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The Jaina Philosophy in which are to be found the properties of sour or, of saltiest, or hot, or bitter.
These are the foods of the second kind, and they give rise to all the different emotional natures of human beings. The third kind of food gives us grossness, sluggishness, slothfulness, is that food which is left over a day or over a night, which is changed in its taste, is the refuse, as it were; also that in which there is too much of fat and animal food. All these are considered to be of the third class. The third property of matter, which carries us lower and lower in the gradations of life, we avoid altogether. Even among the vegetables we have certain reasons for objecting to certain kind of vegetables. While these rules are not to be found among the Brahmins, the Jainas observe them strictly. With us no vegetable is eaten which is grown underground, because it takes its quality from the minerals, without contact from the sunlight, and so it would belong to the third class, and of course have the third quality. We do not encourage such food on that account.
People may say, “But what can we eat?" But there are so many kinds of fruits, cereals, nuts, etc., there is no necessity for living on one sort of food. Some may say, "What can those persons who live in cold climates where there are no vegetables do?" "If I am placed in a position where I must either starve or commit murder of a human being, what shall I do?" It would be better to starve. We are all quite sure with regard to the immortality of the soul- That is not the soul which dies; all religions agree on that point, that the soul is not a transient entity. If it is going to live for ever why do we care simply for the body and not for the soul? Eating meat simply to support the body is not a sound basis, and our people would say that the people, who live in countries where there are no vegetables and where they are obliged to eat flesh, have no business to live in those
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Jain Education International
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| SR No. | 006901 |
| Book Title | Jaina Philosophy |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Virchand R Gandhi, Kumarpal Desai |
| Publisher | World Jain Confederation |
| Publication Year | 2009 |
| Total Pages | 298 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 5 MB |