$JES 921 Book of Compassion Reverence For All Life Reference Book

Author(s): Pramoda Chitrabhanu, Pravin K Shah
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 50

8- FACTS ABOUT EGGS
the hen's body with its blood and cells. Therefore, its consumption is 100% non-vegetarian.
According to the famous American scientist Mr. Philip J. Scamble, no egg is without life in it. The scientists at Michigan University in America have proven it beyond doubt that no egg - fertile or infertile - is without life (inanimate).
The hen gives infertile eggs during the absence of the male bird. But it has been observed that she gives an infertile egg before the day of contact with the male bird - and also the next day. In other words, she can give a fertile egg even without contact with a male bird. On the fifth day, again she gives a fertile egg. This means that the semen of the male bird remains lying in her body for a considerable duration. In some cases, this duration has been observed to be as long as even six months.
A fertilized egg is a pre-birth stage of a chicken; unfertilized eggs are the result of the sexual cycle of a hen and very unnatural. Both are non-vegetarian food. Victoria Moran, the author of the book Compassion: The Ultimate Ethics says, "to eat fertilized egg is in fact to consume a chicken before its birth" (The Ethic on borderline). I was told that an unfertilized egg is the product of a bird's sexual cycle and can hardly be regarded as natural food for Man.
Whether the egg is fertile or infertile, life is essentially there; and it has all the symptoms of life, such as respiration, brain, feeding ability, etc. There are 15,000 porous-breathing holes on the shell, the cover of the egg. The egg begins to rot at a temperature of less than 8° Celsius or 00° Fahrenheit. When it begins this process, its rotting manifests itself through evaporation of the water content. The egg becomes infected by germs and thus becomes diseased. The progress of the rotting soon reaches the shell of the egg.
Eggs contain cholesterol in large quantities. The yellow yolk of the egg is the major source of cholesterol. Cholesterol narrows down the arteries and may eventually lead to a heart attack or paralysis. Eating eggs may also lead to rheumatism and gout that can cause serious and painful joints in old age.
All the above facts lead to prove that eggs are not vegetarian and so let us re-think about the issue of eggs and realize that a balanced vegetarian diet contains an abundance of health-protecting nutrients and fibers without eggs.
THE BOOK OF COMPASSION
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