankars are similar. Each Thirthankar has a unique
emblem or symbol that distinguishes the idol from the idols of other
Thirthankars. This symbol is found on the base of each idol. An idol of a Jina
either sitting in lotus posture or standing straight, illustrates a form of
deepest meditation. The face and eyes shower us with compassion and
inspire calmness within us.

Questions:
How many Thirthankars are there in Jainism?
How can we find out what Thirthankar the idol represents?

6
The following are the names of the 24 Thirthankars, the symbol,
parents name, and the place of their birth and Nirvana.

Thirthan
Name Symbol Father Mother Birth Place Nirvana Place
kar

1 Rishabhadev or Adinath Bull Nabhi MaruDevi Ayodhya Ashtapad

2 Ajitnath Elephant Jitshatru Vijaya Ayodhya Sametshikhar

3 Sambhavnath Horse Jitari Sena Shravasti Sametshikhar

4 Abhinandan Swami Monkey Samvar Siddhartha Ayodhya Sametshikhar

5 Sumatinath CurlewBird Megharath Mangala Devi Ayodhya Sametshikhar

6 Padmaprabhaswami RedLotus Shridhar Susima Devi Kaushambi Sametshikhar

7 Suparshvanath Swastik Pratishtha Prithvi Devi Varanasi Sametshikhar

8 Chandraprabha CrescentMoon Mahasen Lakshmana Chandrapuri Sametshikhar

Suvidhinath or
9 Crocodile Sugriva Rama Rani Kakandi Sametshikhar
Pushpadanta

10 Shitalnath Shrivatsa Dradharath Nanda Rani Bhadrilpur Sametshikhar

11 Shreyansnath Rhinoceros Vishnu Vishnu Devi Simhapuri Sametshikhar

12 Vasupujya Swami Buffalo Vasupujya Jaya Devi Champapuri Champapuri

13 Vimalnath Pig-Boar Krutavarma Shyama Devi Kampilyapur Sametshikhar

14 Anantnath Eagle Simhasan Suyasha Ayodhya Sametshikhar

15 Dharmnath Vajra Bhanu Suvrata Ratnapur Sametshikhar

16 Shantinath Deer Vishvasen Achira Hastinapur Sametshikhar

17 Kunthunath Goat Surasen Shree Rani Hastinapur Sametshikhar

18 Aranath Nandavarta Sudarshan Devi Rani Hastinapur Sametshikhar

19 Mallinath Pot Kumbha PraBhavti Mithila Sametshikhar

20 Munisuvratswami Tortoise Sumitra Padmavati Rajgruhi Sametshikhar

21 Naminath Blue Lotus Vijay Vipra Mithila Sametshikhar

22 Neminath Conch Shell Samudravijay Shiva Devi Suryapur Girnar

23 Parshvanath Snake Ashvasen Vama Devi Varanasi Sametshikhar

24 Bhagwan Mahaveer Lion Siddhartha Trishala Kundalpur Pavapuri

Questions:
How many Thirthankars are there in Jainism?
How can we find out what Thirthankar the idol represents?

7
LESSON 4 -
SPIRITUAL
GURU- SADHU
AND SADHVI
THE LADY MONKS ARE CALLED
“SADHVIS” AND THE MALE
MONKS ARE CALLED “SADHUS”.

The spiritual Gurus are different from

the regular school teachers in many
ways. Some people give up all
worldly pleasures and become a
Sadhu or Sadhvi because they want
to follow a higher spiritual or religious
life.

They have given up wearing

fashionable clothes, going to movies, Questions:
watching TV, sleeping on soft beds, How are our monks different from
and going out to eat ice cream and us and our school teachers?
pizza. They walk barefoot and do not Who are Sadhvis and Sadhus?
travel in cars or planes. They do not
earn money and live on alms. They do
not have any ties to their family,
friends, or money. They travel from
place to place and teach the people
about Jainism.

Most monks wear only simple cotton

white clothes and have a Muhapatti
(white cloth to cover their mouth).
Some monks do not wear any clothes
at all. They all live a very simple life.

8
LESSON 5 -
BHAGWAN MAHAVEER –
EARLY LIFE

Vardhaman Mahaveer is the 24th Thirthankar of Jainism

Vardhaman Mahaveer is the 24th It is said that when the queen

and last Thirthankar of Jainism. conceived Mahaveer, she had
His father Siddhartha was the fourteen auspicious dreams that
head of a clan called the Jantrikas were a premonition of the
and his mother Trisala was a greatness of the child that was to
Lichchhavi Princess. be born. The prosperity of the
King grew day by day. The king
He was born on the thirteenth day attributed his success to his new
of the rising moon during the born child and named him
Tamil month of Chithirai, in Vardhaman, which means "ever
Kundalgrama, a suburb of Vaishali increasing". Vardhaman lived like
(modern Muzaffarpur district in a prince.
Bihar) in 599 B.C. According to
Gregorian calendar, Vardhaman He was a very learned person and
was born during the received education in all branches
corresponding month of either of knowledge. Vardhaman was
March or April. His birthday is married to Yasodhara and had a
celebrated as Mahaveer Jayanthi. daughter named Priyadarshini
King Siddhartha had two sons and who was married to Jamali. Later,
Vardhaman was the youngest of Jamali became the first disciple of
the two. Mahaveer.

9
He did many great things in his childhood like saving his
friend from a poisonous snake, fighting a monster, etc. that
proved that he was no ordinary child. There are numerous
incidences of courage and forgiveness throughout
Vardhaman’s life as a child and an adult.

