Learning Area

Social Justice

Do you want to make the world a better place? Do the grave social injustices of racism, sexism, and other social issues compel you to make a difference in the world? Jain philosophy has long inspired various social justice movements around the world to help us approach these questions. Mahatma Gandhi was famously influenced by the Jain principles of non-violence (ahiṃsā) and truth (satya) through which he inspired an entire nation to non-violently resist British imperial colonialism and occupation in India. His embodiment of non-violence as a tool to produce political effects was both novel and ancient, representing a fusion of ancient ascetic wisdom with the particular needs of his day. The way that Gandhi embodied Jain and other dharmic principles inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. to conclude that Gandhi was the “greatest Christian” in contemporary society and that Gandhian philosophy was “the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom”. Gandhi’s Jain influences thus spread further beyond India, compelling other notable social justice activists and leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Caesar Chavez to organize various forms of non-violent resistance against oppressive regimes worldwide. Today, Jains continue to make a positive impact for those in need. Donations of time and community energy have made possible countless educational, medical, and hunger-solving initiatives worldwide. These include, for example, the global medical volunteer work of Jain doctors and the multiple initiatives to feed the poor such as Joy of Sharing’s weekly serving of thousands of meals to the poor and houseless in Southern California. In our courses on Social Justice here at Arihanta Institute, students will learn about Jain principles that are helpful for achieving social justice outcomes such as these and others in contemporary society. In addition to studying inspiring leaders such as Gandhi and many others including Acharya Sushil Kumar who pioneered Jain education in the Western world, students will learn how to adapt Jain principles and culture to the manifold social justice challenges of everyday life.

Courses in Social Justice

Self-paced

1007 | Peacebuilding & Interfaith Dialogue in the Jain Tradition

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1007 | Peacebuilding & Interfaith Dialogue in the Jain Tradition

In this course we will explore how we can talk with others from different religious (or non-religious) traditions in a way that fosters friendship and mutual respect. We will discuss the Jain tradition’s many resources that further the goals of peacebuilding in a pluralistic society, and what it means to create social unity despite the diversity of perspectives in various belief systems. Given the history of interfaith conflict and violence in our world, the Jain tradition has much to offer in terms of how understanding the religious (or non-religious) “other” and how dialoguing with those who have fundamentally different beliefs can be a source of friendship, harmony, and strength, rather than conflict and disunity as it so often is.We will also discuss how such interfaith dialogue can be understood not only in social terms, but in the Jain philosophical terms of anekānta-vāda, ahiṃsā, etc. such that interfaith interactions can be a means of our own personal spiritual development—as well as social unity at a time when people seem more polarized than ever. We will also give particular emphasis to how the Jain tradition has employed a shared framework of yoga to dialogue with other dharma traditions, and what this tells us today about the potential for interfaith, intercommunal peacebuilding from the perspective of the Jain tradition.
$99.00 USD

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2018 | Human Security as Compassion: Jain Perspectives on Global Challenges

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2018 | Human Security as Compassion: Jain Perspectives on Global Challenges

Feeling safe is one of our biggest needs. But sometimes it seems like we live in an age of uncertainty and increasingly complex global crises. What then does it take today for human beings to feel and be safe?In this course you will learn how Jain thought and practice can speak to each of the seven areas of human security: Personal Security - Health Security – Food Security –Environmental Security – Economic Security – Political Security – Community Security. Human security is not merely a matter of technology and logistics and a task for states and big organizations. It can also be approached as value-based: helping others to feel and be safe as an act of compassion. Underlying the concept of human security is the desire to understand what each individual human being needs to be able to flourish and live a meaningful life. In the course we will discuss different ways of answering this question, from the United Nations sustainable development goals to the wisdom of the Jain scriptures, and how they can inform each other to address today’s global challenges. All suggested course readings are provided as links and pdfs throughout the course.Learning Objectives:Understand concepts connected to human security.Learn about compassionate Jain approaches to today’s global security challenges in both theory and practice.Develop the way you think about security, both your own and that of others.Get inspired for compassionate action that makes a difference in people’s lives.
Available for self-study starting June 2, 2025.
$99.00 USD

