$JES 302 Jain Philosophy Level 3 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 62

APPLICATION OF NONVIOLENCE (AHINSÄ) that every fruit, leaf, grain that ends up on our plate had to lose its life in order to give us life. But the sad fact is that without plants we would not survive.
What Do Vegetarians Eat? The staples of a vegetarian diet are grain, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Protein can be obtained easily through a variety of grains and legumes. Fiber and essential vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates can be obtained from many raw vegetables; iron especially is in rich green leafy vegetables.
Do Vegetarians Eat Dairy and Eggs? Vegetarians who use dairy products are called lacto vegetarians. Those who do not even use dairy products are vegans. In particular, vegans believe that cow's milk is meant for calves, not humans. Nowadays, dairy (milk, butter, ghee, ice-cream, cheese) foods are produced with cruelties, which vegetarians and vegans should refuse to support. Also the dairy industry is inherently linked to the meat industry. When female cows stop giving milk or reduces its quantity at a certain age, they are sent to the meat industry for slaughtering. If they give birth to a male calf, it is raised on an iron deficient diet, to make tender meat. Hence one should not consume any dairy products in order to avoid cruelty to animals.
In poultry farms, chickens are considered no better than egg-producing machines. They are housed in small-congested cages known as chicken-havens. Due to shortage of space, they naturally become violent, offensive, obsessed and quarrelsome. They attack one another in a barbarous manner. To prevent them from fighting and wounding one another, they are debeaked. Due to de-beaking, they are unable even to drink water.
A fertilized egg is a pre-birth stage of a chicken. To eat fertilized egg is in fact to consume a chicken before its birth. Unfertilized eggs are the result of the sexual cycle of a chicken and very unnatural. The egg produced without any contact with the male bird (and thus producing an infertile egg) is also animate because it is born out of the chicken's body with its blood and cells. No egg - fertile or infertile - is without life inanimate). Both are nonvegetarian food.
Animal Cruelty and Ecological Impact Planet earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rain forests to create pasturelands for livestock, loss of topsoil and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of non-vegetarian food (meat, chicken, and dairy products) in the human diet. No single decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to not eat non-vegetarian food. Many seeking to save the planet for future generations have made this decision for this reason and this reason alone.
The choice of a vegetarian (absolutely no animal products) diet is an expression of a sincere consideration for the ecology of the planet as well. In addition, there are billions of starving people who can be fed if only the raising of livestock was stopped. Consider these facts:
62
JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I