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Jain ladies normally sing "Aaj mahaare deraasar main, motee yee naa varshaa re," (which means,“Let there be a shower of pearls today in our Jain temples"). I question since Moti (pearl) is a product of pure himsa to a three-sensed creature, how can we condone the use of pearls to decorate the Jain pratimas and also to sing songs which praise himsa or product of himsa? Now you decide: is this behavior consistent with ahimsa?
THE USE OF BEAUTY AID PRODUCTS
There are very few products that are cruelty free. In fact, many of the ingredients come from animals and all products are first tested on animals for their safety on humans. During this testing, test animals are subjected to torture, become blind, or acquire many terminal diseases. Just consider is this what we want, to beautify our bodies with the suffering and torture of innocent animals? There are many cruelty free products and alternatives available today. One simply has to look.
Every year, approximately 14 million animals suffer and die in painful tests in an attempt to determine the safety of cosmetics and household products. Nearly every major brand of cosmetic and household product, such as toothpaste, lipstick, dishwashing liquid, and furniture polish, are tested on animals such as rabbits and dogs. Additionally, every time a company changes its ingredients or advertises a "new" or "improved" product, the substance is then retested.
Two of the most common methods of testing are the Draize Eye Irritancy Test and the Lethal Dose 50 (or LD50) test. The Draize test is used to test substances that might get into the human eye. During this test, a certain amount of a concentrated solution is placed into the eyes of conscious albino rabbits. Their eyes are held open with clips, and many rabbits break their necks or backs as they struggle to escape. The damage to the rabbits' eyes is then recorded at intervals over a period of time. Reactions to the irritants include swelling of the eyelid, inflammation of the iris, ulceration, bleeding, and blindness.
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
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