Panch Ratna

This document appears to be a Jain publication titled "Panch Ratna" (Five Jewels) by the Jain Education Board. Here's a comprehensive summary based on the provided pages:

Overall Purpose:

The publication aims to disseminate Jain knowledge and teachings, particularly to children and youth, in an engaging and accessible format. It emphasizes the importance of ethical conduct, spiritual practice, and service to humanity, all inspired by Jain principles and guided by spiritual leaders.

Key Sections and Themes:

• Page 2: "Arham Yuva Group" - Youthful Service and Spiritual Practice:

  • This page introduces the "Arham Yuva Group," an initiative inspired by "Pujya Gurudev Shri Namramuniji M.S.A."
  • The group comprises enthusiastic young men and women dedicated to philanthropic work and spiritual growth.
  • Their activities are structured around monthly Sundays:
    • First Sunday: Recitation and meditation on Lord Parshvanath for inner peace and tranquility.
    • Second Sunday: Collecting old newspapers from homes, cultivating humility and tolerance through the process.
    • Third Sunday: Using the proceeds from selling collected materials to help the poor, tribal communities, the sick, disabled, blind, and elderly, offering not just material aid but also love, comfort, assurance, and respect. They also engage in rescuing animals, treating injured birds and animals.
    • Fourth Sunday: Meeting with their Gurudev for spiritual guidance, purification of their aura, thoughts, and ideas, leading to success and enlightenment.
  • The core message is that experiencing and practicing these principles transforms youth more effectively than mere words.

• Page 3: The "Look n Learn" Approach to Jain Education:

  • This page highlights the importance of knowledge and explains that children learn best through attractive and colorful illustrations.
  • It acknowledges the limited time children have for reading due to their busy schedules and the modern "fast era."
  • The publication aims to present the vast knowledge within Jain scriptures, like the Agamas, using the popular and engaging medium of comic books.
  • This approach is expected to bring about positive changes in both children and adults by imparting knowledge about Jain philosophy and way of life.
  • The goal is to share even small droplets of the "vast ocean of knowledge" of the soul.
  • The publication will feature educational stories about forgiveness, bravery, courage, friendship, detachment, intelligence, and cleverness through emotional and colorful illustrations.

• Page 4: Introduction to the Stories and Themes:

  • This page provides an introduction to the stories within the "Panch Ratna" book.
  • Story 1 (Implied): Trust and Betrayal: It discusses the Jain principle of Satyavrata (truthfulness) and how breaking trust, especially regarding deposits or trusts (न्यास - nyas), is a great sin and a cause of enmity.
  • "Panch Ratna" Story: This story centers on a wealthy merchant (Seth) who, despite his reputation for honesty, appropriates the trust of a poor Brahmin. The Brahmin, suffering from this betrayal, is reborn as a serpent and seeks revenge by taking the lives of the Seth's sons. This story illustrates the consequences of dishonesty and betrayal.
  • "Darshan of the Soul" and "The Fruit of Stubbornness": These two stories are derived from the Jain Agama, Rayapaseniya Sutra. They were told by Keshikumar Shraman to King Pradeshi of Shvetambika, an atheist. The stories aim to help understand the soul and embrace truth with an open mind, warning against the regrets of holding onto false beliefs stubbornly.
  • The overall message of these stories is inspirational and encourages the search for truth.

• Pages 5-22: The Story of "Panch Ratna" (The Five Jewels):

  • This detailed narrative unfolds the story of Seth Balbhadra, a wealthy merchant renowned for his honesty.
  • Narayana, the son of a poor Brahmin priest, is depicted as uneducated and indulgent due to his parents' doting. After his parents' death, he finds a box of five precious jewels.
  • He decides to deposit these jewels with Seth Balbhadra for safekeeping before embarking on a journey.
  • Upon seeing the jewels, Seth Balbhadra's greed is awakened, and he breaks his vow of not misappropriating trust. He sells two of the jewels, amassing wealth and building a grand house.
  • When Narayana returns, he is denied his jewels and is even driven out as a madman. This injustice drives Narayana to despair and eventually to suicide.
  • Subsequently, Seth Balbhadra's sons begin to die mysteriously, often associated with snakebites, on their wedding nights as they ascend the stairs of their homes. The narrative suggests this is a consequence of the Seth's betrayal and the Brahmin's (reborn as a serpent) revenge.
  • The fourth son's wedding is also marred by a similar incident, and the Seth refuses to marry his remaining son, Harikant.
  • However, a proposal arrives for Harikant from a girl named Shubhamati, whose family asserts she will protect the home.
  • Shubhamati, possessing foresight and knowledge from a wise person, understands the curse. She asks her father-in-law to bring the remaining three jewels.
  • She confronts the serpent (the Brahmin in his serpentine form) on the wedding night, returns the remaining jewels, and pleads for her husband's life, appealing to her chastity.
  • The serpent drinks milk, accepts the three jewels, and spares Harikant.
  • Shubhamati reveals that the betrayal of the Brahmin's trust led to his rebirth as a serpent seeking revenge. The Seth repents his actions and realizes the severe consequences of betrayal.
  • Moral of the Story: The story reinforces the second vow of a householder (Sravaka), which prohibits misappropriating trusts. It highlights that betrayal creates deep enmity that can span lifetimes, leading to retribution.

