Jaina Path of Ahimsa

Author(s): Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir Research Centre

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The Jaina Path Of Ahimsā
Naturally the avoidance of these five atichāras, i.e, transgressions, would enable a person to practise ahimsa-varata without committing many faults.
(5) Renunciation of Drinking Liquor:
For the observance of Ahimsa-Vrata it has been specifically laid down that a person should renounce drinking wine because, according to the sacred text of Purushärtha siddhi-upāya,:
मद्यं मोहयति मनों
मोहितचित्तस्तु विस्मरति धर्मम्। विस्मृतधर्मां जीवो
FECHIBIChitarfa || 62
that is, "wine stupifies the mind, one whose mind is stupified forgets piety; and the person who forgets piety commits Himsā without hesitation.” Again, it is impressed that drinking liquor leads to the commitment of Himsā because wine is the repository of many lives which are generated in it. Similarly, it is brought home that many base passions like pride, fear, disgust, ridicule, grief, ennui, sex-passion, and anger arise due to drinking liquor and that these passsions are nothing but the different aspects of Himsā.
(6) Rejection of Eating Animal Food :
The observance of Ahimsa-vrata invariably means the total rejection of the practice of meat-eating on various grounds. In the first place, flesh cannot be procured without causing destruction of life, which is nothing but clear Himsā. Secondly, even if the flesh is procured from an animal which has met with a natural death, still Himsā is caused by due to the crushing of tiny creatures spontaneously born in that flesh. Thirdly, the pieces of flesh which are raw, or cooked, or are in the process of being cooked, are found constantly generating spontaneously-born creatures of the same genus. Hence, for these valid reasons a person must completely renounce meat-eating which definitely involves Hiñsā.
(7) Abandonment of use of Honey:
Along with the renunciation of wine-drinking and meat-eating, the giving up of use of honey is also included in the observance of Ahiṁsā-vrata because the use of honey invariably entails the destruction of life as even the smallest drop of honey in the world