One day, prince Vardhaman, a The heavenly God lost the game to
young boy of eight, was playing prince Vardhaman and offered to
with his friends on the outskirts of carry him on his shoulders.
the city. At that very moment,
Indra, the King of heaven, started However, as soon as he had the
praising the courage and prince on his shoulders, the God
fearlessness of prince Vardhaman. assumed a gigantic form. Without
Another heavenly God decided to any fear, Prince Vardhaman gave a
test Vardhaman’s courage. He mighty blow to his shoulders with
assumed the form of a frightening clenched fists. The God could not
cobra and slithered near the withstand the blow and, assuming
children. his original form, bowed to the
prince and returned to heaven.
All of the boys started screaming, Indra and all the other heavenly
but Mahaveer stood there calmly Gods exclaimed that he was
and fearlessly. He gently caught “Mahaveer”, meaning “The Great
the cobra with his hands and Hero.”
placed it in the grass on the side.
The God, who had failed to Questions:
frighten prince Vardhaman in the Why was 24th Thirthankar was
form of a cobra, decided to test his named “Mahaveer”?
bravery once more. Assuming the Why did King Siddhartha names
form of an ordinary child, he joined his child “Vardhaman”?
the group of children and
suggested racing to a target tree.
The winner was to get a piggyback
ride on one of the losers and return
to the base.

03

10
 MAHAVEER-
THE GREAT HERO

HE GENTLY CAUGHT THE COBRA WITH HIS HANDS

AND PLACED IT IN THE GRASS ON THE SIDE.

11
LESSON 6 – MAHAVEER
ATTAINING KEVALGYANA

The stage of Enlightenment is called Kevalgyana

The parents of Mahaveer were the

followers of Parsva Nath, and
Mahaveer was greatly influenced by
the teachings of Parsva Nath. He
was attracted towards meditation
while he was a child.

He was born with all worldly

pleasures and luxuries but
somehow, he was never attracted by
them. He decided to leave the
worldly life and become a monk. At
the age of 30, he left all his worldly
possessions including clothing to
become a monk.
Mahaveer endured severe austerities
and deep meditation for twelve and
a half years. During this period, he
resided in parks, forests and desolate
places and faced many obstacles and
torments with patience and courage.
From short fasts of a day to
extended ones lasting up to six
months, he embraced them all.
Gradually, he ascended to the
pinnacle of meditation.

12
Arriving at the village of Jambhika, He attracted people from all
he settled by the banks of the walks of life, rich and poor, kings
river Rijuvalika (currently known and commoners, men and women,
as river Barakar). He meditated princes and priests. Numerous
under a Sal tree. His mind people were inspired by him and
immersed in the highest levels of converted to Jainism. He preached
meditation, he became omniscient Jainism in Champa, Vaishali,
at the age of 42. Rajagriha, Mithila and Sravasti.
His followers or disciples were
On the tenth day of the bright half known as ‘Nirgranthas” (free from
of the month of Vaisakha, he fetters or bonds). Mahaveer
attained absolute knowledge, received patronage from the royal
comprehending and visualizing families. Rulers like Bimbisara of
everything in the entire universe, Magadha, Pradyota of Avanti,
he ascended to the status of Dadhivardhan of Champa
Arihanta. rendered him considerable help in
spreading his message.
This stage of enlightenment is
called Keval Gnana. Other kings who were his
followers included King Chetaka
He gave up food and learnt to of Vaishali, King Shrenik,
control his desires and wants. Ajatshatru of Rajagriha, King
After gaining enlightenment, he Udayana, King Chandrapadyot,
preached what he had learnt to all Nine Licchavi Kings of Koshal and
those who needed it. He spent the Nine Kings of Kashi.
next thirty years travelling on
bare feet around India (Bihar, Questions
western and north Bengal, parts What is Keval Gyana?
of Orissa and Uttar Pradesh) When did Mahaveer attain Kevel
preaching to the people the Gyana?
eternal truth he realized. Name few Kings who were the
followers of Mahaveer.

02

13
LESSON 7 – MAHAVEER’S
SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
Mahaveer established assembly halls
called “Samavasarana” to spread his
knowledge among the common
people. Eleven well learned ascetics
became his chief disciples known as
Ganadharas. He propounded a religion
that preaches the welfare of all living
beings called the “Sarvodhaya’ Thirth”.

ORGANIZATION
Several thousands of people became
the followers of Mahaveer. He
organized his followers into four
orders/ federations called “Sanghas”.
They are as follows:
1.Male ascetics/monks (Sadhu)
2.Female ascetics / nuns (Sadhvi)
3.Male householder /layman (Shravak)
4.Female householder/laywoman
(Shravika).

Nirvana
Mahaveer devoted his life towards
spreading the message of Ahimsa
among people and gave discourses in
local languages. His final discourse
was at Pawapuri which lasted for 48
hours. At the age of 72, in 527 B.C., he
attained liberation from birth and
death in Pawapuri.

14
LESSON 8 –
KARMA THEORY

According to Bhagwan Mahaveer, every living being has

the capacity to attain eternal bliss. However, a person may
enjoy happiness or miseries as a result of his/her thoughts,
speech and deeds or Karma.

Let’s understand the Karma In both these cases a person hurts

theory through an example. other person with a knife and the
A burglar, for instance, enters a other person dies. Does it mean
house that he wants to rob. He that the burglar and the surgeon
fatally stabs the person in the would attract the same type of
house. The person dies. Karma? This is not true.
There is a patient with tumour in
stomach and is advised to Both the burglar and the surgeon
undergo surgery. He goes to a did the same thing—hurt
surgeon who does the surgery someone with a knife and caused
with the surgical knife. their death. But the action of the
burglar is motivated by greed,
Unfortunately, the tumor is in a selfishness, and disregard for
very advanced stage and there are others. The intent is to harm and
other complications. steal, which is considered morally
Consequently, the patient dies wrong.
during surgery.

15
 As you sow, so you reap

Conversely, the surgeon's intention In the above mentioned example,

is to heal and alleviate suffering. the burglar's karma is negative,
Even though the patient died, the whereas the surgeon's karma is
surgeon's intention was good—he considered to be positive.
was trying to save a life. So, even
though both used a knife and We sum up the Karma theory as
someone died, their actions and “As you sow, so you reap”
intentions were very different.
Questions
Karma is often thought to be Can we have positive karma by
influenced not just by the action harming someone?
itself, but also by the intentions
behind the action and the
consequences that result.

