Arihanta Institute & JAINA Ahimsa Eco-Vegan Committee

The course incorporates Jain core values as derived from the Tattvartha Sutra and shares Jain philosophy, principles and practices with participants.Our goal is to help people learn to live a Jain Way of Life with greater happiness and equanimity. The sessions will bring alive and simplify Jain Philosophy of Soul and Karma and Jain Principles of Ahimsa, Anekantvad, and Aparigraha using new paradigms. From these core beliefs we will connect to our modern day Jain Way of Life practices. Also, we will discuss and share Jain content with participants.

This course incorporates Ten Virtues that characterize Jain Faith as derived from the Tattvartha Sutras and shares basic Jain principles and practices with participants. My goal is to help people learn to be a Jain in Daily Life by possessing these characteristics that will make them peaceful and equanimous. The sessions will bring forth the explanation of these Ten Jain Virtues as propagated by the Arihantas to stop the influx of Karma and release previously accumulated Karmas peacefully by their own efforts. The explanations given will be simple, using everyday language and understanding. By understanding the principles outlined in the class, participants will become aware of Virtuous living.LEARNING OBJECTIVES:The Ten Virtues in Jain Faith – Presented in Day-to-Day contextJain Philosophy of Soul, Karma and Liberation as relevant to present lifeHow these Virtuous Practices could lead one to live a peaceful life and achieve Salvation.Greater awareness and knowledge of fundamental principles propounded in ancient scriptures relevant to modern life.Strengthen and unify our community.Make this world a better place for all life.Peaceful and Virtuous everyday life.

What do Jain teachings have to do with my life today?  Learn how to answer this question with Jain philosophical texts that provide perennial guidance that applies to your most common everyday life situations. 

Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) is well known as the leader of India’s nonviolent struggle for independence from the British Empire. What is less well known is the great variety of traditions that went into making up Gandhi’s philosophy. These traditions include the Vaiṣṇava Hindu tradition in which he was born and raised, as well as the Jain tradition, a prominent tradition of his native state of Gujarat, which had a profound impact on his worldview and his advocacy of ahiṃsā–non-violence in thought, word, and action–in all aspects of life. This course will explore the considerable impact of Jain thought and practice on Mohandas Gandhi, and the role of the Jain tradition in his path to becoming the Mahātma: the great soul who has inspired generations not only of Indians, but of people around the world who yearn for the nonviolent transformation of global society. Of particular interest will be the teachings of Gandhiji’s Jain guru, Sri Rajchandra Mehta (1867-1901).

Explore the meanings, history, and practical applications of the cultivation of the Jain virtues of benevolence towards all living beings (maitrī), sympathetic joy for the virtuous (pramoda), compassion for the afflicted (kāruṇya), and equanimity towards the unvirtuous (mādhyastha). Begin by defining each term according to Jain textual sources. Next, appreciate the moral significance of these virtues and its various applications. Finally, with this conceptualization and history in mind, bring your fresh and deeper understanding of these virtues into the present and apply them in daily life. This course includes comparative study of the bhāvanās as they are interpreted and practiced in other dharma traditions. Learning Objectives:Understand the relevance of the four bhāvanās in Jain ethics and soteriology.Critically consider their context, and compare with other religious traditions.Bring your own insight of the bhāvanās into the present and apply them in daily life.

