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Jain Code of Conduct
L.M. Singhvi
The Five Vratas (vows)
The five vratas (vows) in the Jain code of conduct are: (1) non-violence in thought, word, and deed; (2) to seek and speak the truth; (3) to behave honestly and take nothing by force or theft; (4) to practice restraint and chastity in thought, word, and deed; (5) to practice non-acquisitiveness.
The vow of ahimsa is the first and pivotal vow. The other vows may be viewed as aspects of ahimsa, which together form an integrated code of conduct in the individual's quest for equanimity and the three jewels (ratna-traya) of right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct. The vows are undertaken at an austere and exacting level by monks and nuns and are called maha-vratas (great vows). They are undertaken at a more flexible and moderate level by householders and are called anu-vratas ("atomic' or basic vows).
Underlying the Jain code of conduct is the emphatic assertion of individual responsibility towards one and all. Indeed, the entire universe is the forum of one's own conscience. This code is profoundly ecological in its secular thrust and its practical consequences.
Kindness to Animals
The vow of non-violence includes all forms of cruelty to animals and human beings. Jains have condemned as evil the common practice of animal sacrifice to the Gods. It is generally forbidden to have animals in captivity, to whip, mutilate, or overload them, or to deprive them of adequate food and drink. The injunction is modified in the case of domestic animals to the extent that they may be roped or even whipped occasionally, but always mercifully with due consideration and without anger.
Vegetarianism Except for allowing themselves a judicious use of one-sensed life in the form of vegetables, Jains would not take any life for food or sport. As a community they are strict vegetarians, consuming neither fish, meat, nor eggs. They confine themselves to vegetable and dairy products.
Self-restraint and the avoidance of waste
By taking the basic vows, the Jain laity endeavors to live a life of moderation and restraint, and to practice a measure of abstinence and austerity. They must not procreate
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