16
 O F MA
’ S H
A
LESSON 9

A
3

VE
THE

ER
AHIMSA - 01 ANEKANTAVAD 02

“Ahimsa Parmo Dharma” Anekantavad means

signifies that nonviolence is Multiplicity of viewpoints. It is
the supreme religion. A a many-sided approach to
person should not hurt the reality.
feelings of any living being
either, whether it is by
thought, word, or action.

APARIGRAHA 03

Aparigraha is the virtue of non-possessiveness and non-

greediness of worldly things. It means taking only what is
necessary for survival and no more.

17
ANEKANTAVAD
Anekantavad means Multiplicity of viewpoints. It is a
many-sided approach to reality.

Let us understand it through a The fifth man who touched the

story. Once upon a time, there belly of the elephant, thought it is
were six blind men in a village to be like a huge wall. The sixth
who heard about an elephant. man who touched the tusk of the
They wanted to know what it was elephant thought that the
like, so each of them touched a elephant would look like a spear.
different part of the elephant.
A wise man, who was passing by,
The first man touched the saw this. He stopped and asked
elephant's leg and thought it was them the reason for arguing. He
like a pillar. The second man calmly explained to them, “All of
touched the tail and thought it you are right. The reason every
was like a rope. The third man one of you is perceiving elephant
touched the trunk and thought it differently is because each one of
was like a thick branch. The fourth you touched a different part of the
man touched the ear of the elephant. He said that truth has
elephant and thought it to be a many perspectives and to
fan. understand it fully, we need to
consider all angles.

18
Any situation or statement regarding the truth may be true
in its own limited way. So, rather than arguing like the blind
men, we should say, “May be you have your reasons.” One
should know the complete truth, and then analyse the truth
from all different angles.

Anekantvad solves many problems of this contemporary society. Mahaveer

never forced his views and principles upon anyone because these may
become the cause of quarrels, wars, conflicts and unhealthy relationships.

Anekantvad teaches us the following:

·Never insist that your own ideas are the best and correct
·Never interfere
·Never use phrases like “in my days.” “if I were in your place.”
·Never be proud
·Become patient and polite in nature
·Always accept truth to avoid conflicts
·Choose your words very wisely.
·Be a trustworthy person and accept the truth even from enemies.
·Create universal brotherhood, friendship and equanimity towards everyone.

Questions:
Can Truth be analysed through different angles?
Were all the blind people right regarding describing the elephant?

19
LESSON 10 –
THE 5 FUNDAMENTAL VOWS

Bhagwan Mahaveer taught 5 fundamental vows. These

vows help to improve a person’s quality of life, achieve
spiritual peace and liberation. They are as follows:

01. Ahimsa – Non-Violence

02. Satya- Speaking truth

03. Astheya - Non-stealing

04. Aparigraha - Non-possession

05. Brahmacharya – Chastity

20
Anuvratas

Mahaveer said that the fundamental

5 vows should be followed by
householders and the monks.
However, the householders may
follow them with certain limitations
(less rigidity) they are called
Anuvrathas (smaller vows).

Mahavratas

The same, when followed by

ascetics strictly without any
flexibility they are known as
Mahavrathas (greater vows).

Questions

What are Anuvratas and Mahavratas?

What are the fundamental vows preached by Bhagwan Mahaveer?

21
 E SUPRE
T H M
–

E
A

VIR
A H I MS

TUE
Lesson 11

“Ahimsa Parmo Dharma” signifies that nonviolence is the

supreme religion. Ahimsa is the cardinal principle of Jainism.
The concept of Ahimsa is based on the fact that every living
being has a right to exist and it is necessary to live with all
other living beings in perfect harmony and peace. As long as
we live, we hurt many living beings. The air that we breathe
and the water that we drink contain small organisms. Even the
vegetarian food that we eat is prepared from plants, which are
living beings. It is impossible to observe complete non-violence
because indulging in some sort of violence is inevitable for
survival.

According to Mahaveer, ”One should not injure, subjugate,

enslave, torture, or kill any living being including animals,
insects, plants, and vegetation”. In this vow, a person must not
intentionally hurt any living being, whether they are plants,
animals, human etc. A person should not hurt the feelings of
any living being either, whether it is by thought, word, or
action.

22
Ahimsa is not to injure, abuse, oppress, insult, torture, or kill
any creature or living being by thought, action and speech.
Ahimsa is meant for the protection of life in all forms.
According to Bhagwan Mahaveer, no living being is superior or
inferior to the other, regardless of its size and shape etc. Hence
no living creature has the right to harm, injure, or kill any other
living being, including animals, insects, and plants.

Furthermore, non-violence is not constrained to physical

violence. Bhagwan Mahaveer also emphasises non-violence in
speech and in thought. Harsh words causing mental torture or
thinking evil of someone is also considered violence.

The 3 types of violence are – causing injury by mind, by body

and by speech

·Thinking of hurting others is injury by mind.

·Physically hurting others is injury by body.
·Hurting others by calling them names and using bad words is
injury by speech.

We should not hurt others by mind, body, or speech. Instead

we should love and be friends with all.

Ahimsa or Non-Violence is the first major vow taken by the

Jains, that is to cause no harm to any living being on this planet,
whether it is a human being or animal or plants or tiny
microorganisms. That’s why Jainism is considered to be the
most peaceful religion in this world.

23
LESSON 12 – SATYA –
THE POWER OF TRUTH
The second vow taught by Bhagwan Mahaveer says
always speak the truth.

Imagine you have a promise or a So, always aim to be honest, but

rule to always tell the truth. You also be mindful of how your
will feel this easier to follow if words might affect others. That
you're not feeling angry, greedy, way, you're not only telling the
scared, jealous, or too proud of truth, but you're also being kind
yourself. When you're calm and and respectful to everyone around
kind, telling the truth becomes you. Any feeling of love, hatred,
much simpler. anger or desire should not prompt
one to tell lie or even to hide
Now, telling the truth doesn't truth.
mean you have to tell everything
you know, especially if it might ·Thinking of lying to others is lying
hurt someone's feelings or cause by mind.
harm. In those cases, it's better to ·Cheating on a test is lying by
stay quiet. Silence can sometimes bodily action.
be the best way to stop bad ·Telling a lie is lying by speech
things from happening.