Committed to nonviolence (ahiṃsā) since its ancient beginnings, the Jain tradition has admonished the mistreatment, slaughter, sacrifice, and consumption of animals for thousands of years. In light of these commitments, Jains have traditionally lived a lacto-vegetarian lifestyle, advocated for the legal protection of animals, and have created sanctuaries for animals for centuries. In ancient and medieval scriptural sources, we even find restrictions on the consumption of dairy itself, suggesting potential pre-modern Jain commitments to what would now be referred to as a vegan lifestyle. And today, many Jains have been advocating for veganism in light of the devastating and irreparable harms involved in the production of dairy in contemporary society.  This course carefully considers the philosophical and historical underpinnings of Jain Veganism, presenting an opportunity for non-Jain vegans to discover a rich philosophical system aligned with their values, as well as an opportunity for Jains to appreciate the philosophical resources within their own tradition which naturally lead to living an ethical vegan lifestyle.  Course Details6 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute recorded Q&A sessions with Professors Dickstein and Miller Student Reviews"Arihanta Institute's course, Jainism, Veganism, and Engaged Religion, is a remarkable example of the transformative power of aligning nonviolence, or ahimsa, with daily living. Professors Miller and Dickstein expertly highlight the Jain tradition, sparking essential conversations about animal agriculture, spiritual practice, and ethically navigating climate collapse. If you're seeking a compassionate path forward, I highly recommend this course. Every week brought a welcoming dialogue with our cohort of students and additional insights from our professors. Thank you, Arihanta Institute!"— Diana H., United States, 2024 “This course exceeded my already-high expectations. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”— Agni H., United States, 2024 "I have enjoyed this class, the readings and videos, our discussions, and the meetings with all of you. Thank you all and thank you for this offering Christopher and Jonathan." — Mike A., United States, 2024

Refresh your understanding of Jain philosophy or embark on a journey to learn Jain philosophy from the ground up as you survey the Jain tradition’s fundamental philosophical insights

This course looks at how Jains, over a period of about 2,000 years, have developed their own mantras in conversation with both Hindus and Buddhists. We will examine the different versions and meanings of the most important Jain mantra, the pañcanamaskāra, and look at how mantras like OṂ HRĪṂ and ARHUṂ have been related to the soul, karmic destruction, and the path to liberation.  Learning Objectives• Understand the histories of some important Jain mantras, especially the pañcanamaskāra/ṇamokār/navkār mantra• See how Jain mantras have been related to karma theory and the path to liberation• Compare Buddhist, Jain and Hindu interpretations of the mantras OṂ, HRĪṂ, and ARHAṂ/AHAṂ• Examine some ways in which mantras have been used in Jain rituals and material culture 

This course will provide an overview of Jain Dharma based on an important text of the venerated Jain preceptor, Śrīmad Rājcandra. The trajectory of concepts covers Śrīmad’s philosophical proofs for the existence of an eternal soul as an agent, in relationship to bondage and liberation from karma. The approach of this course will be an analysis of these concepts in terms of various categories of philosophy with an inclination towards comparative religion and interfaith dialogue.

Explore the history, philosophies, and many meanings of the popular Jain concept known as “anekāntavāda”. Begin by exploring anekāntavāda’s rich history and understand why this term means much more than just “intellectual ahiṃsā”. Next, appreciate the philosophical complexity of anekāntavāda and its variant applications through nayavāda, syādvāda, saptabhaṅgī, and nikṣepa.Finally, with this philosophy and history in mind, bring your fresh and deeper understanding of anekāntavāda into the present and apply it to one of many important questions of contemporary society.

Beyond its ethical aim of nonviolence, Jainism offers a rich account of birth, life, medicine, illness, and death. In this class, we will explore principles for bioethics in early Jain texts with some engagement with western normative ethical theories. We will also consider contemporary Jain views on reproductive ethics, antibiotics and vaccinations, animal ethics, organ donation, and dying and death in light of brief case studies. Learning ObjectivesIdentify unique Jain features of life and nonlife such as jīva, karma, multiple perspectivism.Describe how nonviolence fits in the wider Jain historical and soteriological framework.Articulate distinct Jain principles that apply to contemporary bioethical dilemmas.Compare features of Jain bioethical principles to western normative principles.

