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Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
Food eaten before sun-set gets mostly digested through bodily movements and activities conducted during the period before going to bed; and hence it does not cause any uneasiness in sleep. But if we eat by night and go to bed after some time, food eaten do not get digested at all on account of the absence of bodily movements and activities which help digestion; hence stomach remains full and heavy, which causes uneasiness and bad influences in sleep. Indian science of health has formulated a rule that after having taken food one should drink water in small quantity many times (muhur muhur vāri pībed abhūri). Those who eat by night cannot observe this rule, because they do not have time to drink water in small quantity many times after taking food. Therefore, they suffer from indigestion. And indigestion is regarded as the root-cause of many diseases (arnaprabhavā rogāḥ).
In short, as shown above, the strongest argument against night-time eating is that it occasions more violence than day-time eating. And from the point of view of health electric light, moon-light or the like might be advantageous, but it is not universal and health-giving like sunlight. Hence where both are available, then from the point of view of health it is sunlight that is more useful and acceptable. Moreover, religion of renunciation lies rooted in contentment-from this point of view too it is proper to finish eating during day-time just like other activities appropriate to day-time and to contentedly give rest to the digestive system during night-time. This facilitates proper sleep and the observance of continence-all this resulting in an augmentation of healthiness. Again, if with a view to contentment either the day-time eating or the night-time eating has to be chosen, then a wakeful, discreet intellect will definitely choose the former. This is the testimony of the life-history of the great saints that have flourished up to this day.
Even common sense understands that one who cannot renounce nighttime eating is deprived of its benefits and advantages. But in these days of struggle and competition, men are engaged in such businesses and professions that they cannot renounce night-time eating in spite of their will. Taking into consideration their circumstances, their helplessness in eating food by night is pardonable, as it does not involve intentional violence, nor is it a form of purposeless evil activity.
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Discrimination of what to be eaten from what not to be eaten Till to this age various sciences, viz., science of body and its functioning,
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