1 / 32

Holistic Jain Diet – Holistic Approach to Ahimsa, Environment, Health and Spirituality

Holistic Jain Diet – Holistic Approach to Ahimsa, Environment, Health and Spirituality. Pravin K. Shah JAINA Education Committee 509 Carriage Woods Circle Raleigh NC 27607-3969 Web - www.jainelibrary.org Email - jainaedu@gmail.com Tele - 919-859-4994.

dobry
Download Presentation

Holistic Jain Diet – Holistic Approach to Ahimsa, Environment, Health and Spirituality

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Holistic Jain Diet – Holistic Approach to Ahimsa, Environment, Health and Spirituality Pravin K. Shah JAINA Education Committee 509 Carriage Woods Circle Raleigh NC 27607-3969 Web - www.jainelibrary.org Email - jainaedu@gmail.com Tele - 919-859-4994

  2. Holistic Jain Diet – Holistic Approach to Ahimsa Environment Health and Spirituality • Holistic Approach • Holistic means analyzing the whole system of our Jain beliefs with respect to Diet rather than simply its individual components. • Ahimsa (Compassion) • Environment • Health • Spirituality

  3. Spiritual Aspect of Jain Diet • Goal of Jainism • Total Liberation from Karma / from Mithayatva (Ignorance) and Kshaya (Anger, Ego, Deceit, and Greed) • Samvar – Stoppage of New Karma • Right Conduct • Ahimsa, Aparigraha, Anekantvad, etc.. • 5 Samitis, 3 Guptis, 10 Yati Dharma, 12 Reflections, 22 Parishaha, 5 Conducts • Nirjarä – Exhaustion of karma already acquired via Penance • 6 External and 6 Internal Penances

  4. Samvar – Jain Conduct Ahimsa • Guide Line of Practicing of Ahimsa for Laypeople • Nonviolence is the highest principle of Jain Religion • However, life can not exist without violence • Hence, for our existence (food) we must follow the path of minimum violence

  5. Jain Diet – Follow the Path of Minimum Violence (Samvar) • Basic Jain Principle for Minimum Violence • The degree Violence inflicted is proportional to the number of senses a living being possesses…. • Violence to a living being which has more senses (Five, Four, Three, etc.. in these order) is more sinful act than thousands of One Sense living beings. It also creates a greater impact on the Environment • Order of Violence: Human, Animal, Insects, Bacteria, One sense being (Vegetables, Water, Air, Earth, and Fire) • Hence Jainism believes in Vegetarianism even though Vegetables have innumerable/infinite living beings which are being killed for our Diet and Existence (survival).

  6. Jain Diet – Follow the Path of Minimum Violence (Samvar) • Order of Degree of Violence (highest to lowest) • Violence to oneself (Highest Sin) – from spiritual point of view, consuming food that degrades our health and awareness • Violence or Exploitation of other Human Beings (2nd Highest Sin) - food, clothes, and shelters prepared by child labor, or by exploiting other human beings • Violence to five sensed Animals (3rd Highest Sin) - food prepared by exploiting and killing animals

  7. Jain Diet – Follow the Path of Minimum Violence (Samvar) • Order of Degree of Violence (highest to lowest) • Violence to four and three sensed movable beings such as flies, bees, insects (4th Highest Sin) • Violence to two sensed beings such as Bacteria etc.. • Violence to One Sensed Beings (use minimum for healthy survival) • Water, fire, air, earth, and not root vegetables have innumerable souls • Root vegetables have infinite souls

  8. Holistic Jain Diet – Food Criteria • Jain Food must be conducive to the Ahimsa, Environment, Health and Spiritual upliftment. • One should not consume any food that can create the violence (Kashaya) within or degrades awareness • One should not eat any food that involves violence to Movable beings (Human, Animals, Birds, Insects etc..) • Not to Consume Anishta Food and Anupsevya Food • Food which have no or very minimum nutrition value. • Eat little less than your hunger and early in the day for good Health and for proper practice of Meditation.

  9. Holistic Jain Diet – Food Criteria • Consume Only “Healthy Strict” Vegetarian (Vegan) Food • Food should be obtained with Minimum Destruction of Environment which is plants, water, fire, air, and earth • Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Beans.. etc • Consume Minimum for Healthy Survival. Waste is Violence • Two Classifications of Vegetarian Foods • Pratyek-käya - Vegetables has Innumerable Souls • Anant-käya - Vegetables with Infinite Souls (avoid this if alternates are available)

  10. Anishta Food - • Anishta and Anupsevya Food – • Any food which is not good for our health or spiritual upliftment and yet we consume it only due to our intense attachment (taste) towards that food. • Liquor, Drugs, Tobacco etc.. • Fried Food • Stale Food - Fruits, Vegetables, and other Food that has developed fungus • Anupsevya Food – • Improper Food which contains no nutrition and hence should not to be consumed - Coal, Clay, etc.

