Smt Rukmini Devi Arundale, Founder President of Animal Welfare Board of India felt that kindness and compassion must be inculcated in the children in their formative and sensitive stage of early education so that they may grow fully with the advancement of age and education. Albert Einstein said that “our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” This same thought was expressed by the great sages and seers in our country from time immemorial. Their emphasis was on compassion for all living beings including animals and plants which would only ensure peace and harmony in our lives.

Today mankind has forgotten those values and therefore the life of modern man is full of tension, violence and terror. This has resulted in increased cruelties on animals, degradation of natural resources, and pollution of atmosphere. Inspite of the extraordinary advance in science and technology, man has not cultivated the inner values and the concept of living harmoniously with all living beings. It is therefore desired that values of compassionate living be taught to the younger generation through activity oriented programmes. This is the main reason of the advent of Karuna Clubs in the year 1995. Today it has become a big Movement spreading to more than 500 schools and colleges throughout the country.

Eminent educationists and teachers were consulted in preparing the “Guidelines” for starting Karuna Clubs, which was very much appreciated by teachers and activists. In January 2000 we published a “Guide Book of Karuna Clubs” and it was sent to more than 2000 schools and activists. It was a highly popular book on Karuna Club Guidelines, Constitutional provisions, Articles on humane values of education, Orders of different State Governments recognizing Karuna Clubs and promoting them in schools.

This Guide Book is now revised. We have included some beautiful articles published by Divine Life Society of South Africa in their set of four COMPASSION Volumes such as Humane Education, Reverence for Life, The New Ethics, Cruelty goes to School, Vegetarianism etc. We are much obliged to Poojya Swamy Sri Sahajanandaji for giving permission to publish these articles in this book.

Poojya Sri Chitrabhanuji, Founder, Jaina Meditation International Centre, NewYork was the chief guest of our All India Conference of Karuna Clubs held on 9th & 10th January 2003 in Chennai. He guided our programmes. His article on “The Sacred Stream of Amity” is a very inspiring article on Karuna Clubs and it is apt to include this article in this book.

Thus this MANUAL contains full and up to date information about Karuna Clubs, their objectives, guidelines, programmes, activities and teachers training programmes. We hope this book will be found useful by Educationists, Government Education Departments, Principals and activists to promote humane values in all parts of our country and will be an inspiration to start thousands of new Kanma Clubs.

We invite suggestions from the enlightened public to make Karuna Clubs more effective to inculcate feeling of compassion in the heart of our younger generation.

Dulichand Jain