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Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
147
forms of life from dvīndriyas (two-sensed beings) upward is strictly forbidden to all Jainas. Therefore, they should strictly adhere to vegetarianism.
Health For health proper and moderate food, pure water, fresh unpolluted air, sunlight, cleanliness, sufficient manual labour, sufficient rest and sufficient sleep are essential. Neglecting all or any one of them invites bodily disorders, ailments and diseases.
Reprehensible Vicious Activities (Durvyasanas) These are those activities which are not necessary for living or livelihood, are worthy of condemnation, and make man such an addict to them that he experiences uneasiness without taking recourse to them. He is obsessed by the debase pleasures of these activities to the point of being unable to concentrate on any work, to perform his duties, or even to sleep.
One should repent or one's conscience should bite one if one enjoys even once the debase pleasure of any one of these activities!-so much so that one may remain constantly vigilant lest one may lapse into it again.
Moreover, the Jaina religion commands one to maintain cleanliness and purity. One should not pollute anything. Eating or feeding food eaten or polluted by others is a defect from the religious standpoint; it is injurious to health from the point of view of health. Bacteriology informs us that excreta and urine remaining undisposed for long generate poisonous germs which spread diseases. The Jaina teaching that one should be very careful in performing the excretory functions and that one should perform them in open places in such a manner as would cause no harm or inconvenience to others is very ancient. One should dispose excreta and other things that are of no use at a place free from living beings and after proper inspection. Cleanliness is very important. It is beneficial to health and conducive to mental delight.
At the end, we should remember that righteous conduct and good
1. dyūtam ca māṁsam ca sură ca veśyā pāparddhicaurye paradārasevā /
etāni sapta yasanāni loke tatsevitur durgatim avahanti // This verse enumerates seven such activities. They are: 1. dicing, gambling (dyuta), 2. boozing, drinking alcohol (madya, sura), 3. meat eating (māṁsa), 4. whoring (veśyā), 5. hunting (pāparddhi), 6. thieving (caurya), and 7. adultery (paradārasevā).
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