The Presidential Address

Summary

Champat Rai Jain’s Presidential Address to the Jaina Anglo‑Sanskrit High‑School prize‑distribution ceremony combines educational philosophy with spiritual guidance. He thanks the organisers for the honour, congratulates prize‑winners and urges those who did not succeed to persevere with renewed effort. He praises the staff for their dedication and warns against dejection after failure. Turning to education, he criticises rote learning and emphasises that education should develop the capacity to apply knowledge. The school’s method of encouraging students’ native wit and teaching logic in the ninth and tenth classes illustrates this philosophy. Jain demonstrates how basic logical inference (Vyapti) can be taught through simple questions about days of the week, arguing that logic can be mastered quickly through understanding its underlying principles. The second part of the address describes the four ashramas (stages) of life. The Brahmacharya stage is for acquiring knowledge under celibacy. It is followed by Grihastha, where one marries, enjoys wealth responsibly and begins practising detachment. Vanaprastha involves gradual withdrawal from worldly affairs and preparation for asceticism. Finally, Sannyasa is a life of renunciation where the ascetic aspires solely for Moksha. Jain stresses that harmony and perfection require following these stages in order; skipping stages leads to disharmony. He concludes by urging students to uphold Jaina traditions and ideals, promising that living by these principles will bring success and spiritual liberation.