It's also important to remember Questions

that even saying things that aren't
true by accident or encouraging Sometimes truth may not be
others to do the same is not good. pleasing. What should I do in that
Whether you're feeling really situation?
happy, really mad, or really want When does telling truth becomes
something, it's not an excuse to lie easier?
or hide the truth.

24
LESSON 13 – ASTHEYA
VOW OF NON-STEALING

The third vow Astheya is the Imagine you have a

virtue of non-stealing. One should special rule called "Don't
not desire for or should not touch Take What Isn't Yours."
or pick the things that belong to That means you shouldn't
others. Stealing is taking someone want or grab things that
else’s property without his belong to other people.
consent by immoral methods. Taking something that
Even the very thought of doesn't belong to you
appropriating other’s property is without permission is
considered stealing. called stealing.

Even just thinking about

taking someone else's
things is considered
stealing, so it's important
to always respect other
people's belongings.
Also, when someone
offers you something, like
food or help, you should
only take what you really
need. Taking more than
you need is also like
stealing because it's not
fair to others who might
need it too.

25
Stealing also include:
·Encouraging someone to steal.
·Receiving or buying things that
you know are stolen.
·Trying to buy really valuable
things for very cheap prices when
it's not fair.
·Tricking people by using fake
scales or measures to get more
than what's fair.
·Selling fake or fake-like things to
trick people into paying more
than they should.

Remember, respecting other

people's things and being fair in
what you take and give is super
important to being a good friend
and person.

Questions
I need Rs.100 to buy a book. My
friend gave me Rs.150 and
helped me to buy the book. I
quietly kept the extra Rs.50 for
some other use. Is it considered
to be stealing? Why?

26
LESSON 14 – FINDING
HAPPINESS IN SIMPLICITY:
EMBRACING APARIGRAHA

Aparigraha is the virtue of non-possessiveness and

non-greediness of worldly things. It means taking
only what is necessary for survival and no more.
This vow is the principle of limiting one’s
possessions and limiting one’s desires.

27
 Wanting too much food, money, or praise is
possessiveness by mind.

Collecting more things than you need and

deserve is possessiveness by body.

Speaking to collect more food, praise, or

objects than you deserve is possessiveness by
speech.

Mahaveer teaches that when people want too

many things, they might do bad things to get
them. So, it's important to be content with what
you have and not always want more.

For monks, this means giving up attachments to people,

things, and even the pleasures of our senses, like tasty
food or luxurious bed. They focus on what they really need
to live and learn.

The house holders should take this vow to establish

limitation on possession of items such as land, houses,
money, clothing, furniture, cattle etc. For householders,
one should have only that much amount of wealth which
is necessary for their survival and not for showing off or
satisfying ego.

Desires and attachments are the root cause of all the

suffering in this world. It makes a person greedy, jealous,
egoistic, selfish and angry. A person who is full of desires
would never feel contentment and satisfaction in life.

28
But even as students, you can follow this rule!
You don't have to make big changes, just little
ones to simplify your life.

For example, maybe your tennis shoes can also

be your running shoes or your hiking shoes. And
do you really need a fancy coffee maker, or can
you just heat water and make coffee?

You can also think about how many clothes or

toys you really need.

By following Aparigraha, you learn to appreciate what you

have and find happiness in simpler things. And you'll feel
less stressed and more content knowing you're not always
chasing after more and more stuff. We should not desire
or collect more than we need or deserve. We should share
our belongings with all.

Questions

Why is it important to take only what we need and not

want too many things?

What is greed? Explain in your own words.

When I am not greedy, I feel _______ and ______________

29
LESSON 15 -
BRAHMACHARYA -
VOW OF CELIBACY
For laypeople, Brahmacharya
means being faithful to your
partner. Wanting someone else's
partner can lead to trouble and
sadness. For those who choose to
live without marrying, like monks,
Brahmacharya means focusing on
understanding themselves deeply
and avoiding any thoughts or
actions driven by strong desires Questions
for others.
Name the Vow which
The basic intent of this vow is to means not to engage in
conquer passion. The vow imparts sensual pleasures.
a sense of serenity to the soul.
Up until 23rd Thirthankar
The first four vows were preached there were only 4 great
by the earlier Thirthankars. The vows. Which vow did
vow of celibacy was proclaimed Bhagwan Mahaveer add
by Bhagwan Mahaveer. to those four vows?

30
LESSON 16 - DO’S

1.Respect your parents, teachers, and elders. We should treat all

individuals with dignity, regardless of differences such as age,
religion, nationality, beliefs, or perspectives. It's important to
realize that our achievements shouldn't rely on the failures or
mistreatment of others. Instead, we should strive to succeed
while upholding the dignity and rights of everyone around us.

2.Be kind to other people as well as to animals, plants, and

insects. Kindness means doing good without expecting good in
return. Kindness can be expressed through empathy,
acceptance, justice, pleasant gestures, or thoughtfulness.

3.Be honest and truthful with yourself and others. "Honesty's

the best policy". We must practice it on a regular basis. We must
be true to our parents, teachers, and others. This will help us
develop honesty as a personality trait. We must always prefer to
acknowledge our mistakes with honesty rather than lie to hide
them. Dishonesty and cheating are bad habits that will lead to
failure in the future. Even if dishonesty is beneficial in the short
term (e.g., cheating on a test), it would result in bad long-term
effects (e.g., being unable to pass an entrance exam for a
college).

4.Be forgiving towards others.

5.Be polite. Always say “Please" and “Thank you".

31
6.Sharing is a form of caring. We should share toys with siblings
and cousins, share books with classmates, or donate food and
clothing to less fortunate children.

7.Be generous and help others. We should be generous and

willing to offer time and assistance to those in need, regardless
of the circumstances.

8.Always look for good in others and listen to their point of

view.

9.Have the courage to accept our own mistakes and say “sorry".

10.Be responsible. Washing our dishes, keeping shoes in

designated locations, spending time with family, and sticking
to a routine are just a few examples of responsible behaviours
we can adopt at home.

