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ETHICS: AHIMSA
71
Food Food which involves the slaughter of living beings, animals, fish, birds, or anything that has five or less sense-organs, must not be taken.
One thing must here be made clear. Life thrives on life. The ideal practice of non-injury is possible only to the soul in its perfect condition, i.e. when it has freed itself from the last particle of karmic matter (karmurargaņās). On this side of that happy state, do whatever we will, some life must be transformed into our life in order to sustain it. Therefore what is meant and enjoined is simply this: “Do not destroy life, unless it is absolutely necessary for the maintenance of a higher kind of life.” The purer souls will, of course, not like to sanction eren this. But, as formulated above, the rule does not sanction hurting or injury: it limits it to the lowest possible minimum. As a supplementary rule we have : " And then begin with the least evolved kind of life, e.c. with the sthāvaras" (pp. 8-9 supru).
Drink All kinds of intoxicants, or even stimulants, are prohibited. They are not necessary for the life and well-being of the body. They feed the passions, and passions are the bitterest foes of the soul. There is also wholesale destruction of small life in the ferientation of brewing and distilling:
Trades and Industries Certain trades are prohibited to Jainas as Jainasbrewing, fishing, butchering, and anything that involves wholesale slaughter of living beings for purposes of
