Ahimsa Vrat
By Muni Sheelgun Vijayji
This is continuation from the series on Jain Sadhu (Monk). Read first part here.
The interpretation of violence in Jainism is very detailed. It not only preaches to be non-violent towards fellow human beings, animals and plants but also towards every Soul (Aatma) in this universe including earth, water, air and fire which has a Soul (Aatma) in it.
Jain Sadhu(Monk), during diksha vows not to harm any living being in the universe. He tries his maximum to protect all the living beings. “As you sow, so you reap”. Likewise, if you knowingly or unknowingly hurt any living being, you will have to pay for that in this birth or in your next birth’s.
Let’s have a look at how non-violence is applied in day-to-day activities of a Jain sadhu.
1. Vihar:
A Jain sadhu’s only mode of transportation is walking. A Jain sadhu never uses vehicles or horse carts or any other mode of transportation to travel from one place to another. Be it from Rajmundri to Rajasthan or from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, a Jain sadhu only travels by barefoot.
Reasons:
A. It involves lot of violence in using a vehicle to travel from one place to another or to travel throughout the world. Let alone the micro organisms, many small insects, cockroaches, snakes etc are crushed along the way. We even see dogs and pigs getting crushed by vehicles on the roads. If this is not violence, then what is? Your life is dear to you, don’t you think their life would be dear to them?
B. Vehicles are run on petrol or diesel, which is extracted from sea and underground. In the extraction process, thousands of fish die and millions of other living beings are harmed and killed. Petroleum itself is a kind of living being.
C. All metals in their original form are a type of living being which in Jainism is known as “Prithvikaay”. Steel and other metals are used in manufacturing a vehicle. Even fire is used in this whole process. The smoke and heat which emanates from that fire not only harms micro organisms but also harms the health of human beings. You can see people living around such factories suffering from cough, T.B and other diseases.
D. Global warming is an important concern today. Cars and other vehicles are a major source of pollution.
E. Today, health issues such as obesity, heart attack, cholestrol, sugar and other kinds of diseases are big concern for every human being. They spend so much money on that but still they don’t have peace of mind. But, for a Jain muni, these diseases are never a cause of concern. Their routine is so good that they need not worry about their health. Their main activity of excercise is WALKING. They walk everywhere and keep themselves hale and healthy.
2. Gadgets, Electronics and Appliances
Electrical equipments have become an essential part of the our lives. In a world where it is almost impossible to live without them, Jain Sadhus do not touch or make use of any of these gadgets. Even the most basic electrical equipments like fan, light, television and mobiles are not used by them. Use of electricity and electronic equipments is forbidden, because it is harmful to all living beings. Spending a day without electricity becomes a painful task for us but Jain Sadhus spend their entire life joyfully without using electricity.
Reasons:
1. Electricity is produced through four sources: water, coal, nuclear and wind. Electricity produced through these sources involves lot of process which harms millions of living beings. Water is also a main source of electricity which itself is a living being. While producing hydro electricity (electricity using water), thousands of fishes and other sea animals are killed.
2. Even in the process of producing thermal energy (using coal), a lot of harm is caused to the environment and micro organisms. Also, the pollution caused in the production process is very harmful to the nearby areas. And, to keep the heaters cool, water is used which again results in death of many micro organisms present in the water.
3. While producing electricity from nuclear energy, thousands of underground living beings like snakes, scorpions, rats etc., are killed. And when there is a nuclear leak, destruction caused to the environment is unimaginable. We have so many examples, the most famous incident being Japan’s nuclear leak, where millions of people were affected, let alone other living beings.
4. When electricity is produced through large windmills, thousands of birds lose their life. When a windmill is cleaned, tonnes of bird carcasses are collected. How can non-violence loving Sadhu use electricity which is produced by harming millions of living beings?
3. The world did not have electricity, some 150 years back. That generation perhaps lived more peacefully and happily. They had a direct connection with nature, which made them far less vulnerable to any kind of diseases.
4. Some of the things like batteries are known to be carcinogenic. There is an increase in the cases of Cancer, heart attack and other life-taking diseases which are a gift of this.
5. Kids are becoming less active as they rarely go out to play in playgrounds. Today’s kids are glued more to television sets and mobile phones and tablets. Even the youths have become prey to this technology. They are becoming less social, less active and overall less efficient.
6. A life of a Jain Sadhu is a life for honing the inner powers. When a person becomes more dependent on these electronic gadgets, he loses his inner powers and cannot control himself from these distractions.
7. Being enslaved to these electronic gadgets results in a person losing his intelligence. Our previous generation were able to perform calculations in their mind very quickly but now we need calculators to even perform a simplest of calculations.
3. Loch:
‘Loch’ meaning removal of one’s own hairs, beard and moustache by plucking from hand rather than shaving. The first thought to the reader’s mind would be about how painful this process would be. But once the mind is made then it is no more a pain but a joy that insects are not harmed. These pains are more mental and less physical.