32
LESSON 17 - DONT’S

1.Do not hurt anyone. Do not hurt or kill any living being.

2.Do not lie, cheat, or steal.

3.Do not use bad words or be disrespectful.

4.Do not get angry. Do not shout or scream at anyone.

5.Do not fight with anyone.

6.Do not spread rumors or talk about people behind their back.

7.Do not blame others when things don’t go your way.

8.Do not be greedy. Be thankful for what you have.

9.Do not take anything without permission.

10. Do not be afraid to ask questions to your teachers or elders.

33
LESSON 18 – HOW DO
I OVERCOME ANGER?
Anger is one of our most common weaknesses. We feel angry
when we do not get what we want or when we are hurt
because of what someone said or did or when someone teases
us.

What happens when we are angry? We start to scream at

people around us, even people we like or love. Sometime we
break something or hurt someone. Anger destroys friendships.
What to do if we get angry?

Can anger be eliminated? taking away your toy or

pencil. You may fight with
It is difficult to eliminate that child. But if you are
anger; however, its expression called to the Principal’s office
can be controlled. would you get angry and fight
For example, think how with the child there, or would
would you react when you you talk politely to the
see one of your classmates Principal?

34
We often find ourselves getting As days passed the
angry in situations where it is not children started to
really necessary, even with complain the unpleasant
people who care about us. But if smell of the rotten apples.
we become aware of this Besides, those having 5
tendency, we can avoid fights apples also had to carry
and prevent hurting our family heavier bags. After 1 week,
and friends. the children were relieved
because the game had
According to Bhagwan Mahaveer, finally ended.
we can control our anger by
replacing it with “Forgiveness”. Then the teacher told
Instead of holding onto anger, we them the hidden meaning
can choose to let go and forgive. behind the game. The
This not only helps us stay calm teacher said: “This is
but also maintains harmony in exactly the situation when
our relationships. you carry your hatred for
somebody inside your
A kindergarten teacher once told heart. The stench of
the children in the class to bring hatred will contaminate
along a plastic bag containing a your heart”.
few apples. Each apple will be
given a name of a person that the Moral: Throw away any
child hates. Every child brought hatred for anyone from
some apples with the name of your heart so that you will
the people he/she hated. Some not carry burden for a
had 2 apples, some 3 while some lifetime. Forgiving others
up to 5 apples. is the best attitude to
take.
The teacher then told the
children to carry the apples in the
plastic bag with them wherever
they go for 1 week.

35
STORY - THE ANGRY BOY

Once, there was a little boy who So, one day, the boy's father
had a big problem with his came up with a clever idea.
temper. He would often get He took his son to the
into fights with his siblings and backyard and gave him a
friends, causing a lot of trouble. hammer and a bag of nails.
His parents knew they needed He told the boy that every
to help him learn about the time he lost his temper, he
dangers of anger. had to hammer a nail into
the fence.

The first day the boy had to

drive 27 nails into the fence!
But as time went on, he
started to learn how to
control his anger. The
number of nails he
hammered into the fence
each day began to decrease.
Finally, the boy reached a day
when he didn't lose his
temper at all. Excitedly, he
told his father about his
accomplishment. His father
then suggested that for each
day he stayed calm, he could
remove one nail from the
fence.

36
Days turned into weeks, STORY - CHANDKAUSHIK
and eventually, the boy
There is a popular story about
was able to pull out all
Bhagwan Mahaveer when he was
the nails from the fence.
a monk. He used to meditate, fast
He had learned how to
and perform penance. He travelled
control his temper and
from place to place and from
not let anger take over
village to village.
him.

Once, Bhagwan Mahaveer decided

But when his father
to go to the village of Vachala. On
took him to see the
his way there lived a poisonous
fence, they noticed
cobra named Chandkaushik. It
something important.
was rumored that Chandkaushik
Even though the nails
could kill just by casting his evil
were gone, the fence
glance upon a person. The villagers
was still filled with
requested him to use another
holes.
route. Bhagwan Mahaveer had no
fear and practiced supreme non
The boy learned a
violence and compassion. He had
valuable lesson that
no hatred towards anyone and
day: words spoken in
considered fear and hatred as
anger can hurt others
violence of the self.
deeply, leaving wounds
that may never fully
Once when he was in the land of
heal. He realized the
the poisonous cobra, he stopped
importance of treating
there to meditate. Chandkaushik
his friends with
came out of his burrow. He
kindness and respect,
became furious and angry, came
and vowed to never let
closer to Bhagwan Mahaveer, and
his temper get the best
swayed his head, ready to strike.
of him again.
He blew poisonous venom
towards Mahaveer several times.

37
The venom did not affect Chandkaushik became calm
Bhagwan Mahaveer nor did it and he felt as if he had seen
disturb his meditation. such a person before.
Chandkaushik was astonished Suddenly, a miracle occurred
to see the calmness on and he visualized incidences
Bhagwan Mahaveer’s face. He from his previous lives. In the
saw pure, white milk flowing past life he was a very angry
from his toe instead of red person and because of his
blood. anger he became a cobra in
this life.

Chandkaushik realized the

truth of life. He peacefully
retreated to his hole. There
he spent the rest of his life in
physical and mental peace.

Peace and harmony in

society comes from the
feeling of love and equality of
all living beings. This is
Mahaveer’s concept of
nonviolence and forgiveness.

Questions
Can you find synonym of the words – Rage, Let-go, Compassion
Can you find antonyms of the words – Love, Violence, Strength
What is the moral of the story? How will you apply it in your
daily life?

38
LESSON 19 – HUMILITY –
THE ANTIDOTE TO EGO
Humility is the opposite of ego. Ego is when we think we're
better than others, that we deserve special treatment or
attention. But humility is when we recognize that everyone is
equal and worthy of respect. Bhagwan Mahaveer taught,
‘Parasparopagraho Jivanam’ which means ‘All life forms are
interdependent for their existence’. He taught that less
importance should be given to I, ME, and MYSELF.

