JAINA Convention 2005 07 JCNC

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 59

2005
RAW FOODS AND THE JAIN DHARMA
By Dhrumil Purohit
Practitioners of Jain Dharma have long observed dietary consciousness as a vehicle for practicing the vows of Aparigraha (simplicity), Saiyam (restraint) and Ahimsa (peace). The most common dietary distinction practiced by Jains has been the practice of living as a vegetarian. This practice has become such a part of the Jain culture that it is often the most recognized religious distinction by both Jains and non-Jains alike. Whether you look at the plethora of Jain matrimonial bio-data or observe the average child explaining what Jain Dharma entails to their non-Jain friends, the weight that is carried in being vegetarian in the Jain community is clearly recognized. This emphasis on being vegetarian has produced considerable results: a tight-knit community and a high success rate of passing values down generations. However this precise focus on our concept of what a vegetarian is has also shifted the focus from "what we can eat", to "what we don't eat".
our concept
of what a vegetarian is has shifted
the focus from "what we can eat", to "what we don't eat".
The word vegetarian stems from the Greek word vegetas, which means 'Full of the Breath of Life'. The Sanskrit word for vegetarian is shakahari. Ahara means "food" and shaka means "vegetable". As the word vegetarian evolved, the cultural meaning shifted from, "someone who eats vegetables," to the present definition, "someone who doesn't eat meat." The difference in meaning has caused a societal shift in focus from eating foods "full of the breath of life", also known as raw-plant food, to eating "anything but meat".
The impact of eating "anything but meat" is larger than one may think. Highly processed, reheated, long shelf-life, over oiled and over cooked vegetarian foods have become staples of the average Jain family's diet. It is easy to forget that cooking and food processing were simply tools humans used to survive challenging situations. Much in the same way that a hammer is a tool, cooking was a tool used to get through droughts, preserve food for long travel, concentrate calories and prevent the ingestion of bacteria during rainy seasons. Presently, cooking is primarily used as a tool to enhance taste and create convenience. As the percentage of cooked and processed foods has rapidly increased, the healing power of the vegetarian diet has been dramatically affected. No longer are vegetarians experiencing levels of health they once experienced. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and other aliments are starting to become just as common among vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, and in some cases, more common.
By conservative estimates, 70% of diseases are diet-related. Adding lifestyle factors such as exposure to pollutants and variations in exercise, estimates run as high as
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