Religion and Philosophy of the Jainas

Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi
Publisher: Jain International Ahmedabad

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20 RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE JAINAS who are related to us, and no laws can be established which do not take into consideration the welfare of these living beings. First take into consideration the physical development. We know that the body must be healthy, that the right kind of food must be taken, the right kind of exercise and nourishment, and the right kind of clothing worn; all these laws we know, and nothing need be said on that subject; but the real laws we have to learn, even in connection with these things, are to help us to understand the deeper meanings of life. Is it only for our health that we are to have a peculiar kind of diet ? Has not that something to do with the mental and moral nature ? This is where our Hindu philosophy lends us some help. We divide food into three kinds, and not. as Western scientists do, into two saying that there is one kind which is nitrogenous and another which is non-nitrogenous. meaning simply the elements necessary for the support of the human body. We say that there are three kinds, one having the property of passivity and purity, another having the property of activity and the third having that of grossness; and we make these three divisions because we wish to take into consideration the moral influences of the food. When we eat of a certain kind of food, it may be nutritious so far as the physical part of the body, is concemed, but at the same time it may create peculiar emanations from the body which would lower us so far as our moral nature is concerned. Therefore, notwithstanding its nutritious character, we will avoid that kind of food because it is according to our philosophy, of the third kind, having grossness. It may be nutritious, but it may excite the passions, may stimulate and therefore hurt us. The scientists also will say the same thing. but they would say that we should eat that kind of food because it stimulates the palate and therefore does not injure health. Everything is to be judged, from your standpoint of healthy food, simply by its effect on the physical organism. But when we take into consideration the influence of that food on other beings besides ourselves, we must take into consideration the nature of the animal. It is said that there are many elements in