Being humble doesn't mean thinking less of ourselves; it means

thinking of ourselves less. Instead of focusing on our own
accomplishments or needs, we pay attention to others and
their feelings. We listen more than we speak, and we're quick to
lend a helping hand without expecting anything in return.

Humility teaches us to be grateful for what we have and to

appreciate the efforts of others. It helps us learn from our
mistakes instead of pretending we're perfect.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Pride comes before a fall"? It
means that when we're too proud or full of ourselves, we often
end up making mistakes or experiencing failure. Similarly, the
saying "One who bows is liked by all" highlights how humility
and respect for others are qualities that everyone admires.

Ego and pride may seem impressive at first, but in reality, they
push people away. On the other hand, humility is like a warm
welcome wherever it goes.

39
Think about it: trees heavy with fruit bend down to offer their
bounty to passersby, and rain clouds humbly release their water
to nourish the earth below. Just like these natural examples,
humility is a virtue that benefits everyone around us.

So, how can we practice humility? It starts with being honest

with ourselves and acknowledging our strengths and
weaknesses. We can treat everyone with kindness and
compassion. Remember, humility isn't about being weak or
timid. It's about being strong enough to put others before
ourselves and to make the world a better place for everyone.

Can we take these vows today?

I will not be too proud of anything I do.

It is okay to be happy for my accomplishments, but I will not

put anyone down.

I will appreciate what others do and I will not be a “show-

off”.

40
STORY - KING COBRA

Once upon a time, there was a big king cobra who lived in a
tiny hole. When he was small, he ate little insects. But as he
grew bigger, he started eating bigger things like eggs, lizards,
frogs, and even bunnies. He thought he was the strongest and
most important creature in the forest.

One day, the king cobra found a big tree and decided to make
it his home. But nearby, there was an ant hill. The king cobra
didn't like it and wanted the ants to leave. He thought he could
scare them away because he was so big and powerful. So, he
shouted at the ants and tried to break their hill.

But to his surprise, the ants didn't listen. Instead, they all came
out and bit the king cobra all over! He was in so much pain that
he had to run away. All the other animals saw what happened
and realized that even tiny ants could be strong when they
worked together.

The king cobra learned that being big and strong doesn't mean
you can boss everyone around. It's important to respect all
creatures, no matter how small they are. And from that day on,
he was a more humble and respectful king cobra.

41
STORY - THE PROUD SCULPTOR

Once upon a time, there was a sculptor who was famous for
making incredibly lifelike statues. He was so proud of his skill
that he believed no one could match him. But as he grew older,
he started worrying about what would happen after he died.

So, he came up with a clever plan to trick the devil. He made

ten statues that looked just like him and hid among them.
When the devil came to take him away, he couldn't tell which
one was the real sculptor.

The devil decided to test the sculptor's ego. He praised the

statues and said, " the statues are very beautiful, but there is an
error in idols. If the person who created the statue was in front
of me, I can tell him the mistake."

The ego of the sculptor woke up, he thought, "I dedicated my

whole life to making statues, what can be wrong in my statues".
He said, "What kind of error" …

Immediately the devil (messenger) caught hold of him and said,

"That's the mistake you made in your ego, that lifeless statues
do not speak" …

The moral of the story is that ego only brings trouble and
sorrow. It's a lesson to always stay humble and not let pride get
in the way of seeing the truth.

42
STORY TIME

One hot afternoon on a beach, people noticed a young girl

drowning. They quickly rescued her. The little girl was
unconscious. An old man from a nearby cottage hurriedly
reached for the girl laid down on the seashore. As the old man
was about to hold the girl, a young man with CPR training
came forward and insisted that he would take care of the
situation.

The old man stepped behind and watched quietly while the
latter was performing CPR for the girl. After almost a minute,
the little girl regained consciousness. The people around them
felt relieved and began applauding the guy. The old man was
very happy and he gratefully congratulated the young man.

After two hours, however, the young man who saved the girl
suddenly felt too much fatigue, experienced difficulty in
breathing and became unconscious. A few minutes later, he
woke up in an ambulance and was being taken to the nearest
hospital. Beside him was the old man. The old man did the CPR
on him while he was unconscious. This time he learned that the
old man is a doctor.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re a doctor?” he asked.

The doctor just smiled and answered: “It doesn’t matter to me

whether you call me a doctor or not. I became a doctor, not for
fame, but to save lives. We had the same goal, and that was to
save the girl. There’s a lot of things to be protected other than
our ego.”

The young man humbly said: “Well, you have saved two lives
today.”

43
LESSON 20 – PATH TO CONTENTMENT

Greed is the cause of many of Story – A busy life

our problems. We want more
and more. There is no end to A young businessman went
greed of possession. No matter to a village. He was drawn
how much we have – we still to a shepherd, sitting under
want more! Striving for more or a tree playing a flute. There
doing better is not bad or were a couple of cows
wrong so long as it is done for grazing in the field nearby.
the right reasons. If greed is not The businessman asked the
balanced with contentment it shepherd how long he
gives rise to dissatisfaction. spent grazing cows. The
shepherd replied that he
just did this for a few hours
every day.

The businessman asked

why he did not buy more
cows. The shepherd
replied,” I have enough to
support my family’s needs. I
go home, spend time with
my wife, play with the
children, listen to religious
discourses and relax and
play flute. I have a full and
busy life, Sir.”

44
The businessman scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and I can help
you. You should bring the whole village’s cows for grazing and
charge money for it. With this money you should buy more
cows and supply milk to the neighboring villages. Eventually
you can start your own dairy and supply to the whole state. You
would need to leave this small village and move to a city.”

The shepherd asked, “But sir, how long will this all take?”

The businessman laughed and said, “15-20 years. When the time
is right you would go public and sell your company stocks to
the public. You’ll become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions, Sir?” questioned the shepherd. “Then what?”

The businessman said, “Then you would retire. Move to a quiet

place and play your flute, eat lunch with your wife, play with
your kids, spend time on religion.”

The shepherd smiled and inquired, “How is it any different from

what I am doing now?”

