Dharam Shiksha - Class 30

Jai Jinendra ji!

Welcome to yet another inspiring session of Dharam Shiksha class where our team humbly strives to impart valuable knowledge from our scriptures to the kids in a fun and entertaining way.

So we began this class with a revision of the Paaths. It warmed our hearts to see that most of the children could recite them without any hesitation. 👏👏 

Then we took up the day's topic - VINAY.

VINAY - What does it mean?

In simple words, Vinay means humility and respect from the heart.

It means:

• Not thinking “I am the best.”

• Not showing off.

• Being ready to learn.

• Respecting teachers, elders, sadhus and sadhvis, our religious texts and truth.

Vinay is not just saying “please” and “sorry.” It is how you feel inside.

For instance, if a glass is already full of water, you cannot pour anything more into it. Similarly if your mind is full of pride and you think —“I know everything!”— then no new knowledge can enter.

But when you are humble and think you still have a lot to learn, your mind becomes open.

THAT is Vinay!

Types of Vinay:

Now let's talk about the 5 different types of Vinay:

1. The first type of Vinay is showing respect just for social manners or customs. A person behaves politely because society expects it, not necessarily from the heart.

2. The second type of Vinay is respect shown to gain some benefit, like money, gifts or favors. The humility is there, but the intention is to get something in return.

3. The third is respect shown out of fear. A person behaves humbly because they are afraid of punishment or consequences.

4. The fourth type of Vinay is respect shown due to attachment or personal desire. Someone acts humble because they want affection or approval.

5. Fifth is the purest form of Vinay. In this type of Vinay, a person shows genuine respect without any selfish motives.

EXPERIMENT TIME

Okay, how do you explain something as deep as "Vinay" to kids without giving them a long lecture?

Simple. You bring out a glass jar!

So we filled a clear glass jar with water and placed it in front of the children. Instantly, their curiosity switched on.

Next, we took a small stone and dropped it into the jar. Within seconds, the stone sank straight to the bottom of the jar.

No hesitation. No floating. Just straight down.

And that’s when we explained - A soul without Vinay is like this stone. It is so heavy that it gets pulled down quickly. The fall is fast and certain.

Next, we picked up a few soft cotton pads and dropped them gently into the same jar.

This time, something different happened.

The cotton didn’t sink immediately. It floated on the surface for a while. But slowly, the cotton began to absorb water. It grew heavier. And finally, it sank to the bottom.

That’s when the real lesson unfolded.

When a soul has Vinay, it is light. It rises. It floats.

But when arrogance slowly seeps in — like water soaking into cotton — the soul becomes heavy and the downfall begins!

Then we asked the children, “If we shouldn’t be like the stone… and we shouldn’t let ourselves become like soaked cotton… then what should we be like?”

The answer: A LOTUS! 🪷

A lotus grows in muddy water. Its roots are deep in the dirt. Yet it blooms beautifully above the surface, untouched by the mud around it.

Likewise, there will be praise and criticism, success and failure, comfort and discomfort in our lives. But no matter what surrounds us, we must stay light — full of Vinay.

What Makes the Soul Heavy?

In Jain philosophy, the soul becomes heavy because of the four kashayas:

• Krodh (anger)

• Maan (pride)

• Maya (deceit)

• Lobh (greed)

These are like invisible weights tied to the soul. The more we hold onto them, the heavier we become.

But when we slowly let go of them, our soul becomes light and ultimately, it rises all the way toward Moksha.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: An Exciting Play on Vinay

To make this session even more interactive and fun, our team performed a little skit to showcase the importance of Vinay in our lives.

So in the play, we had Charu Ma'am playing the role of a teenage girl studying in a hostel and Shilpa Ma'am played the role of a Sadhvi Ji.

SCENE 1:

The teenage girl's phone buzzes. It is her mom's call.

Mom: Beta, I've heard Sadhvi ji has come to a sthanak near you. You should totally go and visit.

Girl: But mom, why me? What will I do there? And why do you always keep asking me to go to sthanak? You know I get so bored there!

Mom: Please sweetheart. Go and visit this time. I promise I'll never ask you to go again.

Girl: Ugh! Fine! But I have to attend a party later on, so I'm gonna go to the sthanak in the same dress I'm planning to wear for the party.

