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A global conference on warming in Copenhagen established and resolved that a significant proportion of greenhouse gases can be eliminated if we all become vegetarians for one day a week. Besides this, if we realize the cruelty inflicted on animals in raising beef stock and milk animals, the creation of dairy products and the practice of mechanized butchering will repel even the staunchest eaters of meat from consuming animal based products (Shugan Chand Jain, unpublished paper, “Ahińsā / Non-violence; its dimensions and practices.”).
IS AHIMSA LIMITED TO THE THALI IN THE JAIN COMMUNITY? Yes, it appears to be so. For many Jains, ahimsa practice in their daily lives is generally limited to food issues. To review, most Jains are vegetarians and do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or eggs but do consume dairy products. Although they eat one-sensed organisms—plants—many avoid all or some types of root vegetables (vegetables that grow under the ground such as potatoes, carrots, and onions) because it is thought that consuming these vegetables involve more and additional himsa. This additional himsa comes from two sources. First, when we pull a root vegetable out of the earth, we often kill the entire plant rather than just taking a fruit or some other part of the plant that leaves the overall plant structure unharmed. Second, some Jains believe that certain root vegetables, such as onion and garlic, as well as foods like figs and honey, contain many other microscopic living organisms called nigods (the minutest form of life). Some Jains will not eat certain green vegetables on certain days of a month or during Jain holy days such as Paryushan and Das Laxan, which is a practice emphasized in many of the pravachans and preaching by Jain monks and nuns. Some ascetics ask their followers not to eat certain types of pickles as well. In India, in major restaurants, hotels and on airlines, Jain food is well recognized and generally available. In many Jain
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