Non Violence

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Dada Bhagwan Foundation

Page 29

Ahimsa
Ahimsa
Questioner : As a Jain, I have been brought up that
Dadashri : It is meant for the health of the body, as well as for the practice of Ahimsa.
Questioner : But why shouldn't we eat after dark?
way.
Dadashri : According to the principles of Jainism and Vedanta, evening meals should always be eaten while the sun is still present. The Vedant view holds that your intemal organs are more receptive during the daytime allowing the process of digestion to occur. The Jain view, based on what the Tirthankars have said, holds that all living beings return home when the sun sets.
Dadashri : In that case you should do pratikraman in the name of Lord Mahavir. It is the Lord's instruction, so you must abide by it and if you cannot follow it, you must ask for forgiveness. If you want to practice Ahimsa and keep your body healthy, it is best that you eat before sunset. Do you normally eat early?
Questioner : I have started to do so recently.
Dadashri : Who made you do it?
At times, because of the clouds it may be difficult to see whether or not the sun has set, but the embodied souls have an internal power that allows them to sense the day's end. One can tell that the day has ended when the life forms return home. Even the subtlest of life forms, which are not perceptible under a microscope, return home. They settle on the food and remain unseen because they are of the same color as the food.
This is why food should not be eaten after dark. People are not aware about the harm caused by eating after dark. Not to eat after dark is considered a mahavrat (highest religious vow). This can be considered the sixth mahavrat (the five vows given by Lord Mahavir are Ahimsa, adherence to truth, non-stealing, non-possessiveness, and brahmacharya (celibacy)).
Questioner : If a person has no choice but to eat after dark, will he be binding karma?
Dadashri : No. Karmas are not bound in this way. Why do you have to break that rule? Someone must have taught you to observe it, right?
Questioner : I started doing so because I wanted to, on my own.
Dadashri : But from now on you should do it with the understanding that you are following this practice for the sake of Ahimsa, as explained by Dadashri. It is useless if it is done without a purpose and a goal. For example if you want to travel abroad, you make payments to your agent for the ticket, only then will you acquire the ticket but if you did not give him any instructions, how else would he know what the money is for? Edible Roots: An Abundance of Subtle Life Forms
Questioner : Is it wrong to eat root crops?
Dadashri : Yes very wrong, but eating after dark is worse.
Questioner : Aren't there infinite life forms in onions and potatoes?
Dadashri : Yes, they are infinite life forms.