SCENE 2:

The teenage girl enters the sthanak. Since she's hardly ever been there, she's confused as to how to greet the Sadhvi Ji.

Girl: Ummm... Namaste. Hello Maharaj ji...

Sadhvi Ji: Hmmm... Daya paalo!

Girl (confused): What is daya paalo? Maybe she wants me to sit down...

The girl sits down in front of Sadhvi ji.

Sadhvi Ji: So what do you know about Dharam?

Girl: I know that Bhagwan Mahavir Swami is our God. And... I've also learned Navkar Mantra.

Sadhvi Ji: That's good. Do you also do mala?

Girl: Ummm... no.

Sadhvi Ji: Okay. What else do you know?

Girl: Well, I know a lot of songs. In fact, I can sing one right now. RAMBHA HO HO HO... RAMBHA HO HO HO...

Sadhvi Ji: Please stop. Singing these kinds of songs inside a sthanak is inappropriate.

Girl: Oh really?

Sadhvi Ji: Yes. Beta, it is okay that you know these songs, but at the same time, it is very important to learn more about our Dharam too.

Now the girl starts feeling uninterested. She thinks to herself - "Here comes a lecture I don't even need!"

Sadhvi Ji: Beta, do you follow any niyam?

Girl: Ummm... no!

Sadhvi Ji: Well then, let me give you one. From today onwards, you will speak to your elders with "Vinay" and treat the younger people with love.

Girl: Oh, is that all? That's something that comes naturally to me!

The girl gets up to leave. Sadhvi Ji notices her ripped jeans and comments:

Sadhvi Ji: Beta, these clothes are not appropriate for sthanak. Please come properly dressed the next time.

Now the girl gets VERY irritated. She calls her mom the moment she leaves the sthanak.

SCENE 3:

Girl: Mom, why the heck did you ask me to come here? Sadhvi Ji kept finding faults in me. First, when I said "Namaste" she told me I should say "Mathen Vandami" instead. Then she gave me a niyam I didn't even want! And guess what, she didn't like my clothes too!

Mom: Beta, watch your tone. This is no way to talk about Sadhvi Ji! You should learn some respect.

Girl: Really mom? You know what, I don't wanna talk to you either!

The girl slams down her phone angrily. Then she remembers she had to attend a party. So she calls her friend, but due to her sour mood, she gets into a fight with her friend too.

SCENE 4:

Now the girl is sitting all alone in her hostel room. She keeps checking her phone, but no one calls her. She's almost falling asleep but suddenly, she recalls Sadhvi Ji's niyam - "From today onwards, you will speak to your elders with "Vinay" and treat the younger people with love..."

Girl: OH NO!! I think everything is going wrong because I forgot to follow Sadhvi Ji's niyam! I have to go back and tell her to take the niyam back.

So the girl goes back to sthanak - but this time, she dresses in proper attire.

SCENE 5:

Girl: Sadhvi Ji, please take your niyam back.

Sadhvi Ji: But why?

Girl: Because since the time I took this niyam, everything in my life has gone haywire. I fought with my mom and friends and now no one is talking to me.

Sadhvi Ji: Beta, don't worry. Sometimes, we need to face such difficult situations in order to understand the bigger truth.

Girl: Sorry, I didn't get you.

Sadhvi Ji: Let me explain in detail. Last time when you came here, I could sense the lack of vinay in you. That's why I gave you that niyam. Now in Uttradhyayan Sutra, the very first chapter is Vinay Shrut - which tells us the importance of Vinay. In this chapter, Bhagwan Mahavir Swami compares a person without vinay to three beings -

1. A bitch with rotten ears who everyone hates. No one wants to even come close to it.

2. A pig who keeps rolling in mud and dirt all its life.

3. A stubborn horse who doesn't do anything until it gets a good beating.

Girl: Oh my God! I don't want to be any of these three! I'm so sorry Sadhvi Ji. I promise I'll try to remember this in future. I'll apologize to my mom and friends too. I'll make sure to follow the niyam you gave me diligently.

Sadhvi Ji smiles and gives her ashirwaad and the play ends!

FUN TIME

To make sure the kids grasped the meaning of Vinay in the way we intended, we presented them with 25 different situations. They had to tell us if they thought the situation highlighted "Vinay" or showed the absence of it by saying "Right" or "Wrong."

Needless to say, our little rockstars totally nailed it and answered correctly every single time. 👏👏