Jain Digest 1990 11

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

Page 19

And
GAIN DI GEST Jain Books In Print
feature Article CHAKRAVARTI, Nemichandra Siddhanta - The Sacred Books of the Jaina's Vol. V: Gommatsara Jiva-Kanda. (The Soul). Ed. With Introduction, Translation and Commentary Why I Became A Vegetarian by Rai Bahadur J. L. Jaini. Delhi, 1990. xiv, 357p. Append; Index. (ISBN: 81-7019-357-5) Rs. 600.00 (HB) (2690)
And Remain Committed
by Tim Huesken, Cincinnati, Ohio SHAH, Chimanlal J. - Jainism in North India. 800 B.C. - A.D. 526. With a foreword by the Rev. H. Heras, S. J. Delhi, 1989. xxiv, 292p. +26 plates + 2 Maps, Abbrev., Biblio., Index.
A s a typical American raised in this country, I was Rs.300.00 (HB). (2850).
A raised on a a diet that contained animal products as
did everyone else I knew. My family's earliest dietary restricCARRITHERS, M. - Naked Ascetics in Southern Digambar
tions came from our (my 2 brothers and sister) swim team Jainism. (The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute,
coaches who wanted us to restrict from our diets saturated June 1989, Vol. 24, No. 2, Letchworth, Herts, U.K.).
fat, junk food (candy bars, potato chips, etc.) and use skim
milk and margarine rather than whole milk and butter. This jaina Sutras in 2 vols, Hermann Jacobi, vols. 22, 46, Sacred
happened in 1960. Such dietary advise was decades ahead of Books of the East. Editor: F. Max Muller (ISBN: 81-208-0101
its time. Our parents were dismayed, but the coaches wanted 6).
better performances and diet was/is a key element in athletic
performance. It wasn't apparent to many until years later JASH, Pranabananda - Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern
that research discovered that there is more to a good diet than India. Delhi, 1989. xi, 140p. + 24 plates + 1 map. Append.,
the above guidelines. (In fact, there is so much ignorance in Biblio., Index. Ref. Rs. 120.00 (HB). (ISBN: 81-215 451-6).
matters of sound long term health habits among the average (276).
American that it is a disgrace that your health officials and medical practitioners aren't making a vegetarian diet the first
thing we teach your young people.) Read ...
In my family, my older brother became a vegetarian in Grow
1971. I didn't follow until later when his arguments finally sunk in. It was more difficult then since there was little support either in current literature or among support groups like vegetarian societies or animal rights groups like there is
today. I didn't last too long on the diet since I fell prey to a Appeal for Donation To Ex-Students
fallacious argument against a vegetarian diet. Of Mahavira Jaina Vidyalaya
One argument for a vegetarian diet is that animals suffer by Anop R. Vora (Committe Chairman)
being taken to slaughter and killed. They resist being killed and want to live. Being in line to become butchered is
frightening. Being cramped in trucks and trains where they KAY e, the ex-students of the Mahavira Jaina Vidyalaya,
are not fed or given water for the last days of their lives, these have launched a charity drive to help our mother
animals travel hundreds of miles in cramped quarters to say institution. Most of us have benefited enormously from the
nothing of the hormones, antibiotics and drugs they are financial help we received from this institution in our college
forced to take and horrible living conditions they undergo for days. The time has come for us to pay off our moral debt by
no crime other than being the victims of consumers' ignohelping Vidyalaya financially so that she can continue to
rance and apathy. The argument says they suffer and that support the needy and bright Jain students. We urge you to
suffering is wrong and avoidable by eating plant-based come forward and make a generous contribution to this
foods. The counter argument says that plants are alive and noble cause and/or be a member of the Ad hoc Committee.
they suffer too when killed, so we either shouldn't eat plants Please contact Mr. Anop R. Vora(Committee Chairman),
either or if we eat plants and they suffer, it's ok to kill animals Rochester, NY, (716) 473 9290 or any of the following mem
too since we are eating plants. bers for further details.
Fool that I was and it is embarrassing to admit now that I
actually believed that argument, that was the reason I quit Navin Ded hia, San Jose, Calif., 408-629-1729. Ashok Shah, Bloomfield, Mich., 313-335-1341
being a vegetarian for a while. Looking deeper into the Bhaichand Shah, Don Mills, Ontario, 416-447-7710.
objections, there are several problems. First, assume that Fate Shah, Oakton, Va., 301-571-3606
plants suffer. If the person who says that it's OK to kill Naresh Shah, Garden City Park, NY, 516-241-9269.
animals because plants suffer too is really interested in Rajni T. Shah, Arlington Hts, II. 708-956-7845 Ramesh Shah, Glen Oaks, NY, 718-343-0143.
decreasing the amountof suffering in the world. They would Kishore Sheth, Dover, Del. 302-734-1800
still be vegetarians because you must feed many more plants Chandra Vora, N. Boro, Mass., 508-393-2490.
to the farm animals and then eat them rather than eat a fewer Ramnik Vora, Roch., NY., 716-227-3365
number of plants to get the same amount of nutrition from
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