सम्यग्दर्शन: जैन दर्शन की मूलभूत अवधारणा का दार्शनिक विश्लेषण जैन दर्शन भारतीय दार्शनिक परंपरा का एक अत्यंत सूक्ष्म, तत्त्वनिष्ठ एवं आत्मसाक्षात्कारोन्मुखी दृष्टिकोण है, जिसकी मौलिकता आत्मा के स्वाभाविक शुद्ध स्वरूप की पुनःप्राप्ति में निहित है। इसके अनुसार, जीव के बंधन का मूल कारण अविद्या, राग, द्वेष, और मिथ्यात्व है। इन बंधनों से मुक्ति प्राप्त करना ही मोक्ष है, जो जैन मत में जीवन का चरम और परम लक्ष्य है।मोक्ष की सिद्धि सम्यग्दर्शन, सम्यग्ज्ञान, और सम्यक् चारित्र — इन त्रिविध साधनाओं से होती है, जिन्हें सामूहिक रूप से "रत्नत्रयी" कहा गया है। इनमें सम्यग्दर्शन को प्रवेशद्वार का स्थान प्राप्त है। इसका तात्पर्य आत्मा की प्रकृति, तत्त्वों की वास्तविकता, और जीवन के लक्ष्य के प्रति श्रद्धायुक्त स्पष्ट दृष्टि से है। उपयोगिताछात्र सम्यग्दर्शन के शास्त्रीय, व्यावहारिक, और आध्यात्मिकपक्षों को स्पष्ट रूप से समझ पाएंगे।वे मिथ्यात्व के लक्षणों को पहचानकर आत्म-निरीक्षण कर सकेंगे।सम्यग्दर्शन की प्राप्ति की प्रक्रिया को समझकर अपने साधना पथ को सुस्पष्ट बना सकेंगे।सम्यग्दर्शन के आधार पर मोक्षमार्ग का सारगर्भित चिंतन कर सकेंगे।  Samyag-darśana: A philosophical analysis of the foundational concept in Jain philosophy Jain philosophy is a profoundly subtle, truth-centered, and self-realization-oriented perspective among the Indian philosophical traditions. Its fundamental conviction is in the re-attainment of the soul’s intrinsic pure nature. According to Jain thought, the root causes of the soul’s bondage are avidyā (ignorance), rāga (attachment), dveṣa  (aversion), and mithyātva (deluded perception), and elimination of these bondages leads to mokṣa itself, which is regarded as the greatest and ultimate goal of human life in Jainism. The attainment of mokṣa is made possible through the triad of samyag-darśana (right perception), samyag-jñāna  (right knowledge), and samyag-cāritra (right conduct), collectively known as the ratnatraya (Three Jewels). Among these, samyag-darśana is accorded the status of the initiator. Its attainment implies a reverence-filled unblemished perception of the nature of the soul, unwavering belief in the tattvas (fundamental principles), and the true purpose of life. Learning Objectives:• Understand the importance of samyag-darśana in the spiritual journey.• Identify forms of mithyatva (false beliefs) and their classifications.• Define samyag-darśana and explore its various types.• Learn about the sequence of attaining samyag-darśana and the concept of granthibheda (breaking of knots of delusion).• Explore the aṅgas (eight limbs) of samyag-darśana.• Analyze the dūṣaṇa (offenses) and bhūṣaṇa (ornaments) of samyag-darśana.• Recognize samyag-darśana as the foundational step in the path of self-realization.• Understand the relationship between samyag-darśana and svānubhūti (direct self-experience).

This course will focus on animal advocacy, ethics, and veganism. We will delve deep into the multiple reasons to live vegan and how a Jain ethic parallels with animal protection. The course is designed for Jains who want to learn more about veganism and for vegans and pre-vegans who are interested in learning more about Ahimsa and Jain Dharma. We will explore modern animal farming, animal agriculture’s environmental impact, fishing and our oceans, and more. Join us to learn about how the Jain way of life and ethical vegan living support and nurture each other.

