Prakrit Bharati Academy
13-A, Gurunanak Path, Main Malviya Nagar, Jaipur-302017
Phone No. 0141-2524827, Cellphone 094140-71430
e-mail:
It is our pleasure to let you know that Prakrit Bharati Academy, Jaipur is working on the project for bringing out an
Encyclopaedia of APARIGRAHA
under the patronage of ‘Padmashri’ Shri D.R. Mehta. I am associated with the project as an editor of this Encyclopaedia. This task is possible only with the active cooperation of the scholars like you.
Aparigraha, a concept known from Jainism as well as from the Yogasutra of Patanjali and other traditions, is the sanskrit word for non-possession or non-possessiveness; or non-hoarding or non-covetousness or non-grasping or non-attachment or non-greed or trusteeship or limiting one's personal desires and belongings or limit possessions to what is necessary or important. It is the antonym of the word parigraha, ‘compulsive hoarding’, which means reaching out for something and claiming it for oneself; Aparigraha means taking what is truly necessary and no more. In Jainism Aparigraha is in the first place understood as an economic concept: one should not collect more material items or money than one needs. One has to set certain limits and accept the vow of Upabhoga-Paribhoga-Parimana-Vrata. Mahatma Gandhi is famous for phrasing it as ‘there is enough for everyone's need, but not for one's greed’. Aparigraha as a system of economy would rather be best on a rational understanding of nature and the place human beings individually and collectively within a continued sustainable co-existence of all beings and our oikos, i.e. our planet. In Yoga the emphasis is not in the first place on material possession, but rather on emotional and mental not attachment and from the mental understanding practical attitude which follows from non-attachment, physical Aparigraha should naturally come forth. Jain literature also gives importance to abandoning emotional and mental attachment.
We would like you to contribute us title entries within the field of your specialization, which is relevant to the subject APARIGRAHA. Each entry will be of about 1500 to 2000 words, which will be published in your name and there is a provision for a token amount of remuneration for each entry. You can contribute one or more entries. A tentative list of titles is enclosed for your perusal. Entries both in Hindi or in English will be accepted. The Encyclopaedia will be published in Hindi and its English version will also be prepared simultaneously. Information regarding your brief profile, telephone nos., address, e-mail and the relevant readings and resource persons shall be useful for us.
Entries may be contributed in this prescribed format:
- Title
- Theme in one sentence
- Brief introduction (as applicable) meaning/historical background/year of birth-death/Country name/Contribution etc.
- Description (main entry) including relevance to the concept of Aparigraha
- References
The effort of this Encyclopaedia will be to highlight Aprigraha as a basic human value necessary to make a person better human being as also to save the planet earth itself. This calls for an alternative economic model also.
The entries in Encyclopaedia will cover titles regarding concepts; personalities; Authors & works; world Religions-philosophies-ethics; Saint-Literature; Modern Natural sciences; Economic-Psychological-Historical-Sociological-Political-Geographical, Cultural, Environmental, Legal aspects and worldwide Economic movements. The entries representing a comprehensive view of concept from different approaches will be included.
The understanding of this concept can have a very big consequence for our approach to current economy, society, environment; and also far physical & mental health and other problems. This Encyclopaedia can throw light on the relation between Aparigraha and Life-liberty & pursuit of happiness at individual as well as global level.
It is our goal to attract many scholars and experts to give their views by writing the entry on Aparigraha and related subjects. In this venture, your support and contribution is greatly needed.
My humble request is:
- Kindly contribute title entries within the field of your specialization, which you consider necessary and relevant to this Encyclopaedia.
- Kindly suggest the names of other scholars if possible, to persuade them to contribute their entries.
- If possible kindly send us a bibliography on the subject of Aparigraha.
- Kindly provide your general advice for the Encyclopaedia.
- Kindly provide your short bio-data.
Awaiting your reply conveying titles to be written by you for the Encyclopaedia of Aparigraha. Feel free to communicate any time.
With profound regards,Sincerely yours
Sushma Singhvi
Editor, Encyclopaedia of Aparigraha
Prakrit Bharati Academy, Jaipur
e-mail:
and Consultant in Sanskrit,
Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University,
Regional Centre, JLN Marg, Jaipur (India)
e-mail:
A tentative list of some titles for entry in Encylopaedia of Aparigraha
(Your suggestions for more titles are most welcome)
Religions and schools
(1) Hinduism (Veda/Brahmana/Upanishad/Smiriti etc.)
(2) Judaism
(3) Christianity
(4) Islam
(5) Taoism
(6) Charvaka School
(7) Ajivaka School
(8) Nyaya-Vaisheshik School
(9) Mimansa-Vendanta-School
(10) Shaivism
(11) Jainism
(12) Buddhism Philosophers
(13) Plato
(14) Berkeley
(15) Immanuel Kant
(16) Hegal
(17) Bradley
(18) Bosanquet
(19) Spenser
(20) Yang Hsiung
(21) Shekh Fareed
(22) David Hume
(23) Bergson, Henri, Authors and works
(24) Tolstoy
(25) Ruskin
(26) Emerson
(27) Thoreau
(28) Bernard Litaer (“Beyond Greed and Scarcity”)
(29) Jean Ziegler (“Hunger is man made massacre”)
(30) E.F. Shumacher (“small is beautiful”)
(31) Rudolf Steiner (i) “Love and its meaning in the world”, (ii) “Towards social renewal”, (iii) “The fundamental social law”)
(32) Andrew Harvey (“Hidden Journey”)
(33) Edmond Bordeaux Szekely (“The Essene code of life”)
(34) Carson (“Silence spring”)
(35) Kautilya (“Arthashastra”), Economists
(36) Marshall
(37) Michael Albert etc., Systems
(38) Capitalism
(39) Consumerism
(40) Socialism
(41) Marxism
(42) Feminism, Concepts
(43) Scarcity Vs Abundance
(44) Competition Vs Co-operation
(45) Incentive Vs Motivation
(46) Equity Vs Equality
(47) Ownership Vs Stewardship, Resources
(48) Land-Water-Air
(49) Property
(50) Labour, Aparigraha in relation to various disciplines
(51) Quality of life and Aparigraha
(52) Commodity centred approach and Aparigraha
(53) Capabilities centred approach and Aparigraha
(54) Intuition approach and Aparigraha
(55) Balanced development and Aparigraha
(56) Democracy and Aprigraha
(57) Traditional rural architect and Aparigraha
(58) Human resource development and Aprigraha
(59) Human rights and Aparigraha
(60) Law & Aparigraha/Indian Constitution and Aparigraha
(61) Environment and Aparigraha
(62) Art-culture and Aparigraha
(63) Psychological basis of Aparigrha
(64) Sociological aspect of Aparigraha
(65) Polity and Aparigraha
(66) Economy and Aparigraha, Personalities
(67) J.S. Mill
(68) Kumarappa J.C.
(69) Maxfurson, C.B.
(70) Mensius (Meng-tgu) (Meng k'o)
(71) Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
(72) Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi
(73) Dalai Lama
(74) Nelson Mandela
(75) Saint Fransis of Assissy
(76) Buddha
(77) Mahaveer
(78) Martin Luther King
etc.
etc.