  11. Violence to Oneself (Highest Sinful Act) • Violence to oneself is considered highest sinful act because it affects our Awareness (state of mind) and our Spirituality (which is Samyakva). • Hence the consumption of any intoxication should be avoided first for our spiritual growth. • Intoxication • Liquor, Beer, Opium, Bhang (Snuff), Drugs

  12. Food Related to Animal Cruelty • Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs • Dairy Products • Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Butter, Ice-cream, Ghee, Sweets • Eggs – Fertilized or Non-fertilized (highest cruelty to birds in factory farming) • Honey (Bees are produced and raised) • Jello made from fish Gelatin • Varakh (Silver Foil) made using cow’s intestine.

  13. Cruelty to Animals • American Culture (Psychology) • “Most people care about animals and do not want to see them harmed, but engage in a diet that requires them to be killed or suffer” • Classification of Animals – • Pets, Wild Animals, and Farm Animals • Treatment of farm animals can not be applied toward pets • One can not crammed dogs in a cage similar to chicken, which deprives fresh air, sunlight, and movement. • America - Dogs are Pet, Cows are Farm Animals • Other culture - Dogs for food, Cows are sacred • we’ve become so accustomed to (and often attached to) our forms of exploitation, often intertwining them deeply into our culture, religion, and way of life.

  14. Cruelty to Animals • Statistics • Animals Killed per Day in USA • Cattle - 130,000 • Calves - 7,000 • Hogs - 360,000 • Chickens - 24,000,000

  15. Cruelty in Dairy Industry • Cows are kept pregnant continually • Slaughtering 70% to 80% of baby calves slaughtered within six months by the Veal industry or within five years by the beef industry • Slaughtering the mother cow after five years of their fertile life while the life expectancy is 15 to 20 years • Everyday, hormones or drugs are injected to increase the milk yield.

  16. Impact on Environment • Greenhouse effect • World's 1.3 billion cows annually produce 100 million tons of methane a powerful greenhouse gas which traps 25 times as much solar heat as CO2 • Water Consumption • Livestock (Cattle, Calves, Hogs, Pigs) production accounts for more than half of all the water consumed in USA.

  17. Impact on Environment • Land Usage • A third of the surface of North America is devoted to grazing • Half of American croplands grow livestock feed for meat and dairy products • 220 million acres of land in the USA have been deforested for livestock production • 25 million acres in Brazil, and half the forests in Central America

  18. Impact on Environment (continued) • To produce 1 lb. of Meat, an average of 40 lbs. of vegetation is used. • This calculation takes into consideration, the land clearing, as well as food for the live-stock until slaughter – Food cattle are generally slaughtered prior to 2-years-old Dairy cattle may live 4 years before being turned into burgers. • To produce 1 lb. of Meat, an average of 2500 gallons of water is used. • 1 lb. of wheat requires 108 gallons of water 1 lb. of rice needs 229 gallons of water1 lb. of potatoes require just 60 gallons of water • *Source: USDA 2001.

  19. Impact on Environment (continued) • Waste • Waste released in the Environment by American Meat and Dairy Industry: • 230,000 pounds per second, polluting our land, air and water systems. • *Source: USDA 2001.

  20. Impact on Health • Impact on Health – Meat and Dairy Products • High Cholesterol • High Saturated Fats • High incidence of Prostate Cancer • Calcium Deficiency (recent study) • Less Hygienic

  21. Cruelty in Egg Production • Poultry Farms – • Hens / Chicken are considered Egg producing Machines • Confined to Narrow Space • Attack One Another • De-beaked • Food Given • Bone meal, Blood meal, Excreta food, Meat meal, Fish meal, Grain • Unfertilized Egg • It is the Result of Biological Cycle of a Hen but they go through the same cruelty • Usage of Byproducts • Cosmetics, Cakes, Cookies, Candies, Wine "clearing" agent, Shampoos, Skin Care Products

  22. Cruelty in Varakh (Silver Foil) Production • Manufactured using Cow's Intestine (Ox-gut) obtained from slaughterhouses • Thin strips of Silver placed between intestine and manually hammered to create Silver Foil. • Used to decorate sweets, betel nut, paan, Temple idols etc.. • Annually 255,000 Kgms used ($40 Million)

