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Jainism: A way to sustainable living, Part 1
Jainism is one of the oldest world religions, stretching over tens of thousands of years. The last great teacher lived around 2,000 years ago. He was Lord Mahaveera, a prince who undertook severe penance as a monk. His suffering during that time led to his spiritual enlightenment and the wisdom of his sermons endure today in Jain scriptures.
Lord Mahaveera and Lord Buddha lived around the same time and were born in the present state of Bihar in India. There is no record of them meeting but both preached on similar lines with an emphasis on compassion and non-violence towards all living beings. Buddhism went on to spread all over Asia and beyond, but Jainism remained mainly in India where, despite Jains being less than 4% of the population, their contribution to India’s economy is huge, and they play a prominent role in Indian society. Some of the grandest temples in India are the Jain temples. Most of them are high up on mountains and, as with many ancient buildings, one can’t help but wonder at the ingenuity of those who would build in such a place. The intricate workmanship on the temple walls is exquisite in its storytelling. In the state of Gujarat, in a place called Palitana, there are 700 temples on the hills of Shatrunjaya. Pilgrims have to climb 3,700 steps, preferably without any food or water.
Jainism teaches about conquering not external enemies but internal enemies. There are 5 central vows, or Mahavratas, that Jains are encouraged to take and they are Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Aparigraha (non-attachment), Asteya (not stealing), and the last vow is Brahmacharyra (with celibacy as the ideal).
The greatest good a Jain can do is give someone protection from fear of death. It is called Abhaydoan. This is translated into avoiding harm to the smallest form of life and to the largest, which extends to the food they eat. Jains are vegetarians and increasingly vegans: strict Jains also avoid potatoes and other root vegetables as they carry bacteria. Jain monks and nuns cover their mouths to avoid inadvertently swallowing any germs or insects. They never use any form of transport and walk from one city to the other. One idea behind this is to restrict their movements beyond what is absolutely necessary. The Jain laity or householders known as Sravakas (Men) and Sravika (Women) have a duty to provide food and tend to the needs of the monks and nuns.
Jains run thousands of animal sanctuaries throughout India, and often rescue animals from slaughter to protect them from the trauma of the abattoir. They then live out their natural lifespan in the sanctuary. Jains are, and have always been, ecologically conscious. The teachings are to use a minimum amount of the world’s resources. So wasting water and other precious resources and increasing their possessions is discouraged.
As an Anuvrat, or small vow, one should consider how their diet affects the lives of the other beings who share our planet and if one is not already Vegetarian, one should stop eating meat – including fishes – and eggs immediately. If one is already Vegetarian, one should stop consuming dairy.
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Jainism: A way to sustainable living, Part 2
This month celebrates Gandhi Jayanti, the 154th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Before Gandhi came to England in 1888, he was taken by his mother to visit a Jain monk who encouraged him to take a vow not to eat meat, consume alcohol or indulge in sexual relationships. It was Gandhi’s vow of not eating meat which brought him in touch with many famous people of the time such as George Bernard Shaw, Annie Besant and Madame Blavatsky. His nascent ideas of justice and freedom developed from there. Gandhi was later deeply influenced by the Jain visionary and poet Srimad Rajchandra.
It is now increasingly acknowledged worldwide that the biggest threat facing our planet today is global warming. The world is on a precipice and one of the biggest causes of the state of the planet is meat consumption. It is estimated that more than 92 billion land animals are raised every year for meat. So this planet has to sustain 92 billion farmed animals and more than 8 billion human beings; it is just not sustainable. The cutting of the Amazon rainforests, the methane gas released by billions of farmed animals, the loss of woodlands, and the spread of deserts are also contributing factors to the decline of the planet. Almost 70% of freshwater withdrawals globally and nearly 40% of the world’s grain is used for animal agriculture. Trillions of fishes and other marine life are caught and killed every year, many in methods that are especially detrimental to the condition of our rivers and oceans. So Jainism’s care and compassion towards all living beings, and respect for all that nature provides, can be seen to be highly relevant in modern times, and indeed is a major part of the solution the world is crying out for.
To put this concept of Ahimsa or non-violence in practice, Jainism advocates an idea called Anekantwad. It means that truth can be arrived at from different angles. The belief therefore, that different religions and ideologies are to be seen as different ways of perceiving the world, rather than a cause for violence, is fundamental to Jainism. If we look at history, we see that tens of millions of people have been killed by people claiming their religion is the only right one, and that others should not exist. Millions of people have died in the name of Communism, Capitalism and in the name of a so-called ‘superior’ race looking down on those who are perceived to be ‘inferior’. All this would have been avoided if the Jain idea of accommodating differences had been practiced.
Jainism today is a vibrant religion with a huge cultural heritage and though small in numbers, there are around 40 thousand Jains in the UK today, its message of sustainable living is supremely relevant both here and the world over.
As an Anuvrat, or small vow, one should ask everyone, whenever possible if they are Vegetarian or Vegan. If they are not then one should impress upon them the importance of being Vegetarian and ask them to stop eating animals – including fishes – and eggs immediately. They should then be encouraged to stop consuming dairy.
Nitin Mehta
Article published by
John Di Leonardo, MS
President and Executive Director, Humane Long Island Anthrozoologist & Wildlife Rehabilitator
This article was also published in the ‘Faith Initiative Magazine’-December 2022.
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Bio: Nitin Mehta, MBE, was born in Kisumu, Kenya. He speaks fluent Swahili, Gujarati, Hindi, and Punjabi. As soon as he was old enough to understand that—by heritage—he was Indian, he became fascinated with the land of his forefathers. At the age of eight, his parents took him to India. His impressions of India left a mark on him which continues to this day. When he moved to the UK at a young age, Nitin delved deep into the philosophical and spiritual wisdom of India. www.nitinmehta.co.uk
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