Non-human animals are routinely used for profit or product, and as a result, suffer greatly in our society. Animal sanctuaries provide a glimpse of a different world; one in which animals are provided with protected spaces and treated as equals. A new initiative is taking shape that can aid sanctuaries, and individuals, in their goal of bettering animals' lives: Animal-Centered Design (ACD). In this course you will learn the basic principles of ACD, study examples of it in action within sanctuary settings, and consider how ACD can be applied to companion animals and beyond. This course will also touch on passive solar design, focusing on how proper orientation to the natural elements can benefit both animals and our environment. Readings and assignments are provided throughout the course to engage you directly in the animal sanctuary design process and to inspire you to make a positive change for animals.A portion of the proceeds for this course support Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge.Learning Objectives: Class 1: Introduction to Farmed Animal SanctuariesClass 2: Principles of Animal-Centered DesignClass 3: Precedents in Animal-Centered DesignClass 4: Case Study I-Designing Spaces for GoatsClass 5: Case Study II-Designing Spaces for DucksClass 6: Animal-Centered Design for Companion AnimalsClass 7: Passive Solar Design Strategies for Animal Spaces

According to Jain dharma, we live in an interconnected web of life in which no creature, human or non-human, wants to be harmed. For this reason, the Jain tradition has taught ahiṃsā, or non-violence, to all forms of life for thousands of years. Learn why the Jain tradition places particular emphasis on non-violence toward non-human animals, and how these Jain perspectives can be brought into conversation with contemporary animal advocacy concerns. Leave the course inspired to advocate for the well-being of all forms of life.

Jainism’s foundational ethical principle of non-harming assumes that living beings can be harmed by the acts of others. The ability to be harmed by others is not shared by all entities, as neither Jainism or mainstream science maintains that brute objects such as tables or bricks can be, technically speaking, “harmed.” Learn Jain and non-Jain perspectives on the differences between sentient and insentient entities; Jain categorizations of plant and animal life; modern philosophical and scientific approaches to sentience; the relationship of sentience to ethics; and the theoretical and ethical challenges posed by entities such as plants, insects, bivalves, and other beings. All suggested course readings are provided as links and pdfs throughout the course.Learning Objectives:* Answer the question “What is Sentience?” and learn western scientific approaches to sentience* Learn Jain approaches to sentience which consider sense faculties and minds* Understand the connections between sentience, pain, and ethics* Look at sentience “on the fringes” including questions around plants, bivalves, and other beings

While the study of certain aspects of the ancient world may derive from mere intellectual curiosity, the study of other aspects is absolutely essential for our understanding of current social, political, and environmental circumstances. The latter dynamic is certainly the case with the history of ancient ideas about “the human” and “the animal.” These ideas, taken up and developed over centuries by Christian theologians and humanist philosophers, have shaped the radically anthropocentric worldview of Western nations. Most Europeans and North Americans are simply unconcerned with how we torture and kill billions of animals each year. They live, without knowing it, in a mental universe constructed by a handful of Greek and Roman philosophers. To escape this universe, it is useful and perhaps even necessary to know what Chrysippus, Epicurus, Cicero, or Saint Augustine said about animals and humans’ interactions with them. The objective of this course is to study—alongside the many pleas of the vegetarian philosophers of antiquity—the incomplete but triumphant responses of their carnist adversaries.  Course Details6 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute recorded Q&A sessions with Professor Larue

Animals farmed for food and resources are among the most exploited, abused, and suffering beings on the planet. There have long been groups of humans trying to rescue them and advocate for their rights, possibly for as long as they have been enslaved and commodified—around 10-12,000 years. For the last 40 years or so, this movement includes organizations called a “Farm Sanctuary”—a place where farmed animals who have been neglected, surrendered, found, or liberated are cared for and supported in living out their natural lives. This course will look at the history, philosophy, ethics, practices, and cultural/ecological implications of farm animal sanctuaries as an approach to ahimsa. Leave with a deeper and broader kinship to the community with whom we share the planet. Course Details4 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute recorded Q&A sessions with Professor Turzi 