Reason:
A. During the shaving process, there is always a chance of harming the lice (hair insect) in the hair. A shave may harm those lice, possibly killing them. A Jain Sadhu tries to protect even the smallest of insects whereas lice is still a visible insect. Sadhu also tries to avoid water, which has a life, used during the process of shave.
C. Loch is also healthy to the body as it improves the blood flow and strengthens the nerves.
4. Gochari:
Sadhus don’t cook their own food. Rather they visit houses for food. Like how a honey bee sucks little honey from many flowers and thus not letting the flower to get withered, likewise a Jain Sadhu visits various houses for food. They accept only a little quantity of food so that the family does not have to cook the food again. They visit various houses accepting only small quantities of food and collect enough food for fulfilling one time requirement. They do so, so that the people offering food do not have a problem and nor do they require somebody to prepare food. A Sadhu does not curse anybody if they are not provided with food. It doesn’t matter if they get ‘Bhiksha’ or not, they always bless the people of the house they visit. Whatever food they are provided with, they take them in a single utensil (Paatra). After visiting so many houses with different types of food served, everything is mixed and then consumed.
Reason:
1. It is a rule for a Jain Sadhu that they do not accept food which is prepared or intended for them. The main reason for this is, that if the food is specially prepared for them, it involves usage of fire, vegetation, water etc which is indirectly harming the living beings.
2. A Jain Sadhu does not prepare food for himself because it involves harming the living beings. This is the reason why they visit various houses for food.
3. A country where Sadhus have special importance in people’s heart, visiting houses for food only nurtures this devotion. Our country has a culture of “Atithi Devo Bhava”. These conduct continues the good values towards guests.
5. Complete renouncement of Non-Vegetarian food:
Jain Sadhu do not even touch non-vegetarian food, leave alone eating. Wine, butter, honey, meat etc are considered very unmeritorious and miserable food. Leave alone a Jain Sadhu, even a Jain follower will not touch these kind of foods.
Reason:
1. Killing another living being just to fill your stomach and for a treat to your taste buds is surely not acceptable. Our stomach is not a cemetery. Even while eating vegetables and other vegetation, regret fills the mind. A regret that I have to fill my stomach by harming these vegetation lives.
2. Those who kill animals are those who kill human beings. The person becomes a hard soul and there is no wonder when they start spreading terror in the world.
3. The Karma always comes back. The pain the animals go through when they are harmed or killed, the humans will also have to go through the same pain. Karma does not leave anyone. As already said, ‘As you sow, So you reap’.
4. According to science, meat diet is harmful and paves way for so many diseases, may it be cancer or heart diseases. This is the reason why many western countries have either stopped eating meat or have reduced the consumption.
5. According to Jainism, after an animal is killed, just due to the color of the flesh, millions of micro organisms germinate. The act of meat-eating causes harms to these micro-organisms in addition to the animal killed.
6. The screams and the pain which can be felt or seen in the case of killing an animal is not visible in plants and vegetation. For this reason, cruelty is almost zero in the cooking process of plants and vegetables. So, for their sustenance, Sadhus and other disciples use vegetations and plants for food.
6. Renouncement of Root and Bulb Vegetables:
Jain Sadhus and followers do not eat root and bulb vegetables like carrots, garlic, radish, potatoes, onions, ginger etc.
Reason:
According to Jainism, root vegetables are ‘Anantkaya’, which means countless lives in one body. Therefore, eating underground vegetables results in murder of uncountable lives.
Whereas, in other vegetables such as ladyfinger, tomatoes, cucumber, etc, the count of number of seeds is the count of number of lives in them and consumption of these vegetables will result in death of only that many number of lives.
When the plant is uprooted for the root vegetable, millions of micro organisms and other insects are harmed. Whereas while plucking fruits or vegetables from the top of a tree or a bush, the chances of such harm are far lesser.
Onions, brinjal etc are Tamasic. They increase anger and the intensive desire for sexual pleasures, which destroys a human’s mental balance.
7. Chaturmas:
Jain Sadhus are friends to all living beings. During the 4 months of rainy season, they stay at one place. For the other 8 months, they travel barefoot to different places preaching about Jainism which is for the welfare of the people.
Reason:
1. During the 4 months of rainy season, millions of micro organisms procreate. As compared to summer or winter seasons, the procreation is many times higher during the rainy season. Creatures like bats, mosquitoes and other similar creatures are in large numbers. With an intention to not cause any harm to them, Sadhus do not move (Vihar) from place to another or avoid travelling long distances.
2. Jain teachings also say that, even rain drops have life. That is why, when a Jain sadhu is walking and if it starts raining, Sadhus stop wherever they are without moving even a step further . If it rains for the whole day, they don’t even go out for ‘Bhiksha’ and observe fast for the entire day, sometimes even without water.
These are the first of the five great vows of a Jain Sadhu as preached by Lord Mahaveer. I have given a small description of some important things. The description was very brief. Apart from these, there are many more things which a Jain Sadhu takes care of, the knowledge of the same you can gain from any Jain Sadhu.
