________________
LIFESTYLE
EAT TO LIVE, NOT TO EXPLOIT
Pushpendra Jain analyses the Jain dietary code, explaining why it is that they do
not eat certain fruits
and vegetables
CHANDU SHAN
ENTRY
TRADITIONALLY, VEGETARIANISM IS PRACTISED BY SOME cultures for reasons of compassion, reverence for life
and non-violence. The Jains are no exception to this. The very fundamental question that is often asked of vegetarians is, "If non-violence is the basis of vegetarianism, why eat plant based foods? Don't plants have life?" This issue was tackled by ancient Jains long before modern science could establish that plants have life. They recognised the five physical senses as the principal attributes of living beings: touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. They classified all life forms in the universe in terms of these senses. The lowest life forms, such as plant life, are those with only one sense: the sense of touch. The highest life forms, such as human beings, mammals and most of the animal kingdom have all the five senses. The other intermediary life forms are the living beings with two senses - touch and taste such as an earthworm; three senses - touch, taste and smell such as lice; and four senses - touch, taste, smell and sight such as mosquitoes. Senses appear in various living beings strictly in the specified order. Touch is the most primitive of all senses and hearing is the last sense found at the most advanced stage of development. No other combinations of these senses are known to exist.
Realising the human need of nutrition for survival, plant life with only one sense is the only permitted food for human consumption. To reconcile the principle of nonviolence with the consumption of plant based diet and to preserve plant life as best as possible, there are further dietary codes for day-to-day living. These include prohibition of some vegetables and fruits, restrictions on procurement of produce, restrictions of times and timings, fasting, etc.
Root vegetables and fruits are prohibited as a general rule. To procure such produce, one must destroy the entire plant and with it all the micro-organisms around the root. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be plucked only when ripe and ready to fall off or ideally after they have fallen off the plant. In case they are plucked from the plants, only as much as required should be procured and consumed without waste. Grains, such as wheat, rice, maize and beans are
Fresh fruits and vegetables should be plucked only when ripe and ready to fall off, or ideally after they have fallen off the plant
30
Jain Spirit • June - August 2001
in Education international 2010 03
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