________________
520 : Scientific Contents in Prākṛta Canons
Nature of Foods: Vegetarian Diets
It is clear from the list of non-eatables that the Jaina canons have prescribed vegetarian food substances to be intaken. Normally, these materials may either be dried plants or plant products. Currently, vegetarians are classified as lactovegetarian, vegan and ovo-vegetarian ones. The Jainas have an ideal of being vegans. However, most Jainas are lactovegetarians from the very beginning. In early days, vegetarian diets were charged with insufficient nutritiveness by scientists. But now, researches have shown that these can form fully nutritive meals. More and more western people are taking to vegetarian diets now because of their non-violent, environmental and health effects. Many dangerous diseases have been found to be absent among vegetarians. Their pious nature and longevity is another factor. Some so-called deficiencies have been removed by supplementing these diets with soya/ groundnut powders. This system of diets is now gaining prominence in the west on a large scale. Vegetarianism is another characteristic sign of the Jainas.
Foods Taken by Living Beings Other than Human Beings Bhagavati and Sutrakṛtānga 6 have mentioned about
foods intaken by living beings other than human beings. It is pointed out that plants have constant intake from all directions wherein are involved the diffusion of essential salts, water, air and solar heat which are metabolised to give the different parts of the plants gradually. The heterotrophic plants have somewhat different intakes as they survive and grow on others. It is stated that the intake is absorbed, assimilated and transformed in useful form for the plants. There seems to be no excretory wastage in plants as in foetus developments. All intakes are transformed into useful parts of the plants. They generally have oja-āhāra and diffusional intakes.69
The more developed beings having more than one sense of touch also have intakes from all directions intermittently. They have diffusional and morsel eating. The first one
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
