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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
community has naturally remained vegetarian. This fact has been recently drawing the attention of even the Western World, wherein the importance of non-violence, vegetarianism etc., are being felt acutely.
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There are reasons why in the West and in several other countries, people are taking growing interest in vegetarianism the very corollary of ahimsa - non-violence. A number of Vegetarian Clubs, Vegetarian Societies, Organizations like Vegetarian Congress on national levels, International Vegetarian Union etc. have come up. Books and articles on the importance of vegetarianism arc being published by experts and thinkers.10 Mass Rallies for Vegetarianism are being held. They all stress and justify the need of vegetarian food for human society. Modern medical opinion is unanimous in diagnosing non- vegetarian food as the major cause of many of the dreaded diseases like B.P., Coronary strokes, gastro-intestinal disorders, kidney failure etc. Experts have also brought out for the public the preventive and curative role of vegetarian diet in man's daily life. The false notion that without meat eating man does not get the required energy and strenght is falling off; and the truth that vegetarian food is nutritionally wholsesome and complete with calories, proteins, minerals and vitamins etc., is being increasingly accepted. In this context I remember a classical example: Henry David Thoreu, the famous American pacifist, thinker and vegctarian, was once asked by a farmer, "I hear, you don't eat meat. Wherefrom do you get your strength?" Thorcu smilingly pointing to the husky team of horses drawing the farmer's wagon replied "Wherefrom do they get their strength?" Moreover we should note that the young Indian Chap, Shri Shah, who recently swam and competently crossed the British Channel, is strictly vegetarian and endowed with sound health12
Then on ethioo-social ground too meat eating has been proved to be bad, cruel and harmful to the human society itself. Yuvacārya Mahāprajñaji holds: With non-vegetarianism (meateating) the cruelty of killing of living beings is connected. Non-meat eaters are naturally free from such injury to life. The Jaina
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