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Arihanta Academy

About

Arihanta Academy’s mission is to build a world-class online institution for deeper learning of the Jain tradition, its principles, and how these principles apply to daily life for the benefit and well-being of individuals and society in light of today’s most pressing concerns.

We currently offer courses taught by world-renowned scholars and other community leaders with experience in teaching applications of Jain philosophy, all of whom cultivate scholastic richness for any level of studying and research in Jain philosophy, history, and anthropology and related dharmic, yogic, and linguistic subjects. We also offer courses that bring allied fields of inquiry into dialogue with the Jain tradition including animal studies, environmental studies, social justice, psychology, professional ethics, and more. In total, our curriculum is comprised of six areas of learning: Animal Advocacy and Biodiversity, Climate Change and Environment, Jain Philosophy, History and Anthropology, Social Justice, Yoga, Self-care and Spirituality, and Professional Ethics.

In the near future, we plan to offer college-level degree-earning courses as we seek to become an accredited university. While we pursue university accreditation with the appropriate rigor of courses for higher education, Arihanta Academy will continue to provide a channel for certificate earning introductory courses for students of all ages who are seeking to deepen their learning outside of degree programs.

From the introductory level to advanced research, and from theoretical studies to practical applications in daily life, Arihanta Academy provides outstanding Jain education. Our advanced technology platform and logistical resources enable a rich learning experience that is flexible for modern living and learning styles. Yet, the cornerstone of our offerings will always be the rigorous teaching of the Jain tradition by distinguished and experienced scholars who have excelled in Jain studies and allied fields of inquiry.

The founding of Arihanta Academy is an inspiring story. The thought of creating a world-class educational institute for Jain studies in America had been in the works for over twenty years before its start in 2021. Parveen Jain, PhD, the founder and a technology entrepreneur and leader; Christopher Jain Miller, PhD, a professor of Jain and Yoga studies; and Dhanesh Kothari, also a technology entrepreneur, met in April 2021 in what felt like a karmically and divinely orchestrated plan to create an online teaching institution to advance Jain studies and practice throughout the world.

Prior to that, Parveen, under the guidance of his guru, Acharya Sushil Kumar, had already started developing the concept of advanced Jain education in 1992/93 to build a Jain university. The project was put on hold when Acharya Sushil Kumar left his body in 1994.

In April 2021, Parveen connected with Christopher and Dhanesh, who had together been independently developing plans in Switzerland for an online higher education platform for Jain studies. Together, they founded Arihanta Academy, and a few months later Pramod Patel, a businessman and ardent student and teacher of Srimad Rajchandra’s teachings, joined the founding team.

The passion of Parveen and co-founders Christopher, Dhanesh, and Pramod for democratizing Jain studies and for strengthening the practical application of Jain philosophy to daily life through online learning has manifested in the platform you see before you.