This course will look at fictional representations of animal advocacy; vegan practices and values like recognition and compassion; and farmed, free living, and companion animals in popular Anglophone, Western popular media, and participants will learn how these have shaped our relationships to animals and animal ethics in modern history.bell hooks discusses her book Outlaw Culture in relation to her concerns with problematic patterns appearing in popular culture. She tells how sometimes she found the best way to teach students or individuals about "otherness" was by relating it to a medium they were familiar with, the media and popular culture. Unlike critical theory that may be hard for a lot of people to access or understand, popular culture is for the masses and is easily understood. Thus, the masses are far more likely to be educated by popular culture rather than theory-based essays. Course Details4 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute recorded Q&A sessions with Professor Sebastian

Many sense that something is very wrong in the way that humans treat animals, but also may struggle to articulate why that is the case. This course offers a survey of some significant ways that scholars and activists have articulated systematic accounts for why we ought to seriously value animal life. We will do so not solely for academic interest, but because understanding the “why” of animal ethics is crucial to shaping the “how” of individual and political action to reduce animal suffering and domination. We will examine: the contemporary state of animal suffering, foundational theories for ethically considering animal life, and the academic cutting edge of animal issues. Course Details4 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute recorded Q&A sessions with Professor Guha-Majumdar

In the West, despite considerable evidence to the contrary, veganism continues to be viewed as the purview of a white, upper-middle class left-leaning subculture. It is often depicted as an elitist endeavor. It is gendered as a female undertaking and, therefore, often dismissed as naively emotionally motivated—or characterized as disordered consumption.In this course, we will examine the role that gender plays in vegan identity and the ways that vegan studies offers a lens through which to read and understand a variety of texts —both fictional and nonfictional—that engage with the oppression of animals and of humans. In all of the texts we will discuss how the female protagonists’ veganism renders them vulnerable to interpretations not of their own making, a striking pattern that we will analyze in detail. Course Details4 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute recorded Q&A sessions with Professor Wright

In the United States, the law has long treated animals as property and objects to be owned, used, and discarded within human-centered systems. While legal protections against animal cruelty exist, they are often fragmented, riddled with exemptions, and inconsistently enforced. The result is a legal framework that permits immense suffering, particularly for animals used in industrial agriculture, research, and entertainment, while extending comparatively greater protections to companion animals or endangered species.  Over the past several decades, the field of animal law has emerged to interrogate this system, asking not only how animals are treated under the law, but why...and what must change. Animal law challenges the assumption that legal systems are neutral, revealing how they reflect and reinforce hierarchies that privilege human interests, corporate power, and economic efficiency over animal life and well-being. In this course, we will examine key legal frameworks in the U.S. governing the treatment of animals and explore how the law functions both as a tool of oppression and a site for advocacy. Each class focuses on a major theme in contemporary animal law: the foundational classification of animals as property; the regulation (and deregulation) of their use in various industries; the legal distinctions between species and contexts; and the growing efforts to transform legal systems through strategic litigation, rights-based arguments, and cross-movement coalition building. Through this lens, students will be invited to think critically about the role of law in shaping societal values and the possibilities for building a more just, multispecies future. Course Details4 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute live Q&A Zoom sessions (previously recorded) with Professor Nirva Patel

Legal systems around the world facilitate the exploitation of animals. The results are devastating not only to the animals involved but to people and planetary ecosystems. How can we transform legal systems to reverse this devastation and instead facilitate animal well-being, flourishing, and rights? In this course, Professor Deckha introduces the ideas animal law scholars have advanced to dramatically re-shape legal systems, including her own proposal, advanced in her book Animals as Legal Beings: Contesting Anthropocentric Legal Systems. The course considers the strengths of each proposal as well as their limits. The course uses an intersectional analytic that draws from the feminist animal care tradition, as well as feminist theories of embodiment and relationality, postcolonial theory, and critical animal studies, to compare and contrast proposals inviting learners to consider how the law can move forward for animals in an impactful and non-reductive way despite its anthropocentric foundations. At the end of the course, learners will have a solid understanding of why the law does not protect animals even though it claims to, how this failure is connected to human rights struggles, what legal momentum is currently building for animals around the world, and various contemporary leading proposals as to how to continue to build momentum and transform the law.

