Glimpses of Jainism and Biography of forgotten Hero Virchand Raghavji Gandhi

SR No.: 006757
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Pannalal R Shah, Gunvant Barvalia, Kurangi Desai
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown
Publication Year: 2003
Total Pages: 112
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 5 MB

Page 26

JAIN DIET*:
Jain religion emphasizes very disciplined eating habits and a vegetarian diet. Meat, eggs, fish, honey, alcohol, etc. are not allowed at all in the Jain diet. The main bases of Jain diets are grains like wheat, rice, and barley. In America and the western world, Jains have adopted corn, oats, pizza, pasta and many other foods into Jain households as well.
A Jain diet may be either lacto vegetarian or vegan (no milk or milk products). Many Jains consume milk with the belief that it is not a direct animal product such as meat. It was often thought that a baby calf was allowed to suckle all the milk until his/her needs were satisfied without violence and that the cow did not undergo a tortuous life. However, in the modern world that may no longer be the case and upon learning of this, more and more Jains are now turning vegan. Some Jains also avoid taking roots, such as potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots. One reason for this is to make efforts to minimize the violence involved in obtaining food. For example, if you pluck hundreds of oranges from a tree, you are not destroying the whole tree. However, when you pluck one single carrot, you uproot the whole plant. A second reason for this is that all roots have countless souls (Anantkay) under one body (skin). Some Jains also avoid multi seed fruits and vegetables. They believe that each seed represents a potential life. Many Jains avoid sprouted beans. Sprouting is a process in which life is activated in a seed that had otherwise become inactive. This is viewed as violence by some Jains. So while individual diets may vary, it is always important to consume food, which causes or results in minimum violence to other beings.
Jains usually try to eat before sunset since many visible and invisible lives thrive at night and we are at danger of consuming them. Eating before sunset also allows plenty of time for the digestive system to function properly.
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