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Monks and nuns of some of the Jaina sects place a piece of cloth on their mouths to check the air pollution. Jaina monks are not allowed to pluck even a leaf or a flower from a tree, not only this, while walking them always remains conscious that no insect or greenery is trampled under their feet. They use very soft brushes to avoid the violence of smallest living beings. In short, Jaina monks and nuns are over conscious about the pollution of air, water, etc.
So far as Jaina house-holders are concerned they take such vows as to use a limited and little quantity of water and vegetables for their daily use. For a Jaina water is more precious than Ghee or butter. To cut forest or to dry the tanks or ponds are considered very serious offence for a house-holder. As per rule, Jaina house-holders are not permitted to run such type of large scale industries which pollute air and water and lead to the violence of plant-life and animal-kingdom. The industries which produce smoke in large quantity are also prohibited by Jainacāryas. These types of industries are termed as “Maharambha' or greatest sin and larger violence. It is considered as one of the causes for hellish life.
Thus, Jainas take into consideration not only the violence of small creatures but even earth, water, air, etc. also. The fifteen types of industries and businesses prohibited for the house-holder are mainly concerned with ecological imbalance, pollution of environment and violence of living beings. Jainacāryas permitted agriculture for house-holders, but the use of pesticides in the agriculture is not agreeable to them, because it not only kills the insects but pollutes the atmospheres as well as our food items also. To use pesticides in agriculture is against their theory of nonviolence. Thus, we can conclude that Jainas were well aware of the problem of ecological imbalance and they made certain restrictions to
265 | Jainism and its History