Over the last century there has been an exponential increase in the number of land and marine animals utilized for human food supplies, with growing per capita human consumption of meat and dairy products. This expansion has reshaped the diets of most humans on the planet, and condemned trillions of animals to the horrors of intensive farming and industrial fisheries. To an extent, what happened to animals over the last hundred years mirrors that of other commodities under capitalism such as televisions, cars, fashion, computers and water bottles: they have been overproduced as a means of making profit. Arguably this approach to economies now poses an existential threat to our planetary systems, as the endless drive to produce wealth takes its toll on the ability of the earth to reproduce and sustain life. In this course, Dinesh Wadiwel walks through his 2023 book Animals and Capital. As Wadiwel will discuss, while our treatment of animals is certainly a moral catastrophe, it is also a structural problem, interconnected with our economic system. Each class in this course is designed to work through the key arguments of the book —understanding how to situate the treatment of animals and the emergence of the factory farm system, how a political economic approach to understanding markets is useful for understanding animals as both commodities and labor, and finally, how we might imagine transforming our economy and society to enable multispecies flourishing.

The Jain Vegan Initiative brings this course designed to introduce the connection between Jain Philosophy and Environmentalism. It introduces a unique lens for looking at the environment by understanding how various communities are affected differently, and how measurements of environmental impact that take into global average impacts dilute a sense of urgency. The stress-free transition from being part of the problem to being a part of the solution in a busy and rapidly urbanizing life will be discussed. The course will entail action oriented self-assessment and discussion regarding effective ways of spreading environmental awareness.  Learning Objectives:Looking at the environment and environmental action from the Jain lens.Learning about how using global averages to assess environmental impact dilutes the sense of urgency and the disproportionate impact on different communities.Understanding how ignoring the effects of day to day individual choices may imply participation in propagating injustice.Learning how our individual actions are tied to systemic problems of capitalism and consumerism.Obtaining a practical, stress-free, and planned approach to lifestyle transition in a busy, rapidly urbanizing life, and some ways of creating increased environmental awareness

In this course, we will focus on the “greenwashing” and “humanewashing” by animal agriculture. “Greenwashing” is based on the different ways that animal agriculture pretends it is sustainable when it is not; “humanewashing” refers to the different ways that animal agriculture pretends it treats animals well, when it does not. In reality, animal agriculture is one of the single largest drivers of climate change and one of the most cruel industries imaginable; however, much like the tobacco industry and the fossil fuel industries before it, animal agriculture has responded to this reality not by enacting any substantive changes, but by relying on “tricks” of communication, including public relations, media relations, marketing, and even attempts to influence scholarship on the topic to confuse the public and hide their destructive practices. In this course, we will debunk these rhetorical tricks and expose the reality of the harms animal agriculture is causing to both animals and our planet. This course should be of benefit to any activist, policy maker, or person concerned about climate change, environmental destruction, or animal suffering. Course Details6 hours of recorded lecture contentAdditional readings for self-studyPlus+ 4 x 60-minute recorded Q&A sessions with Professor Stanescu

