JAINA Convention 2009 07 Los Angeles

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

Page 87

15th Biennial JAINA Convention 2009
Ecology - The Jain Way
the use of milk or silk in ritual Pujas should be re- evaluated. Tasteful and healthier vegan substitutes are available. Eliminating long-held practices that are not in-line with our inspiring principles is practicing Aparigraha.
we ask and grant forgiveness for our transgressions and pledge to improve ourselves in the future. From such a path of great insight and discovery, we become open and realize the physical and emotional hinsa we cause by supporting the system of milk production. We see through the dairy industry's attempt to transform panch endriya Jiv (five-sensed beings like cows) into ajiv commodities. The undeniable link between the "dairy - beef - leather" industries must be challenged and stopped. Reducing, removing, and preventing future karma depend on such realizations and modified behavior.
The potency of Anekantavad is not only about respecting the fact of a multiplicity of viewpoints and having the humility to consider each view, it is about perspectives and weighing the possibilities in light of the panch vrats. We can assess veganism and apply Anekantavad from non-human perspectives. What do cows and other farmed animals want for themselves? Do they not want to be free from forced servitude, exploitation, and abuse? What do the immeasurable wisdom and compassion of the Tirthankars exemplify to us? Isn't the 'voice' of our planet already roaring up in so many ways against human egotism, greed, and deceit? Our kashayas seem to seriously obstruct our ability to perceive and realize the panch vrats.
So we have the power to energize change, to transform this tragic experience by non-human animals today because of direct human involvement, to something far more life-affirming. With our foundation in the panch vrats and our rich Jain philosophy as our guiding framework, a re-examination of our diet and lifestyle towards veganism is needed. Let's hope that for the animals of the world, including ourselves, each of us will be that change, living it proudly and conscientiously, and inspiring others in the process.
Through pratikraman when we reflect on our past activities and consider how we affect others and impact the world, and ultimately our own atma,
ROO % 80808
THE FIRST ONCE-A-WEEK VEGETARIAN CITY IN THE WORLD
A balanced vegetarian meal is not only sustainable, but also a healthy meal.
-- Tom Balthazar, a Ghent City Councilor
By declaring every Thursday a "Veggie Day", the Belgian City of Ghent, a picturesque town 30 miles west of Brussels, has become the first in the world to go vegetarian at least once a week. By opting for vegetarian meals on this weekly meatless day, the civil servants, elected councilors, and schoolchildren have become pioneers in the fight against obesity, global warming, and cruelty to animals. "There's nothing compulsory. We just want to be a city that promotes sustainable and healthy living," declared City Councilor Tom Balthazar in support of the city's effort to make the entire place vegetarian for a day every week. The organizers cite UN data arguing that meat production and consumption are responsible for nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions - more than the cars. "If everyone in Flanders does not eat meat one day a week, we will save as much CO2 in a year as taking half a million cars off the road," said the director of the local branch of Flanders' Ethical Vegetarian Association (EVA).