History of Vegitarianism and Cow Veneration in India

SR No.: 006921
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Willem B Bollee
Publisher: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd
Publication Year: 2010
Total Pages: 186
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 177

HISTORY OF VEGETARIANISM IN INDIA
internal one is of six kinds,343 one of them being rasaparityāga which means that whatever article is likely to lead the senses astray when consumed should be given up. Accordingly liquor (madya), flesh (māņsa), honey, butter etc.344 are to be discarded. From this it will be easily inferred that flesh-eating [233] is against the very spirit of Jainism, especially when it lays stress on ahimsā, samyama and tapas as its three essential features. It will not be amiss to mention in this connection what are called vikrtis. A student conversant with Jainism needs hardly to be reminded that out of the 10 vikytis viz. milk, curds, ghee, oil of sesamum etc., treacle, pakvānna, honey, liquor, flesh and butter, the last four are styled as abhakşya or those that are unfit for consumption. The first six are called bhakşya; but after all, they, too, are vikytis, although less harmful, and should therefore be avoided as far as possible.
Before I actually refer to passages in the Jaina canon and point out how they denounce flesh-eating, I shall have to define the term Taina'. A true 'Jaina' is he who firmly believes that: (1) true God (Paramātman) is one who is completely free from attachment and aversion; (2) that the real guru is he who strictly observes celibacy; and (3) that the real dharma is that which has ahimsā as its chief characteristic. It is a truth generally admitted that conviction is not always immediately followed by action. Hence a Jaina though a firm believer in the principles of Jainism may not be seen actually following them in practice. There is a possibility of such a person being a slave of passions, and hence being addicted even to the worst types of the seven vyasanas345 viz., (1) gambling, (2) flesh, (3) wine, (4) a prostitute, (5) hunting, (6) theft; and (7) debauchery. It may be remarked that so long as such a person considers this conduct to be contrary to the holy precepts of Jainism and sincerely repents for it, that person does not cease to be a Jaina, though such a person may be actually seen taking flesh. But, this does not mean that flesheating goes uncondemned in Jainism. For, there is a higher stage than this for a Jaina layman who takes a vow of refraining from the abhakşyas. 346 The question of a Jaina saint taking flesh never arises, since he is spiritually on a higher plane than even this type of Jaina
343 Cf. the Niryukti (v. 47) to Daśavaikālikasūtra (1, 1). 344 See Vācakavarya Umāsvāti's Bhāşya (p. 238) to Tattvarthādhigamasūtra
(IX, 19) and Siddhasena Gani's comm. (p. 238) to it. 345 'dyūtam ca māmsam ca sura ca veśyā pāparddhi-caurye paradāra-sevā 1 etāni
sapta vyasanāni loke ghorātighoram narakam nayanti 'l' 346 They are 22 in number. See Pravacanasāroddhāra (v. 245, 246; p. 58).
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