Book Title: Jaina Philosophy
Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi, Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: World Jain Confederation

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Page 170
________________ The True Laws of Life without adding the animal nature to our own. The physical impurities also and the injurious humours and ethers of an injurious nature are always present in animals which are especially raised for the purpose of food. The turkey is stuffed as it were with food, and is made to appear fat and plump. To try the same experiment with the human being would produce a state of body which you can all imagine. To keep our own body healthy we must take sufficient exercise; if we eat something which is not necessary for us we know that result will be injurious, and that is the experience of all people in all countries of the world. In more ancient times the life was simpler, but now the discovery of all these different medicines for curing dyspepsia shows that people are suffering from this disease. In this country we know that there are so many kinds of pills and medicines used; we even have those in India now. These things show that not only in America but in all countries it is because people do not know the rules for diet that we have recourse to artificial means. It is better to follow the rules of diet in the beginning and not have any kind of artificial medicines at all. We have to know so many things even in regard to food, and how much more in regard to the mental, moral, and further on, the spiritual nature. Take the mind in its ordinary condition; it can think on so many subjects, and may run in different directions at different times. After being fixed on one point the result is that the mind can be concentrated on one subject more easily. This may be the result either of food or of a different way of living, with regular hours of sleep, a proper amount of exercise, thinking of subjects which excite the mind. The general rule with regard to the development of the mental nature is that we should be compelled some how or other to concentrate our attention on one thing. A person employed in any department of life who is not able to centre his thoughts on - 161 Jain Education International For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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