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the protoplasm of their bodies, are fully digested observed and assimilated (by them). And from these they—the plants which grow from the earthbring forth their various parts and organs which are of manifold colours, smells, tastes, touches as well as forms and structures", i.e., ultimately the nutrients (from the food) after assimilation by the plant become the material of which its different parts, as branches, leaves etc. are formed and these parts are of various different colours etc.
Thus according to the scriptures, basically, nutrition consists of bodies of different kinds of living organisms. It should be carefully noted that what is consumed is the BODY which is the material component of all living organisms, because even if a living organism is taken as food, it gets killed and becomes devoid of life, i.e., the non-material soul transmigrates leaving the material body to be consumed.:
Now if we collate the list of essential nutrients specified by biology we find that:
Mineral salts are the bodies of the earth-bodied organisms.
Waters are the bodies of the water-bodied organisms.
Energies and substances formed by burning are the bodies of the fire-bodied organisms.
Airs are the bodies of the air-bodied organisms. Carbohydrates are the bodies of the plants organisms.
Proteins are the bodies of the mobile organisms.
Thus, there is no fundamental difference between the Biological and scriptural statements about nutrition. Let us examine this more critically.
According to Jain scriptures, each and every type of raw-mineral, element or compound occurring naturally, is animated by earth-bodied
1. What is meant by 'RAW' is : (i) Naturally produced, i.e., brought into existence by nature and not artificially synthesized; (ii) Unprocessed, i.e., not subjected to any operation by man-made implements so as to change the natural characteristics.
Thus only RAW EARTH and RAW WATER are animate. Once they are subjected to any operation by man-made implements they become inanimate matter.
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JAIN BIOLOGY
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