One has to stand back and think of what one would like to do
with life. True happiness comes not from having more but
being content with what one has.

45
LET US RESOLVE TODAY

I will be happy with everything I have.

I will not bother my parents for more toys and games.

Instead I will appreciate that they gave me such great

things in life

I will try to give to those who do not have as much as me.

I will give food, water, and shelter to all those in need.

I will give food to birds and other animals.

I will help elderly and disabled people in every way I can.

I will share my toys with everyone.

46
LESSON 21 – HONESTY IS THE BEST
POLICY
Honesty means always telling the truth even when it
may be tempting to tell a lie. Being honest helps you
become a trustworthy person. It means not taking
things that don't belong to us. When we're dishonest,
we feel sad and ashamed. Here's how we can be honest:

a. Always have good and happy thoughts.

b. Forgive others when they make mistakes because
nobody's perfect, not even us.
c. Never say one thing and do another. Keep your
promises.
d. Be polite when you tell the truth and never try to hurt
anyone's feelings.
e. If saying something might hurt someone, it's better to
stay quiet.
f. Avoid making an exaggeration, which occurs when you
talk about an event. Instead change or add details that
didn't happen.
g. When playing games, abide by rules

47
People who tell the truth are trusted and liked by
others. Being honest makes us strong and peaceful
inside. And lying makes us feel weak and scared
because it doesn't feel right. When we tell the truth, our
mind and conscience feel good together, and that
makes us strong and happy.

Honesty is the core value that we must inculcate from a

very young age. It is a common observation among
young children that they weave stories that fit what
they want or need. While some kids lie to avoid getting
into trouble. Thus, teaching them the importance of
honesty is the right way to get them to inculcate this
virtue for a lifetime.

After all, honesty is the best policy!

There could be times when telling the truth could be

difficult, but that does not mean one has to lie.
Remember Integrity is an important virtue. It is what
helps people to make decisions about what is right, and
what is wrong. Truth-telling is an important value, even
if it is hard to do. It is okay to be imperfect and make
mistakes but never tell lies.

When we are honest and sincere, we have better

relationships with others. Honesty also helps us develop
a stronger sense of self-worth, as we learn to value
ourselves, and our accomplishments. Lying can lead to
bad consequences such as it can hurt someone’s
feelings or lead to a dangerous situation.

48
Here is a small story on honesty. Once upon a time there
was a king who had 3 sons. The King was old. Therefore,
he wanted to hand over his kingdom to the most
deserving son. He wanted to test the most deserving
and honest Prince.

One day, he called them and gave one seed to each of

the 3 sons. He said to them,”Sons! I want you all to grow
these seeds and take care of the plant for a year. After a
year, you can come and show your own plant. By seeing
what comes with you, I will decide who will take my
throne. “

Three princes took seeds from the king and went to the
royal garden and planted themselves their own seeds.
Since that day, they started taking care of their seeds by
going to the royal garden every day.

49
After completion of one year, the king summoned three
of them.

The Princes reached the king with their own flower pot.
Where both elder princes were pleased, the youngest
prince was sad.

The elder princes showed their flower pot with pride to

the King. But the younger prince placed in front of the
king with an empty pot and said, “Father! I gave water to
the seed for a year. But it did not grow. “

The King saw his pot and said, “Now that time has come
to tell you that I am going to hand over this state. The
reigns of this State will be given to the youngest son”.

Hearing it, both elder princes said, “Father! How can you
do this? This is injustice. “

King smiled and said, “Sons! the seeds I gave you were
boiled. It was not possible to grow plants from those
seeds. The plants which you both brought were not
from seeds that I gave you. Your younger brother is true
and honest. That’s why I chose him as my successor.”

The youngest prince became the king as he was honest.

50
 It's time to challenge the
Lesson 22 –
notion that success requires
Unlocking someone else's failure. We
success through can reimagine games and
Cooperation activities to promote
cooperation rather than
The emphasis on competition competition. For instance,
in various aspects of our lives, instead of playing "King of
from education to sports to the Mountain" where one
personal relationships, often person stands at the top
leads to negative while others try to knock
consequences. Obsession them down, why not have
with competition can be everyone stand at the top
psychologically damaging and together? Similarly, in
harmful to our relationships. "Musical Chairs," why not
Instead, we should shift have everyone occupy the
towards cooperation. It is a last chair instead of
more positive and productive eliminating players one by
approach. one?

51
Cooperation offers numerous benefits across
various aspects of life. It fosters teamwork,
shared decision-making, and a sense of
belonging. Rather than viewing others as rivals,
cooperation encourages us to see them as
friends and allies. This shift in mindset leads to
greater openness, trust, and safety in our
interactions.

Moreover, cooperation enhances self-worth and

personal power. By valuing each individual's
contribution and fostering creativity, cooperative
environments promote emotional maturity and
self-confidence. We feel empowered to make a
difference and contribute to shared goals.

Cooperation promotes well-being by reducing

stress and anxiety associated with competitive
situations. Instead of fearing failure or feeling
humiliated by defeat, individuals can relax and
enjoy the process of working together towards a
common purpose.

We all remember the story in which the father

gave individual sticks to his sons who broke
them easily. However, they were not able to
break the bundle of sticks. The sons learnt,
“United we stand, divided we fall”

52
Story - Win conflict through cooperation
Here’s another story for you. “I will plant a seed in the
This story is about four ground,” the peacock said.
friends, an elephant, a
monkey, a peacock and a “I will water it,” the rabbit
rabbit. In the beginning, the said.
four friends were not
friends. They lived near the “I will fertilise it,” said the
foothills of a mighty monkey.
mountain. There was a
beautiful tree full of “I will protect it,” said the
delicious fruits. They argued elephant.
about who had the right to
the fruit tree. Each one of The seed grew and grew
them wanted to enjoy the until it became a tree. On
delicious fruits. This the tree came the lovely
argument stopped when a fruit. Now the four friends
man overruled them and had a problem. They could
claimed ownership of the see the fruits but they could
fruit tree. not reach the fruit. So, they
made a tower by climbing on
The four friends wondered each other’s backs; first the
what to do to get the fruit elephant, then the monkey,
they all loved. They wanted the rabbit, and finally the
to help each other so they peacock. Through their
became friends. friendship and cooperation
the four were able to share
their favourite fruit.