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2020 | Compassionate Food Systems for Planetary Healing

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2020 | Compassionate Food Systems for Planetary Healing

The global food system is the single largest contributor to the ongoing ecological crisis and humanitarian crisis, impacting every one of the six planetary boundary transgressions that the Stockholm Resilience Center identified in 2023. This necessitates a transformation to a compassionate food system that meets the nutritional needs of all human beings while ensuring that these planetary boundary transgressions are mitigated. In this class, we will examine the architectures of compassionate food systems and how they can be implemented as the foundation of a holistic transformation from the climate heating phase to the climate healing phase of our civilization.Learning Objectives:By the end of this course, students will be able to:Understand the Urgency: Articulate the critical need for transforming foodsystems to address ecological crises and social injustices, including theimplications of animal agriculture on planetary boundaries and human health.Define Compassionate Food Systems: Explain the principles of acompassionate food system and its potential to provide nourishing food for allwhile operating within the limits of planetary boundaries.Analyze Implementation Strategies: Assess the political and economictransformations required to implement compassionate food systems effectively.Facilitate Transformation: Identify grassroots initiatives and strategies toovercome resistance and facilitate the transition to a compassionate foodsystem.
Available for self-study on Monday, August 4, 2025.
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2017 | Compassion to Self & Others in Jain Householder Life

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2017 | Compassion to Self & Others in Jain Householder Life

Jain teachers have elaborated on sixty variants of the pan-Indian principle of ahiṃsā (non-violence) in their canonical texts. While physical non-violence—especially the avoidance of harm to any sentient being—is widely recognized both within and beyond the Jain tradition, other dimensions of ahiṃsā focus on fostering compassionate treatment toward not only one’s self but also to fellow humans. This course draws from the Śrāvaka Saṃbodha, a handbook on lay practices compiled by Ācārya Tulasī (1914–1997). This text outlines the qualities (guṇas) of lay disciples and provides practical, didactic guidance on religious conduct, encapsulating the ‘Jain way of life.’ Through these teachings, students will explore how responsible householders can contribute to a compassionate and harmonious society by integrating Jain ethical principles into everyday life. Course readings will be made available as links and PDFs throughout the duration of the course.Learning Objectives:Examine the Śrāvaka Saṃbodha, a poetic text written in the vernacular (Hindi) and assess its contemporary relevance to ethical and compassionate living.Understand the multifaceted meanings of compassion within Jain thought and analyze how it transcends conventional notions of kindness and non-violence.Evaluate, using interdisciplinary approaches from social sciences (such as history and linguistics), the various methods Ācārya Tulasī employs in constructing and communicating the qualities of householders in Jainism
Available for self-study on Monday, May 5, 2025.
$99.00 USD

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2014 | Jain Teachings & Practices of Compassion

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2014 | Jain Teachings & Practices of Compassion

The Jain tradition is rightly famous for its teachings and practices of ahiṃsā, or nonviolence in thought, word, and action. Less well-known or well-understood is the Jain emphasis on karuṇā or dāyā—compassion. Even admirers of the Jain emphasis on nonviolence might ask whether the Jain ideal is merely one of avoiding harm or if there is a place for doing positive good for the welfare of other beings in this tradition. Given the strong emphasis in this tradition of not harming animals and practicing a vegetarian or vegan diet, some might also ask whether the practice of compassion specifically toward human beings is also important to Jains. The answer to both these questions is an emphatic yes. There is indeed a strong Jain emphasis on living compassionately, and specifically on treating our fellow humans with kindness. This course will explore Jain teachings and practices of compassion–including, but not limited to, compassion directed toward our fellow human beings. All suggested course readings are provided as links and pdfs throughout the course. Learning Objectives:Understand the foundations of compassionate living according to Jain teachings.Learn how the Jain tradition provides rich philosophical resources that encourage us to live compassionately.Learn how teachings and practices of compassion are lived out in the Jain community.
Available for self-study starting Feb 3, 2025.
$99.00 USD

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