  23. Nirjarä – Jain Penance • Nirjarä is the process of exhaustion of karma already acquired • The karma exhaust themselves by producing the results (creating environment) when it is time for them to do so. • However at that time, new karma begin to pour in. • Hence it becomes difficult to be free of Karma. • Therefore, one should destroy the Karma before they produce the result. This is real Nirjarä

  24. Nirjarä – Jain Penance • Real Nirjarä - Removal Ghati Karma (Mohaniya Karma) before Maturity • Nirjarä is done by rigorous penance • Six External Penance: • Relates to Physical Body (Food and Exercise) • Pre-requisite to prepare our mind for Internal Penance which is true Nirjarä • Six Internal Penance: • Relates to spiritual improvement of Thought Process – It is a real cause of liberation

  25. Nirjarä – Jain Penance : External Penance • Anasan • Complete abstinence from eating and drinking • Alpähära or Unodari • Reduce the quantity of food one normally eats • Ichhänirodha or Vrittisamkshepa • Control of desire for food and material things • Rasatyäg • Give up stimulating or tasty food • honey, alcohol, butter, milk, tea, sweets, juice etc. • Sanlinatä (Vivikta_shaiyashan) • Stay in a lonely places free from all disturbances. Withdrawal of senses from external comfort. • Käya klesha • Penance and tolerating physical pain voluntarily • First 4 External Nirjarä relate to healthy diet and the other two relate to healthy body

  26. Nirjarä – Jain Penance : Internal Penance • Präyashchitta • Repentance for Bad Deeds with firm determination - not to do it again • Vinay • Humility and proper behavior towards all living beings • Vaiyävruttya or Vaiyävachcha • Rendering Selfless service to needy and sufferings • Swädhyäy • Study of religious literature • Dhyäna • Contemplation and Meditation on soul’s true nature • Käyotsarga or Vyutsarga • This is the ultimate internal austerity, where the activities of the body, speech, and mind are withdrawn and a person exist with complete awareness and bliss

  27. 22 Abhakshya Food Non-edible Food • Relates to Cruelty to Movable Beings (Trasa Souls) also known as Vigai • 01. Meat • 02. Liquor (Madira) • 03. Honey (Madha) • 04. Butter • Vegetables with Infinite Souls • 05. Kandamul or Root Vegetables • Potato, Onion, Ginger (Aadu), Turmeric (Haldar)

  28. 22 Abhakshya Food Non-edible Food • Dairy product mixed with beans 06. Dvidala • Milk, yogurt, or buttermilk mixed with beans and human saliva - Trasa souls are borne • Five Udambars • 07. Green Fig • 08. VadaTeta • 09. Umarda • 10. Kotha • 11. PiparaTeta

  29. 22 Abhakshya Food Non-consumable Food • Relates to various degrees of Violence • 12. Eating at Night (RatriBhojan) – Timing of Eating • 13. Poison or Madak (Vishaya) Padarth • 14. Hail Stones (Kara), Snow • 15. Ice (Baraf) • 16. Stale Food (Rasa Chalit Food) – Food Quality • 17. Eggplant orAubergine(Brinjal or Ringana) • 18. Fruits with large quantity of Seeds (Bahu BijFala) • 19. Pickles (Bol Athanu – Achar – old Pickles) • Non-edible after 24 hours • 20. Eat Less and Through Away More (Tuchha Fal) • 21. Unknown Fruits/Vegetables • 22. Raw Clay

  30. Jainism in Action – Eco friendly Religion • Caring for the Earth and Environment is the way of Life for the Jain Community by following the two key principles of Jainism in every day life • Ahimsä • Be Compassionate including to ourselves • Minimize injury to all forms of life including Air, Water, Earth, Plants and Animals • Be Strict Vegetarian / Vegan and avoid the use of Animal based products • Non-possessiveness / Self-restraint • Reduce our needs and wants as far as possible • Reuse / Recycle products, Eliminate Waste • Share Resources

  31. The Book of Compassion – List of Articles • The Book has the following Articles: • Universal Declaration of The Rights of Animals • My Visit to A Dairy Farm • Dairy Cows - Life, Usage, and Sufferings (New York Times) • Recycling of Slaughterhouse Waste (Rendering Plants) • Milk - Its Impact on Health, Cruelty, and Pollution • Is Nothing Sacred? - Cruelty towards India's Holy Animals

  32. The Book of Compassion – List of Articles • Vegetarianism - A Compassionate Approach to Life • Varakh (Silver Foil) • Facts about Eggs • Story of Silk • Story of Pearls • The Myth about Milk • Puppy Mills: Breeding Ills • Alternatives to Animal Abuse • How our Diet affects the Environment • Note – All articles are available on Jain eLibrary Website • www.jainelibrary.org

More Related