This course is designed to inculcate an awareness and appreciation for the overarching philosophy of Ahimsa emanating from the perspectives of the four dharma traditions that started in India: Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Next, this course covers ahimsa and peaceful movements around the world that resulted in meaningful, lasting changes. Thereafter, it takes the students into the 200+ history and evolution of gun violence in America and how it has become an epidemic in the 20th century. We have seen time and again that each act of violence is succeeded by prayers, candles, flowers, widespread media coverage, and a resolution to act, though nothing is ever really accomplished by lawmakers. We develop ideas about how Ahimsa and Peaceful Activism can curb this seemingly unstoppable violence, so that mass shootings and gun violence do not become normalized in our society. Learning Objectives:1. To impart essential literacy about Ahimsa to demonstrate how it is much broader and deeper than the term nonviolence.2. To discuss how the philosophy of Ahimsa has been utilized by Mahavir, Mahatma, and MLK to bring societal transformations.3. To comprehend the enormity of challenges facing primarily America due to the epidemic of gun violence.4. To understand how the Second Amendment has been exploited by the NRA, politicians, and gun lobbies in America, with utter disregard for human lives.5. To discuss how diverse tenets of Ahimsa can be utilized to save human lives through activism in the short (1-2 years), intermediate (3-5 years), and long (6-10 years) terms.6. To learn how you can contribute to curbing gun violence by supporting groups likeEverytown for Gun Safety, Mothers Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Brady’sCampaign, and Ahimsa-End Gun Violence.

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.

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.

Forgiveness or ‘Kṣamāpanā’ is arguably the most important virtue and practice, known to be synonymous to and vital for the practice of non-violence, compassion, and peace for individuals and the global community. As one of the most ancient religious traditions, Jainism is not only rich with the philosophical sources on the concept of forgiveness, but the Jain tradition also offers lived ways to practice forgiveness in our daily life. Learn the Jain way of forgiveness in conversation with non-violence, compassion, and peace.All suggested course readings are provided as links and pdfs throughout the course. Professor available by appointment in office hours.Learning Objectives:Understand the foundational philosophy of forgiveness in the Jain tradition.Learn how the Jain tradition provides rich philosophical resources and practices that encourage us “to forgive” and “seek forgiveness.”Incorporate Jain virtues and practices into your own life and significantly contribute to creating a compassionate, non-violent, and peaceful world.

This course explores compassion formation processes that are grounded in Western monotheistic spiritual traditions. These formation processes promote a spiritual path of radical compassion rooted in contemplative encounters with an all-inclusive sacred Source and embodied in compassionate action that extends toward all—one's self, one's neighbor, even one's enemies. This course does not so much study compassion; it explores how to cultivate a compassionate presence in the world through these spiritual traditions. All suggested course readings are provided as links or pdfs throughout the course.Learning Objectives:After taking this course, students will be able to:Understand how to cultivate a connection to a compassionate sacred Source asdescribed in monotheistic spiritual traditions.Understand how to cultivate compassion toward one’s self grounded in western spiritual sensibilities.Understand how to cultivate compassion toward others through western spiritual practices.

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: 1) Personal Security, 2) Health Security, 3) Food Security, 4) Environmental Security, 5) Economic Security, 6) Political Security, 7) 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. 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.

The Tattvartbhasya by Haribhadra describes Compassion as a feeling of mercy for those who are miserable. Compassion also known as karuna or anukampa is the most important principle not only to understand but more importantly to practice in everyday life. Learn how all religions preach compassion, and how the Jain tradition takes its own – a unique approach. Compassion remains a central point in understanding three main principles of Jain tradition ahimsa (non-violence), anekantvad (multiplicity of views), and aparigrah (non-possessiveness). Understand the Jain way of practicing compassion and how other religions address the practice of compassion. Also learn the different ways one can be compassionate, as well as the challenges you will face in serving selflessly along with possible ways to overcome them.All suggested course readings are provided as links and pdfs throughout the course. Learning Objectives:Understand compassion/karuna/anukampa following Jain philosophy.Learn compassion teachings by Christian, Islam, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish & Buddhist traditions.Find ways to practice compassion locally in your area.Discover how to help people around the world.Find out how to be a compassionate giving human being.

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 ObjectivesUnderstand 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 a compassionate food system and its potential to provide nourishing food for all while operating within the limits of planetary boundaries.Analyze Implementation Strategies: Assess the political and economic transformations required to implement compassionate food systems effectively.Facilitate Transformation: Identify grassroots initiatives and strategies to overcome resistance and facilitate the transition to a compassionate food system.