Ahimsa Crisis You Decide

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

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and shravikas), Jain acharyas, Jain community leaders and also several hundred Jain youth throughout the world. I have observed firsthand the practice of ahimsa as a Jain and from within the Jain community. Most of my stories in this book come from India (that is where 98% of Jains live) but there are others that I have observed in the US and other places where I have been living for past many years.
This book is a recollection and compilation of many of my own observations, reflections, and reactions from these experiences and relationships. In addition, I have included some incidents that were told to me, or that I learned from the media. I believe the stories are correct, though I cannot vouch for their complete accuracy. It may very well be that what I heard or observed may not be what actually had happened. But I want to assure readers that I have not intentionally made up any of these stories, and all of them speak to what I have learned, and what observations I have to offer about the importance of ahimsa.
In this book, I have tried to cover the topics of himsa and its practices, which consist largely of items we put in our mouths (food, drink, medicine) but also deal with issues beyond thali (our food plate). The majority of the book deals with macro (sthool) issues of himsa as opposed to micro (sooksham) himsa towards all five-sensed life forms-human and animal.
The terms "non-vegetarian" and "vegetarian" refer to what is on one's food plate—that is, what one puts in one's stomach through the mouth. A non-vegetarian's food plate contains flesh of any living being that moves, swims, or crawls. A vegetarian does not eat flesh of animals, fish, or poultry but may or may not eat eggs and dairy products. Beyond these two food habits there is another life style called veganism. Veganism, as a terminology and a lifestyle, refers to those who use no animal or animal-based products for food, medicine, clothing, body beautification or decoration.
In this book I have moved beyond these three lifestyles to discuss the ahimsak (completely nonviolent) way of life, which includes not only veganism but also ahimsa beyond food and
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
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