Modern Jainism: An Exploration in Self-Improvement
DeCal: Spring 2019

Course Objectives:
This course aims to expose students to the philosophy and practices of a Jain way of life, with an emphasis on both cultural and religious aspects. The class sections will cover basic concepts in Jainism expanding from Ahimsa (non-violence) to Anekantavada (cultural relativism). All students to experience Jain ideologies that can be incorporated within their own lives, from seeking forgiveness from one’s peers to addressing personal ethical dilemmas. Through weekly readings, class discussion, multimedia presentations, and guest speakers, this course aims to expose students to the common ideals of Jainism along with opportunities to strengthen one’s religious or spiritual identity.

Breakdown of the Class
We welcome everyone to be a part of this class, no matter their prior knowledge or personal beliefs. This will be a 2-hour class every week. The format will include a brief introduction of the day’s topic as well as a guided discussion based on material covered in class or readings. The focus of this class will be on looking at Jainism through a modern lens. Students will also get the opportunity to do group presentations and present them to the class at the end of the semester. This will be a participation and attendance based class, and active class discussion will be encouraged by all students.

Grading:
The course will be graded on a P/NP basis and those who pass will receive 2 credit units. The grade will be broken down as follows:
Attendance / Participation - 40%
Weekly Assignments - 25%
Final Presentation - 35%
Students must receive at least 70% in the course to Pass.

Course Policies
Attendance and Timeliness - We will be taking attendance at the beginning of every class. If a student has more than 2 unexcused absences will result in an NP in the course. Classes will begin at Berkeley time. Arriving late 3 times will count as an absence.
Freedom to Learn - As this is a discussion-based class, we welcome all perspectives and viewpoints in our class. Students are free to express their opinions and insights relevant to the topic of discussion. Students are reminded to be respectful to other students in the class and express their arguments in a way that doesn’t offend others.
Use of technology - We strongly believe in an electronics-free environment, so no electronics will be needed, unless the student has an accommodation. Our aim with this policy is to encourage active participation and contribution to the small group and class discussions.
Academic Dishonesty Policy - Any students caught for plagiarism, copying work from other students, or otherwise cheating will face the wrath of the instructors, the more fearsome wrath of the Academic Integrity Office, and be removed from the class. No cheating in any way.
Accommodations - If you need special accommodations for the class, please let us know as soon as possible so we can make the class an optimal learning environment for everyone.

Homework/Assignments
Students should complete the required (short) readings assigned before each class. In addition each week’s reading, students will be advised to live by a certain Jain principle for the week and write a short reflection on their experience. The written assignments will be collected at the start of each week’s lesson and graded on basis of completion. Students who have more than 3 incomplete assignments will receive a “no-pass” for the class. There will also be short readings every week and we will provide scanned PDFs for those readings.

Students will complete a final presentation with a small group as the final project for this class. The topics and groups will be assigned around halfway through the semester.

Recommended Readings
We will be using the following resources to teach this class:
Jain Philosophy and Practice II (Jaina Education Committee, Link to PDF)
Walk with Me The story of Mahavir: A remarkable revolutionary (Film) (Acharya Chandanaji and Vastupal Parikh)
Never Before (Film) - Biography on Acharya Chandanaji
Kalpa Sutra and Nava Tatva- By The Rev. J. Stevenson
Perspectives in Jainism- By Jagsish Prasad Jain
Social Consciousness in Jainism (SCiJ) - By Shugan C. Jain and Prakash C. Jain
Non-violence, Compassion, and Instrumentality- A Jaina Perspective
Perspectives in Jaina Philosophy and Culture By Ahimsa International
The Jains by Paul Dundas
Pratikraman in English with Meaning, By Harendra Shah (Link to PDF)

We also encourage you to check out the following youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SRMissionDharampur

Additionally, as needed, we will be posting links to multimedia or auxiliary readings.