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CANADIAN WOMAN REFUSES ANIMALINGREDIENT AND TESTED MEDICINES About twenty years ago, one Canadian lady (who was practicing Jain ahimsa) went to New Delhi where she was to get a prestigious award from a Jain group. Her host in New Delhi was a Jain family. The night she reached India, this lady developed severe chest pain and the host family immediately rushed her to a very famous heart hospital in New Delhi. There, she told the attending cardiologist (who also happened to be a Jain) that no matter how serious her condition might be—even if it was a life and death situation—she would not want the cardiologist to administer any animal-based medicines. The cardiologist was absolutely stunned and remarked that over the years, he had attended on many Jains but she was the first one to make such a request. He was so impressed that he took her to Jaipur where he introduced her to his parents and also organized a community celebration for her. You see, there are people for whom ahimsa finds an important place in their lives.
LESSONS FROM MY GRAND-DAUGHTERS Every grandparent, and we are not exceptions, wants to brag about their grandchildren. The following incidents are presented here not as a sign of my ego. These are real incidents from which I learn, and hope to offer as chances for reflection. We have two granddaughters in Houston, Texas, where we live. Their names are Priyanka (currently aged eighteen) and Divya (currently aged sixteen). From their births, they have been taught about ahimsa as a natural part of their upbringing. About eleven years ago (when they were only seven and five), my wife and I went to St. Petersburg, Russia and there we bought about a dozen very simple, wooden, mechanical toys for the girls. After our return, we gave all of the toys to our
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An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
