Introduction to Jainsim

Author(s): Dewan Bahadur A B Lathe
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

Page 36

28
JAINISSI
Firdosi, the author of the Persion sacred work, the Shalianama, says:
"The son-in-law of the prophet Mohamed-Ali prollibited flesh-eating. Akabar (the emperor] desisted from flesh-eating every Friday, Sunday, eclipse day and the whole of the Faruardin month. Mohamed himself has strictly ordered non-killing in front of the Kayaba at Mecca. Even a Mohamadan passing through the Salekashareayat to the Tareekat does not eat flesh. Drinking and debauchery are strictly prohibited to the Islamites. The Koran commands truthfulness and non-stealing. Of the Ten Commandments, those that refer to non-killing, stealing, purity of charaeter, drinking, etc. are quite in consonance with Jainism. The Bible prescribes vegetarianism.
"Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth and every tree which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."
{Genesis chapt I, 29.) “While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague."
(See verse 33 and also verses 19 and 20)
General Booth of the Salvation Army, himself a vegetarian, preaches that creed to all his followers. Vegetarian societies are founded everywhere in Europe and they justify vegetarianism on hygienic, economical, ethical and religious grounds.
So it will be seen that on vegetarian and temperence grounds, many other religions agree with Jain doctrines. It was an error of Shankaracharya to stigmatise Jainism as being atheistic. In writing his commentary on the Sutra f arat, Shankar has