Books on Moral Education Released in Dharmasthala to Foster Values of School Students

With an aim to enhance value-based education in schools, two books—Jnanapatha and Jnanaratha—were released on Tuesday under the Yoga and Moral Education Project. The launch function, organised by the Shanthivana Trust at Dharmasthala, saw some influential cultural and educational personalities participating in it, reflecting the need for moral orientation in the current schooling environment.

Award-winning Kannada film director V. Nagendra Prasad, who brought out the books, told that today's youth are desperately in need of ethical orientation and that these educational resources can be "guiding lights for a worthwhile life." While recollecting about his long-standing connection with Dharmasthala while filming Sri Manjunatha, Prasad spoke about how the movie was not merely a movie project but a pilgrimage that prompted him to study Jain philosophy and Kannada literature. In spite of the losses he suffered financially, he spoke of the work as a labor of devotion and education.

Emphasizing the role played by families in instilling values, seasoned actor H.D. Dattatreya (Dattanna) said, "It is not how long we live, but what meaning we give to it that is important. Nice books and virtuous company show us the way to do it," he averred, pleading for tighter literary and moral influences during childhood.

Chairing the event, Dharmadhikari Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade once again stressed the bigger aim of the project: inculcating moral clarity and discipline among students through yoga and value education. "Our children are future citizens. Instructing them to rein in their senses and shun evil habits through such efforts will make them an asset to society," he added.

The establishment of Jnanapatha and Jnanaratha marks the revival efforts to incorporate holistic education into school curricula, where the formation of character takes equal prominence with academic achievement.