JAINA Convention 2009 07 Los Angeles

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

Page 65

15th Biennial JAINA Convention 2009
Ecology - The Jain Way
ECOLOGY & AHIMSA IN JAIN
Many of us like to believe that our life is
experienced in isolation and that the way we DHARMA
conduct our daily affairs does not have a Pramoda Chitrabhanu
significant impact on society and the world we live pchitrabhanu@gmail.com
in. We must not forget that just as a stone thrown into a pool will affect every molecule of water, our
every thought, word and action will affect our Pramoda Chitrabhanu is the inner and outer world. Therefore, it is important director of the Jain Meditation to watch what we do to life around us and the International Center in New York environment. City. She also is a Chairperson of Jivadaya Committee of JAINA, Lord Mahavir has reiterated that thoughts which Director of PETA-India, a founding govern our actions are the products of the food
member of the Vegetarian Society we eat. The food that feeds the body has a in Mumbai. She lectures and teaches the
significant influence on the person physically, philosophy of Ahimsa, Love and Compassion and
emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. It is has authored and co-authored five books.
rightly said that we are what we eat. It is our
choice of food that also has a direct impact on the Lord Mahavir, an epitome of love, compassion and
environment and ecology. Pure and natural foods empathy, lived 599-527 B.C.E. Through his pose the least threat to the earth and its natural teachings, he emphasized that this world is an resources. This is why Jain Dharma teaches us to echo point. Anything said or done, good or bad, is
practice Upayoge Dharma: to live in awareness echoed back with the same intensity it was and to minimize violence and negative karmas in intended. The global crisis we face today is the our thoughts, words and deeds that are the cause echo of our own negative thoughts, words and of our suffering. actions.
One of the greatest threats to mankind today is Jain Dharma sees the whole universe as a great global warming. The depletion of natural cosmic mechanism 'with its own self-propelling resources, environmental crisis, climate change, force' and we, being part of that mechanism, ecological imbalance, and annihilation of must conduct ourselves in harmony and rhythm innumerable life forms are the result of our wrong with that mechanism. In the manifestation of living. They are our responsibility. Accepting these nature, we see harmony and rhythm everywhere. responsibilities, we can change our lifestyle and But when we look at ourselves, we do not see our save the earth from being destroyed. lives in agreement with the cosmic mechanism. We are out of sync with nature and people, and The core teaching of Jain Dharma is Ahimsa. This we live against our true qualities of love, fundamental teaching of Ahimsa and ecology compassion and friendship towards all living complement each other, and the understanding of beings.
their inter-connectedness and relation encourages
us to practice the five principles of Jain Dharma: We forget that we are interrelated and bound Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya together by mutual support and interdependence (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (chastity) and with all life forces. This fundamental natural
Aparigraha (limiting or restricting one's phenomenon of symbiosis or mutual dependence possessions). When these principles are practiced forms the basis of the modern day science of in their true spirit, the result is the protection of ecology. This relationship is disturbed by our lust nature, the environment and its inhabitants. for power, greed, arrogance and an unrestrained Living with this awareness, we will then have lifestyle and insatiable desires.
acted from the true nature of our self which is
compassion and reverence for all life. Man, on the top of the ladder of evolution, has learned to take things for granted and use them to sum this up, let me quote Lord Mahavir who for personal gain and benefit. In the process, the expressed it succinctly: sense of recognition, appreciation and gratitude 'One who neglects or disregards the existence has been lost.
Of earth, water, fire, air, vegetation and all other
lives, Disregards his own existence
Which is entwined with them.'