Jain vegetarianism
Jain vegetarian diet is practiced by the followers of Jain
culture and philosophy. It is one of the most rigorous forms of spiritually
motivated diet on the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The Jain cuisine is
completely vegetarian and also excludes onions, potatoes, brinjals (eggplants)
and garlic, similar to the shojin-ryori Buddhist cuisine of Japan.
The strictest forms of Jain diet is practiced by the
ascetics; in addition to potatoes it may exclude other root vegetables. This
food is called sattvic, which means that it is based on the qualities of
goodness, lightness and happiness. On the other hand, onions, eggplant and
garlic are considered "tamasic", as they are believed to have a
quality of darkness, lethargy and a putrid smell.
Jain objections to the eating of meat, fish and eggs are
based on the principle of non-violence (ahimsa, figuratively
"non-injuring"). Every act by which a person directly or indirectly
supports killing or injury is seen as act of violence (himsa), which creates
harmful reaction karma. The aim of ahimsa is to prevent the accumulation of
such karma.The extent to which this intention is put into effect varies greatly
among Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Jains believe nonviolence is the most
essential religious duty for everyone (ahinsā paramo dharmaḥ, a statement often
inscribed on
Jain temples). It is an indispensable condition for liberation
from the cycle of reincarnation, which is the ultimate goal of all Jain
activities. Jains share this goal with Hindus and Buddhists, but their approach
is particularly rigorous and comprehensive. Their scrupulous and thorough way
of applying nonviolence to everyday activities, and especially to food, shapes
their entire lives and is the most significant hallmark of Jain identity. A
side effect of this strict discipline is the exercise of asceticism, which is
strongly encouraged in Jainism for lay people as well as for monks and nuns. Out
of the five types of living beings, a householder is forbidden to kill, or
destroy, intentionally, all except the lowest (the one sensed, such as
vegetables, herbs, cereals, etc., which are endowed with only the sense of
touch).
Practice
For Jains,
lacto-vegetarianism is mandatory. Food that contains even the smallest
particles of the bodies of dead animals or eggs is unacceptable. Some Jain
scholars and activists support veganism, as the production of dairy products is
perceived to involve violence against cows. According to Jain texts, a śrāvaka
(householder) shouldn't consume the four maha-vigai - wine, flesh, butter and
honey; and the five udumbara fruits (the five udumbara trees are Gular,
Anjeera, Banyan, Peepal, and Pakar, all belonging to the fig class).
Jains go out of
their way so as not to hurt even small insects and other tiny animals, because
they believe that harm caused by carelessness is as reprehensible as harm
caused by deliberate action. Hence they take great pains to make sure that no
minuscule animals are injured by the preparation of their meals and in the
process of eating and drinking.
Traditionally
Jains have been prohibited from drinking unfiltered water. In the past, when
stepwells were used for the water source, the cloth used for filtering was
reversed, and some filtered water poured over it to return the organisms to the
original body of water. This practice of jivani or bilchavani is no longer
possible because of the use of pipes for water supply. Modern Jains may also
filter tap water in the traditional fashion and a few continue to follow the filtering
process even with commercial mineral or bottled drinking water.
Jains make
considerable efforts not to injure plants in everyday life as far as possible.
Jains only accept such violence inasmuch as it is indispensable for human
survival, and there are special instructions for preventing unnecessary
violence against plants. Strict Jains don’t eat root vegetables such as
potatoes, onions, roots and tubers, because such root vegetables are considered
ananthkay. Ananthkay means one body, but containing countless lives. A regular
vegetable such as cabbage has number of leaves and lives as could be counted by
a layman. However, a root vegetable such as potato, though from the looks of it
is one article, is said to contain multiple lives ('ekindriya') in it. Also,
tiny life forms are injured when the plant is pulled up and because the bulb is
seen as a living being, as it is able to sprout. Also, consumption of most root
vegetables involves uprooting and killing the entire plant, whereas consumption
of most terrestrial vegetables doesn't kill the plant (it lives on after
plucking the vegetables or it was seasonally supposed to wither away anyway).
Mushrooms, fungus
and yeasts are forbidden because they grow in non-hygienic environments and may
harbour other life forms.
Honey is
forbidden, as its collection would amount to violence against the bees.
Jain texts declare
that a śrāvaka (householder) shouldn't cook or eat at night. According to
Acharya Amritchandra's Purushartha Siddhyupaya:
And, how can one
who eats food without the light of the sun, albeit a lamp may have been
lighted, avoid hiṃsā of minute beings which get into food?
— Puruşārthasiddhyupāya
Strict Jains do
not consume food that has been stored overnight, as it possesses a higher
concentration of micro-organisms (for example, bacteria, yeast etc.) as
compared to food prepared and consumed the same day. Hence, they do not consume
yoghurt or dhokla and idli batter unless they have been freshly set on the same
day.
Jains do not
consume fermented foods (beer, wine and other alcohols) to avoid killing of a
large number of microorganisms associated with the fermenting process.
Historical
background
When Mahavira revived and reorganized the Jain community in
the 6th century BCE, ahimsa was already an established, strictly observed rule.
Parshvanatha, a tirthankara whom modern Western historians consider a
historical figure, lived in about the 8th century BCE and founded a community
to which Mahavira’s parents belonged. Parshvanatha’s followers vowed to observe
ahimsa; this obligation was part of their caujjama dhamma (Fourfold Restraint).
In the times of Mahavira and in the following centuries,
Jains criticized Buddhists and followers of the Vedic religion or Hindus for
negligence and inconsistency in the implementation of ahimsa. In particular,
they strongly objected to the Vedic tradition of animal sacrifice with
subsequent meat-eating, and to hunting.
According to the famous Tamil classic, Tirukkuṛaḷ, which is
also considered a Jain work by some scholars:
256. If the world did not purchase and consume meat, no one would slaughter
and offer meat for sale.
Some Brahmins –- Kashmiri Pandits, Bengali Brahmins and
Saraswat Brahmins –- have traditionally eaten meat (primarily seafood).
However, in regions with strong Jain influence such as Rajasthan and Gujarat,
or strong Jain influence in the past such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Brahmins
are strict vegetarians. Bal Gangadhar Tilak has described Jainism as the
originator of Ahimsa. He wrote in a letter:
In ancient times,
innumerable animals were butchered in sacrifices. Evidence in support of this
is found in various poetic compositions such as the Meghaduta. But the credit
for the disappearance of this terrible massacre from the Brahminical religion
goes to Jainism.
Some scholars state that ancient Jain ascetics accepted meat
as alms if the animal had not been specifically killed for them. If this is
correct, then they applied the same standard as early Buddhists. Some passages
in two of the earliest Śwētāmbara texts, the Acaranga Sutra and the Dasaveyaliya,
have been interpreted as regulations for specific types of meat and bones which
were considered acceptable alms. This can also be interpreted as references to
fruits and seeds. Medieval Jain commentators on these passages interpreted them
in the literal sense, but also mentioned the opinion that the offensive words
had different meanings, some of which did not refer to animals and hence were
compatible with vegetarianism. Modern Jains, who are strict vegetarians, prefer
the latter interpretation of these scholars on this matter.
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