ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

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

Page 97

Similarly the person who prepares and serves the food assumes significance in Jain way of life.
A. Desirable attributes of person 10 for preparing food for the monks are listed below: i. Awareness of the needs and limitations of the monk/nun for whom food is being
prepared. ii. Should be free from any expectation of worldly benefits/pridelanger/indifference towards
the monk/nun while preparing the food. iii. Should be knowledgeable about the qualities, limits and desirability of various
ingredients for food e.g. the shelf life, the ingredient being free from living beings, their
beneficial and harmful effects on mind/body and speech etc. iv. Should be in a happy mood and be with pure mind, body and speech v. Offer respect to the monk/nun while serving etc. vi. Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women or those having menstrual period; Sick or old
persons, children, scared or incapacitated (blind/lame etc) persons are not allowed to serve food to the monks and nuns.
Similarly the kitchen should be clean, well lighted (preferably by sunlight), ventilated and protected (free from mosquitoes, flies, dust etc) place. All the ingredients used should be first manually cleaned (sorting), checked for their suitability (i.e. within the time limit prescribed and free from living beings of any kind) then washed and used. The water to be used should be strained and boiled before use. Similarly the persons cooking, utensils and the place etc should be clean.
B. For the householders, the above principles are kept in mind and forms the basis while
relaxing these restrictions depending upon i. Life style like joint family /nuclear family or single working person, ii. Professional needs of working hours. iii. Place of stay. iv. Kitchen facilities at home fitted with all possible modern kitchen appliances.
As examples, the food prepared by domestic help under the supervision of a family member, the food from vegetarian restaurants; enhancement of shelf life of food with the availability of
10 Bhagavati-Arādhanāby Šivārya, verses 1204-10
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0