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Studies in Jainology. Prakrit
community is a living cxample. The Jains are usually aversc to several offences, because they are strictly vegetarians. Then taking for a while a socio-spiritual view, the learned monk obscrves: Man is not body alone that can think of quenching only hunger. He is a soul too that should have reverance or regard for other souls as well . Some cminent thinkers!4 hold that if man kills animals for food, he will not hesitate to kill his fellowmen whom he considers as his enemies. Dr.Albert Scweitzer, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, said that we will not have peace until! we cducate our people to develop in them “Reverance for Life”. Moreover meat cating moulds man's nature and sshapes his mode of Life. It encourages permissible society, cruclty and crimes and creats problems of co-existence, ccology and peace.
The economic aspect of non-vegetarian as against vegetarian sood is also disappointing and dismal. It is noted that we require approximately 5 kgs. of cdible grains to build 1 kg. of animal flesh for our food"). It is also observed : 10 Acres of land will support 66 people growing so, to 40 people growing ricc, 30 people growing maize and only 3 people growing cattle. The present population of the world is about 3 billion. If everyone will cat balanced vegetable dict, we can feed a population of 10 billion. Moreover at present more than 70% of the agricultural land in Western Countries is used for growing feed for farm animals, instead of food for humans. Hence considerable reduction or rather stopping meat consumption in the West would make a notable contribution toward fighting growing hunger in the Third World."
Thus if we calmly reflect and consider vegetarianisam versus non- vegetarianism from various points of view - economic, social, ecological, ethical, spiritual, moral, nutritional, medical, practical etc., only vegetarianism alone would justifiably provide with individual as well as social happiness and peace to the present world, which is ailing with a number of maladies such as hunger, poverty, exploitation, injustice, violence, terrorism, sabotage etc. And we should not forget that vegetarianism cannot sprout, grow and fructify of its own accord; but is has to be based on the
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