Jainism by Vividus

Author(s): Ramnik V Shah
Publisher: Ramnik V Shah Canada

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they, while needing similar activities for limited intellectual satisfaction and emotional nourishment, cannot undertake or organise them, for want of their own people in sufficient number to do so. They argue with themselves somewhere on these lines: after all, they are all good and beneficial activities, and instead of not doing anything of their own which may be distinctive, why not enjoy and participate in what is being done and organised by other "Hindus"? The spirit of what is termed "Hinduism" has been so tolerant and inclusive that differences have always been accepted and remarkable unity in diversity is shown. It is almost synoymous with the spirit of India to which they all belong and from where they all have originally come. What heavens are going to fall even if they are bracketed as "Hindus'. as different from Moslems, Christians, Jews and Parasis? Why, if at all, do something to accentuate differences rather than similarities?
Such attitude and conduct on the part of the Jainas are indeed very commendable. If only all religions of the world taught and extended this or a similar attitude and conduct to mankind as a whole, the world would be quite different and astonishingly happier than what it is today.
In India, in those towns, cities and villages where there is a reasonable concentration of Jainas, they are known and distinguished by their characteristically different temples, upashrayas, (halls or buildings where Jaina saints or monks, both male and female, come and reside and give religious discourses), congregations, and festivals. As explained earlier, equality and nonviolence to every living form (Jiva) being the basics of their life and thought and systems of conduct formulated by them, they are strict vegetarians. There is a list of twenty-two restrictions, ten of which are fruits and vegetables with countless seeds such as fruits on banyan tree, fig tree, eggfruit, tomato etc,; one is the class of thin-skinned vegetables including roots growing underground such as potato, carrots, yam, onions, garlic, ginger etc., one is the class of fruits and vegetables not known
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