• Pages 23-30: "The Fruit of Stubbornness" (Dugraha ka Phal):

  • This story is also from the Rayapaseniya Sutra and recounts a conversation between King Pradeshi and Keshikumar Shraman about the soul.
  • The story is presented as an analogy to explain the folly of stubbornness.
  • It describes a group of merchants who, after an earthquake, leave their destroyed city to find a new livelihood.
  • They find iron ore, then lead, then copper, then silver, and finally gold and diamonds. With each discovery, the "wise" merchants discard their previous findings to embrace the new, more valuable material.
  • However, one merchant, who found iron initially, remains steadfast, refusing to discard his iron for the more valuable materials, despite his companions' pleas. He believes in being resolute in his choices.
  • When they reach a major city, the merchants who found precious metals and gems become wealthy. The iron merchant, unable to sell his iron for much, exchanges it for a small bag of roasted chickpeas and lives a meager existence.
  • He encounters one of his former companions, now a wealthy man who recognizes him despite his ragged appearance. The wealthy merchant explains the concept of seizing opportunities and the regret of stubbornness.
  • Moral of the Story: This story illustrates that those who cling to their ignorance and refuse to accept truth even when presented with it, due to ego and stubbornness, will ultimately regret their choices. It emphasizes the importance of adaptability and embracing truth when it is revealed.

• Pages 31-35: "Darshan of the Soul" (Atma ka Darshan):

  • This story, also from the Rayapaseniya Sutra, is a response to King Pradeshi's disbelief in the soul after dissecting a body.
  • Keshikumar Shraman uses the analogy of four woodcutters to explain.
  • Four woodcutters are sent to cut wood. One is tasked with cooking. He gets distracted and falls asleep.
  • When he wakes up, the fire has gone out. He attempts to make fire from a piece of wood (Arani) by breaking it into smaller pieces, but without understanding the principle of friction.
  • His companions return hungry, and he blames them for not providing him with fire.
  • The elder woodcutter then takes the Arani wood, rubs two pieces together, and demonstrates how friction produces sparks and ignites fire.
  • The woodcutter realizes his mistake: fire is within the wood, but it requires friction to be revealed.
  • Moral of the Story: Just as the soul resides within the body but cannot be seen by dissecting it, it can only be realized through spiritual practices like penance and meditation (tapas, dhyana-yoga), which create the necessary "friction" to manifest the soul's inner light.

• Page 36: "Kama-Bhoga is like a Drop of Honey" (Madhu Bindu ke Saman Hai Kama-Bhoga):

  • This page discusses the transient nature of sensory pleasures (kama-bhoga).
  • It uses the analogy of a drop of honey to represent these pleasures. While sweet at the moment of consumption, attachment to them leads to suffering and pain in the long run.
  • The story depicts a young man stuck in a dangerous forest, facing a wild elephant, rats gnawing at the tree he's on, venomous snakes in the well below, and a beehive above.
  • He finds solace in a drop of honey falling from the hive. Despite a Vidyadhar (a celestial being with flying vehicles) offering him rescue, the young man is too engrossed in enjoying the honey drop to accept the help.
  • Moral of the Analogy: The tree represents life, the elephant represents time and death, the black and white rats represent night and day (eroding life), the well with snakes represents hellish realms, and the honey drop represents fleeting worldly pleasures. The Vidyadhar represents the Guru, offering spiritual salvation through the "vehicle of Dharma." However, the deluded soul, attached to worldly pleasures, fails to accept the Guru's guidance and remains trapped.

• Page 37: "Parasdham" - A Spiritual Center:

  • This page describes "Parasdham" in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, as a modern center for Jain knowledge, meditation, and practice, inspired by Gurudev Shri Namramuniji M.S.A.
  • It's presented as a place with spiritual vibrations that offer peace and bliss.
  • Key features include:
    • The powerful Uphasargahara Stotra of Lord Parshvanath.
    • Classes for children ("Look n Learn").
    • A Pyramid meditation center.
    • A large, peaceful discourse hall.
    • A spiritual shop selling books and CDs.
    • An art gallery with colorful depictions from Jain scriptures.
  • The center emphasizes discipline, silence, and introspection (10 minutes of meditation before meeting the Guru) as core principles for visitors.

• Page 38: "Look n Learn" Children's Magazine:

  • This page promotes the "Look n Learn" children's magazine, published bi-weekly.
  • It's designed to educate children from English-medium backgrounds, who are often drawn to cartoons and computers, about Jainism in their preferred style.
  • The magazine is published in English, Gujarati, and Hindi.
  • It features stories about Lord Mahavir, his life, Agama-based stories, coloring competitions, quizzes, Jain philosophy, rules, and simple explanations of principles by Gurudev.
  • There are opportunities to win prizes. The magazine is highly popular among children.
  • Contact information is provided for subscriptions.

In essence, "Panch Ratna" is a multifaceted publication that uses engaging storytelling, modern educational approaches, and a strong spiritual foundation to instill Jain values in young minds and encourage a life of righteousness, compassion, and spiritual pursuit.