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FEAR OF FOOD?
JAINA ATTITUDES ON EATING
PADMANABII S. JAINI
One of the several ways of distinguishing the Vedic tradition from the heterodox religious systems is to characterize the former as oriented to sacrifice (yajña) and the latter as adhering to the path of asceticism (tap). Since a yajña primarily consists of offering some kind of food as oblation, the Vedic tradition may be described as that which consumes food initially offered to the Deity and hence sanctified by its acceptance. The Vedic scers declare that they have imbibed soma and have attained immortality: apama somam amṛtā abhūma.' The Upanisads even declare that food is Brahman (annanı brahma)2 and recite a prayer which expresses a wish "Let us all cat together" (saha nau bhunaktu).3 The age-old brahmanical practice of offering śräddha or food to the manes (pitr) by feeding the brahmans has given rise to die adage that a brahman is fond of food: brāhmaṇo bhojanapriyaḥ.
In contrast, the heterodox tradition of the śramanas ignores soma altogether, decries oblations to gods as fruitless, prohibits the cating of the socalled prasāda, and ridicules the offerings to the manes as futile; it thus may be said to reject any notion of sacredness attached to food. The preferred mode of spiritual activity of the śramanas is tapas, which primarily consists of 'heating' oneself, i.e., drying or thinning by reducing the intake of food and water. Tapas is uius a form of self-sacrifice which is said to bring about magical powers (ṛddhi) as well as achieve the spiritual goal of mokṣa. The Ājīvikas, the most ancient among the śramaņas, have claimed that their teacher Gośāla had accumulated such heat (tejo-lesya) within himself by fast
Courtesy: Collection of the Research Papers of Prof. P.S. Jaini
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