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THE JAINA GAZETTE
logic is centred round it. It distinguishes Jainism from all other religions and philosophies.
Jaina Teaching Jainism is no ism quite severed from worldly life and quite blank on worldly wisdom. It has such broad and wise doctrines that not a single department of life is left untouched by it.
Our life, as it is, is divided into various channels and a man of the world has to work through them. Jaina scriplures are so equipped with knowledge that they shed sufficient light on the different phases of life to take us through them.
Some wrongly believe that Jainism puts unnecessary restrictions on what to eat, how to eat and when to eat. These unnecessary restrictions as they are brought forward are never put by Jainism, but on the other hand Jainism bases the whole science of diet on sound principles of hygiene.
Jaina-darshan recommends every individual to take pure and simple food which gives proper nourishment both to the body and the intellect. For this end it forbids the use of stale and certain over-night things, and also forbids the use of food after sunset. Are these unnecessary restrictions ? About the taking of food at night many physicians and hygienists also believe that it does some harm to the body, because even according to them very little time is left to take rest before going to bed, and this, in many cases spoils the sleep. Moreover this makes it impossible for a man to take sufficient quantity of water before sleep and this may perhaps give rise to some diseases.
Jaina-dharma puts all emphasis and force on the necessity of cleanliness, and urges every man to keep his body always quite neat and clean. For the upkeep of sound and proper health it advises all men to live in a pure and healthy atmos. phere and to take daily exercise. The observance of fast according to Jainism has also this end in view.
Jainism believes that only those can truely follow religion who are both bodily and mentally active, and not those who are Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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