Worldwide thirty dedicated Jain Philosophy Chairs fostering Peace, Non Violence

These chairs are  established  not only in various US cities, as well as in England, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and other Western countries.These chairs are  named after the 24 Tirthankars (Gods) of Jains,  from first Tirthankar Bhagwan Adinath to last Tirthankar Bhagwan Mahavir.Three  among them are also dedicated to saint philosopher Acharya Mahapragyaji, Kanji Swamiji, and Shrimad Rajchandra Jain ji.Many  more  Jain Chairs will be soon established in other part of the globe.

Several  Indian universities, including the more than 200-year-old Deccan College of Deemed University, and many private universities in India  have also  established Jain Chairs in their universities.  Deccan College Deemed University has initiated a unique six-month course in 'Jain Archaeology,' . This is the first of its kind in India, aiming to provide a practical orientation for students visiting Jain heritage sites across the country.

According to the guidelines of the National Education Policy (NEP), this course seeks to promote research in the field of Jain Archaeology.  Deccan College  has started 'Bhagwan Shantinatha Chair' for Jain Archaeology. Banaras Hindu University and many private universities in India are also actively engaged in teaching Jain Philosophy through its Jain Chairs.

Dr. Sulekh Jain, a renowned Jain community leader based in the US,who is working hard to promote Jain Philosophy especially in western countries for the last many decades emphasizes " Jain philosophy, Dharma, architecture, and its history are among the least known or understood religions, especially abroad. He points out that even in academia, Jainism is often relegated to a footnote. As an Indian where Jainism originated, it is our duty to help spread the message of Tirthankars where our Sadhus and Sadhvis may not reach" He added.

Renowned Jain philanthropist and physician Dr. Jaswant Modi highlights that these chairs are established under the umbrella of the Jain Academic Education Committee (an integral part of JCSC) to promote Jain Philosophy in academia. Dr Modi is spearheading a significant global initiative to bring the ancient teachings of Jainism into the realm of higher education.Many Indian-origin Jain philanthropists are funding these chairs under the umbrella of JAEC. He stresses that Jain  Philosophy principles are pillars of modern democracy,  its teachings are more relevant in today' s world  where violence, hatred are so dominant. We should always remember  peaceful co-existence  should be the basic principle of  a society based on  equality. As Bhagwan Mahaveer advocated for making the society in such a way where a goat  can drink water from one pool  along with a lion without any fear. Nowadays  when we are so much worried about pollution, global warming,Jain way of life is the most environmentally friendly, as preached by Tirthankars for millennia.

Mr. Jain suggests that investing in academic institutions with an emphasis on Jain  Philosophy will help Jainism be recognized as a compassionate religion alongside other world religions. Motto is  to bring the entire Jain community of the world under one platform to learn & grow the Jain way of life. 

This journey began with the establishment of the first chair,  Shri Bhagwan Aadinath  Jain Study at FIU, Miami, Florida, in 2010. Since then, the progress has been unstoppable, with Jain Chairs now present at more than 30 universities worldwide. These programs contribute to imparting Shruta Jnana (knowledge obtained through signs, symbols, words, hearing from the wise, and reading scriptures). Additionally, short-term summer and winter courses are also part of this programme.Besides these programmes teaching and  research work in the Prakrit language  are also being conducted as mostly Jain holy scriptures are written in ancient Prakrit language.

Mr. Modi asserts that the journey has just begun, and there are plans to establish many more Jain Chairs in different parts of the world.Jains living in this part of the world besides contributing a lot for their" Karma Bhoomi" are also actively giving their services  to their" Matra Bhoomi". Establishing Jain Chairs  is part of such an initiative .Organistions like JAINA also working in these direction. JAINA has over 71 member organizations supporting over 150,000 Jains in North America. Indian-origin young Jain enthusiasts,  as an arm of  JAINA are  also actively participating in promoting the reach of Jain philosophy.VNI