Pristine Jainism

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 29

(26) : Pristine Jainism afford these. Sins of earning ill-gotten money can not be washed off by profligacy of such donations in the name of religion, which is not a marketable commodity. This is a substantial sum of money and should be utilised in helping poor, aged, widows, students, hospitals, drinking water facilities, schools, colleges, vocational training institutes, establishing industries, job centres to create employment. Wasting of amount uselessly in name of religion is sin.
Tendentious Justification:
In most festivities and ceremonies not only the large sums of money are spent uselessly and harmful noise pollution is generated but also avoidable violence is inflicted on helpless living-beings ants, plants etc. During these festivities and processions, the devotees dance and walk carelessly, crushing and killing ants etc. This is against the preachings of Arhats. It is ordained that one should be careful in walking even lifting articles from one place and placing at other place so that no creature is harmed because of carelessness (Iryā and other Samitis). On most such occasions flowers are profusely used, showered on processions, saints and idols, painfully on the advice of saints. Plucking flowers is violence (Himsā) because it causes not only pain to plants but also is abortion in plants. Flowers are genetic organs responsible for production of fruits and seeds, which is ultimate for all life forms. By removing flowers greatest harm is done not only to plants but also to our agricultural crops. Honey bee, butterflies and numerous such insects and moths help in pollination and hence production of crops. During the periods when there are no agricultural crops, these useful insects live on flowers in gardens, forests and other places. If there are no flowers then the useful insects will perish and thus the production of agricultural crops will be adversely affected. Experiments have shown that production increases by over 25% where honeybee keeping is done. By plucking flowers Janis are violating the vow of non-violence (Ahimsā) which is the core practice as prescribed in code of conduct in Jainism. Practice of sacrificial fires (Havans) is