PREFACE

We are living in the age of science and technology. The growth of the scientific knowledge and technology have given new dimensions to our life and influenced each and every field of our living. Science has done a great service to mankind by providing amenities of pleasant living and saved him from many miseries and uncertainties of the primitive past. It has also destroyed many superstitions and religious dogmas.

However at the same time it has also uprooted the moral, religious, and cultural values of our society. Our traditional religious values and beliefs have been thrown away by this growth of scientific knowledge and out-look. We know much about the atom but not about the values needed for a meaningful and peaceful life. Our life is full of excitements, emotional disorders, and value conflicts. It seems that we live in the state of chaos. Thus our age is also the age of anxiety and mental tensions.

Today what we need is mental peace, a complete integration of our personality, and the integration of our social environment. Jainism can meet this need of our times if we understand its real meaning and essence.

The Jain philosophy fully advocates the limitless power and energy of human soul and its independency. It bestows full responsibility upon the man and man himself to attain the highest goal of his life - the infinite bliss, without the help of any God or Supreme Being. Jainism is a religion of self that prescribes the code of conduct applicable to all human beings irrespective of creed, caste and color.

Non-violence, non-attachment, non-absolutistic standpoint are its fundamental principles. If mankind observes these three principles, peace and harmony can certainly be established in the world. Non-violence (ahimsa) is the backbone of the Jain Religion and Philosophy. It is all and all of Jainism. Complete thinking and conduct of Jains are spread on the vast canvas of non-violence. So the Jains have presented deep and vivid study of non-violence.

In order to make Jain principles known to the world at large in this age of science and technology, the Jain literature should be widely made available in English. In the countries like USA, Canada, UK, and Africa where many Jains are settled permanently, their children do not have access to Jain literature in English. We also need to publish it in varieties of mediums (Books, Videos, Cassettes, CD, and DVD) for the English knowing people having interest in the Jain religion and scriptures.

We feel immense pleasure in bringing this CD, which covers verities of information in English on the eve of 2600 birth celebration Lord Mahavir. The CD contains about 2000 text and graphic files, which covers the verities of information on Jainism. It will take more than 10,000 pages if you print all the materials.

A lot of minds, and a lot of blessings, directly and indirectly, have touched this noble project. We sincerely appreciate and thank every person who made this project successful. The majority of the material of this CD has been collected from various Jain pathshala teachers and scholars of North America, from the past publications of similar CDs by the JAINA education committee under the leadership of Dr. Gada, from internet and e-mails of public domain,