53
Lesson 23 – Animals are my
friends and I don’t eat my
friends

Vegetarianism is a link to Peace

54
Let’s talk about
vegetarianism
I am vegetarian because I
respect all life forms.

I am vegetarian because I
love animals and the
environment. I plant trees &
protect my environment.

I do not want to eat anything

that causes too much pain to
other life forms. We should try to minimize
violence to plants by not
We obviously need food to wasting any food. Some
live, so we cannot practice people also do not eat dairy
complete nonviolence, but products such as milk,
we try to stop as much cheese, ice cream, and butter
violence as we can. We because dairy products come
should avoid eating meat, from a cow and cause lots of
chicken, fish, eggs and other pain to the cows. Also cows’
animal products. According milk is not given to their
to Mahaveer the life of an calves. These compassionate
animal is equal to our own people are called vegans
life. Just as we don’t like to (strictly vegetarian – do not
get hurt or killed; animals, use any animal products at
birds, and fish don’t like to all).
get hurt or killed either.

55
 When your friends ask you: Why are
you vegetarian?
You can say: Animals have life too and I do
not want to kill them. Animals are my friends
and I do not eat my friends. Animals should
not be slaughtered for our taste. Moreover
raising animals for meat pollutes the air and
water on our earth. It also wastes water and
grains.

When your friends ask: Don’t you need meat

to stay healthy?

You can say: No. I get enough protein Questions:

and nutrients from vegetarian food.
Actually you can stay healthy by Why should we be
eating vegetarian food. I will invite vegetarians?
you for dinner sometime and show
you how vegetarian food is so yummy. Who are vegans?

56
Lesson 24 - My
Environment

Our environment is the world around us. It includes the houses,

the street, the buildings, our favourite park, and even lakes.

I take care of my environment.

I plant trees and do not walk on grass.
I save water by turning off the water when I am brushing
my teeth and I do not take long showers.
I turn the light off when I do not need it.
I recycle paper, boxes, cans, and glass bottles. By recycling, I
save my environment.
I reuse bags from the grocery store and recycle them when I
am done using them.
I give away my clothes that no longer fit me. I also give
away my toys and games that I do not play with anymore.
I do not make my parents buy more things for me when I do
not need them.
I ride my bike and walk safely as much as I can instead of
asking my parents to drive me because cars pollute my
environment.
Such small efforts will help protect our environment, We
should love our environment.

57
The magical R’s
Reduce – Reducing the amount of waste you produce is the best
1 To use way to help the environment.
• Buy products that don’t have too much packaging
fewer • Use less paper
things • Carpool with friends to reduce pollution or take the
bus or ride a bike
• Save energy by turning off lights that you are not using
• Follows the Jain principle of non-possessiveness

Reuse – Instead of throwing things away, try to find ways to use

2 To fully them again!
• Take lunch in plastic containers instead of plastic bags
make
• Use old containers to make art projects
use of • Donate clothes instead of throwing them away.
things

Recycle Instead of throwing things away, let them be made into

3 – To something else!
• Recycle paper, plastic, cans, glass instead of throwing
make
them in trash
used • Buy recycled products Recycling Facts
items • Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees and 7,000
useful gallons of water
• Recycling one aluminium can saves enough electricity
again
to run a TV for 3 hours
• Recycling one glass bottle or jar saves enough
electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours
• Recycling one ton of plastic saves the equivalent of
1,000–2,000 gallons of gasoline
• More than 30 million trees are cut down to produce a
year’s supply of newspapers

58
Lesson 25- My book of Alphabets
LOGO
A – A for Ahimsa, Anekanta, Aparigraha
B – B for Bowing down
C- C for Compassion, Co-operation, Charity, Contentment
D – D for Discipline, Devotion
E – E for Environment, Enlightenment, Equanimity
F – F for Forgiveness, Faith
G – G for overcoming Greed, God, Gratitude
H – H for Honesty, Humility, Humanity, Helping others
I – I for Integrity
J – J for Justice
K – K for Karma, Knowledge, Kindness
L – L for Love
M – M for Mahaveer
N – N for Non-Violence, Non-attachment
O – O for Omniscience
P – P for Prayer
Q – Q for Quest
R – R for Respect
S – S for Sincerity, Selflessness
T – T for Thirthankars, Truth, Temple
U – U for Unity
V – V for Vegetarianism, Virtue, Victory
W – W for Worship, Wisdom
X – X for eXcellence
Y – Y for Yoga
Z – Z for Zeal

59
About
Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation

Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation is a public charitable Trust, established in

1994. The Foundation instituted annual Mahaveer Awards in 1995 to
honour individuals and institutions providing selfless services to the weak
and the voiceless in our society, by presenting awards in formal functions.
This would also inspire many others to incline towards social service.

The Mahaveer Awards are given for excellence in human endeavour in the
four fields, namely, Non-Violence & Vegetarianism, Education, Medicine,
and Community & Social Service. Each Award carries a cash component of
Rs.10 Lakhs, a memento and a citation
The awards are presented to the Awardees by eminent personalities like the
President of India, Vice President, Governors, Chief Minister, Ministers etc in
formal function. Till date 92 Awards have been presented.

The Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation recognized the importance of

familiarizing young individuals with the timeless message of peace and
harmonious co-existence propagated by Bhagwan Mahaveer, the 24th
Tirthankara, who lived 2600 years ago. The Foundation initiated the
"Mahaveer Award for Essays" in both Tamil and English languages in 2016
for school and college students on the topic “Life and teachings of Bhagwan
Mahaveer”. So far 7 Essay competitions have been conducted and 120316
students have participated. Prizes ranging from Rs.1000 to Rs.50000 are
given to students.

Siyat House
961, Poonamallee High Road www.bmfawards.org
Puraswalkam, Chennai - 600084 [email protected]
Tamil Nadu 044-42153056; 044-35220000