Ahimsa the Ultimate Winner

Author(s): N P Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 95

more and take less” that can sustain a nation or a community of nations on a more durable and contented basis.
VEGETARIANISM:
Vegetarianism is an integral part of Jain ethics, drawing its fountain inspiration from the principles of non-violence as well as self-restraint. It has become a way of life and basic culture for a Jain. Indeed, it is to the credit of many Jain centres in USA and Canada that the cult of vegetarianism is spreading widely in the western world.
In the ecologically conscious world of today, vegetarianism is being regarded more and more widely as a desirable and healthconducive habit. The movement inspired by Jain philosophy is becoming popular and acceptable.
Vegetarianism represents a non-violent thought culture based on the concept of kindness to living creatures. Not only Lord Mahavir but Jesus has also said:
"For I tell you, he who kills, kills himself and who eats
the flesh of slain beasts eats the body of death."
As the practice of vegetarianism spreads around the world in slow but steady measure, one recalls what the famous playwright George Bernard Shaw, himself a devout vegetarian said:
"I am a human being and not a graveyard for dead animals.”
The contemporary world brought up in an atmosphere of violence and killing needs to realize how one would feel if it were to happen to him/her. After all, other living creatures have also the ability and sensitivity to feel pain and get not only physically but also emotionally hurt.
Poet Coleridge almost echoed Jain thought on Non-violence in his poem:
Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner * (72)