Ahimsa Crisis You Decide

Author(s): Sulekh C Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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leather industries. They usually rely on one of four arguments to justify that harm. None of these arguments works. First, there is the argument from tradition. Some defend the use of animal products because it has been traditional to use dairy products or wool or leather. But tradition can no more suffice here than it can in any other area of human conduct. If Jainism stands for anything, it represents the notion that ethical principles are a matter of rational thought and careful consideration. It is precisely when we have been lulled into complacency by tradition that we must be most conscientious. As part of this appeal to tradition, some Jains say that the Tirthankaras, or the human beings who have achieved omniscience and who teach it to others, never condemned the consumption of dairy as involving himsa and that some ancient texts contain references to ghee or other dairy products being present on auspicious occasions. But this is like using the Bible as an authority to justify homophobia or capital punishment. The important books of most religious and spiritual traditions are full of all sorts of inconsistent ideas and matters that the most fundamentalist believer does not accept. So the fact that there may be references in Jain scriptures to dairy is irrelevant. The fact that dairy was consumed by Jains thousands of years ago is irrelevant. The point is that Jains regard ahimsa as the foundational and defining principle of their tradition and ahimsa prohibits the intentional infliction of suffering and death on mobile, multi-sensed creatures. The only question for the Jain is whether the conduct in question-consuming dairy or wearing wool or leather-involves inflicting suffering and death on mobile, multi-sensed beings. Second, there are some who say that we cannot live a perfect life so it is acceptable for us to eat dairy or to use other animal products as a “compromise.” Jainism certainly recognizes that, with the exception of the omniscient who have gained liberation, we cannot avoid all violence if we live in samsara, the material world. That is the primary problem with samsara; our existence necessarily adversely affects others. But if our inability to avoid all himsa means that we can eat dairy or use
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
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