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Therefore, eliminating (or minimizing) the use of milk or milk products is not such a strange or alien concept to Jains.
There are now convenient and tasty substitutes for milk, ice cream, yogurt, butter and ghee, as well as alternatives to things like leather, silk, wool, and pearls. Also, we must keep in mind the health benefits of veganism; the American Dietetic Association has a position paper that explains how vegan diets help manage and reduce chronic degenerative disease like heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Although vegan ideals are becoming more common among Jain youth, the older, more tradition-minded generation resists it.
We have to examine the himsa footprints in everything we consume. The theories behind veganism are closest to Jain ideals and a step ahead of just being vegetarian. Veganism is a natural expression and expansion of our highest ideals of ahimsa. There is no other life style that comes closer to the Jain philosophy of non-violence as ethical veganism does. When we understand the true basis of their belief as Jiv Daya, we must develop respect for their commitment and embrace vegans as our soul mates.
EMERGING TRENDS: Veganism in America
Veganism is a growing trend within the vegetarian community and is considered a stricter form of vegetarianism. The Huffington post report predicts that: "No Lie Can Live Forever: Predicting a Vegan America by 2050", Vegetarian Times Study Shows 7.3 Million Americans Are Vegetarians and an additional 22.8 Million follow a Vegetarian-Inclined Diet. Approximately 1 million, of those are vegans, who consume no animal products at all. In addition, 10 percent of U.S., adults, or 22.8 million people, say they largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet.
Outside the non-Jain community, there are vegan societies and vegan restaurants all over. In Houston where I live, there is a thriving Vegan Society with scores of programs every year
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
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