Jainism in a Global Perspective - Collection of Jain papers of 1993 Parliament of World Religions, Chicago

SR No.: 014010
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain, Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 402
Language: English
Classification: Seminar & Articles
File Size: 23 MB

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Jainism in a Global Perspective
uncompromising stand of non-killing, from the ages past, to the present time. They are unique in the history of mankind in never participating and condoning war, animal sacrifice and killing of animals for food or clothing. It is -because their omniscient religious teachers -Jinas, having discovered the Eternal Laws of Life, placed Ahimsā - non-violence and non-injury - first and foremost, as the essence of their religion. All other practices and restraints are only to support the Law of Non-violence.
There was one individual -one of the Christian saints, who very closely resembled the ideal of the Jaina Ahimsa Dharma. St. Francis of Assissi, who lived in the 12th Century in Italy, is well known for his great compassion for all living creatures. Flocks of birds and other creatures surrounded him when he was in the state of prayer, He spoke to the wolf, the rats and other lowely creatures and called theme all: his brothers and sisters. He even referred to the wind, the fire, the clouds, rain, moon, stars and the sun as his brothers and sisters. St. Francis would not touch meat and spoke out for a vegetarian way of life. Alas, his followers have not heeded his plea. The Franciscans have never followed his teaching.
Many other individuals, through the ages, have pleaded and emplored mankind to abandon the killing, the torturing, the sacrifical animal religious rituals, the usage of animals for sports games and the killing of animals for food. Individuals like : Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Shelley, Browning, Ruskin, Emerson, Thoreau, Count Leo Tolsstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, Einstein among them and Gautama Buddha (although most of the Buddhists have not heeded Buddhas plea either and are meat eaters today).
The responsibility, the calling out to mankind for the abandonment of killing animals for food, though, should have rested on the shoulders of organized religions and their spiritual leaders. But no leader of major religions and churches have ever come out, against the usage of animals for food. Religious leaders do preach and teach in their churches, mosques, temples and sinagogues about love, peace, compassion and non-killing. These words sound lofty andofhigh spiritual integrity-unfortunately, they only include the human species, excluding all of the other living creatures on this planet.