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SANATANA JAINA.
are never afraid of these things. It is only when the temperature goes up to 110 degrees that you will find any epidemic in India, and then cholera is the result. As an experi. ence in daily life, those who eat meat know that this food demands the in- toxicating stimulants of drink, and a necessity arises not only for that kind of food, but for drink also. People who live on simple food never desire these intoxicants. After considering all these things our philosophers have given us the rule that it is not the best plan to eat animal food. There are minor objections to all these rules: one is that all persons cannot live on cereals; but there ere other vegetables and fruits, and in the case of fruits almost all of these are in such a condition that they can be digested at once and do not require such work of the stomach, and fruit would be one of the best foods as it has the first quality of matter passivity, purity and quietness. These quali ties are to be found to a large extent in almost all fruits and substantial foods like wheat. The sacred book of the Hindus, the Bhagavad-Gita, which is considered very sacred, gives certain rules with regard to these matters of diet, and these different qualities of food. It says in describing the foods which belong to the first class, such foods give us more vita lity, more health, more prosperty, and we love others more from partaking of such foods. The second kind of food that which gives activity, which creates desires. Dassions motions. mental feelings, these foods are those in which are to be found the properties of sour or, of Baltish, or hot, or bitter.
These are the foods of the second kind, and they give rise to all the different emotional natures of human beings. The third kind of food gives us grossnes, sluggishness, slothfulness. is that food which is left over a day or over & night, which is changed in its taste, is the refuse, as it were; also that in which there is too muob of fat and animal food. All these are considered to be of the third class. The third property of matter, which carries us lower and lower in the gradations of life, we avoid altogether. Even among the vegetables we have certain reasons for objecting to certain kind of vegetables. While these rules are not to be found among the Brahmins, the Jains cbserve them strictly. with us no vegetable is eaten which is grown under ground, because it takes its quality from the minerals, without contact from the sunlight, and so it would belong to the third class and of course bave the third quality. We do not encourage such food on that account. People may say, "But what can we eat?" But there are so many kinds of fruits, cereals, nuts, etc. Some may say, "What can those persons who live in cold climates where there are no vegetables do?" If I am placed in a position where I must either starve or commit murder of & human being, what shall I do ?" It woul be better to starve. We are all quite sure with regard to the immor. tality of the soul. That is not the soul which dies; all religious dyree on that point, that the soul is not a transient entity. If it is going to live for ever why do we care simply for the body and got for the soul? Eating meat simply to
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
