ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 94

SCHOOL
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that celestial beings i.e. heavenly beings (gods and goddesses) have such capabilities and their bodies are even termed as celestial body so that they do not need to take food as morsels from mouth. They just think and have the food.
SELF STUDY IS THE SUPREME AUSTERITY
स्वाध्याय
Absorption of karmaņa particles by the empirical soul due to its various non-self activities called 'Karmaṇa-āhāra'. This type of food acts as insulation for soul's energy to enjoy its own nature of knowledge & bliss. These particles also reduce the efficiency of body parts to perform their function. All spiritual practices aim at stopping further accumulation of these particles on the soul and to dissociate the existing bonded karma particles with soul.
2. Basis of Jain Diet
The question now arises, what is the proper diet as per Jains? We know that one type of food makes us sick and the other type makes us healthy, calm and composed. Ayurveda divides food in three types namely beneficial to the body (hita), eating less than needed (mita) and which does not depend on exploitation of others (rta). Jains talk primarily of the third type as the first two are corollaries of this. We shall talk about food taken as morsels through mouth or injected through other means in our body i.e. kavalāhāra. Jain ethicalspiritual texts emphasize the importance of food most for a happy life now and to move forward on path of spiritual beneficiation to attain salvation. Basis of Jain diet can be enumerated as follows:
7 Purusärthasidhyupaya, Amṛtacandra Suri, v. 61-75
2.1
Non Violence (Ahimsa)
Non violence is the heart of Jain philosophy. The entire ethical practices and the doctrine evolve around minutest details of this concept. 'Live and let live' and Non violence is the supreme spiritual value' are the hallmarks of Jain doctrine. Thus Jain food is based primarily on the practice of this doctrine. This result in the following boundaries for what is good to eat and what is not good.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
Total avoidance of killing of mobile living beings i.e. 2 to 5 sensed living beings as food. This prohibits consumption of meat, eggs etc of any kind.
Minimal killing of one sensed i.e. living beings with air, water, fire and earth as body and plants for food. To live, we cannot avoid harming air, water, fire and earth bodied living beings (since they are subtle and cannot be cognized by our sensual faculties) while we
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