Jains : Believers of Karma and Non-violence

Jainism is one of India’s three oldest religions, with roots dating back to at least the mid-first century B.C.E. It is still an important component of Indian culture today.

Jainism essentially accepts the law of karma. You will receive what you deserve based on your actions. Positive, constructive behaviours generate their own rewards. Negative, hurtful, and painful people have different reactions. One does not nullify the other. Each has an effect on what happens to you.

The most serious karmic contamination of the soul occurs when one causes harm to another being. The entire universe, according to Jain (religion), is a big cosmic mechanism. As part of that mechanism, humans must conduct themselves in tune and rhythm with it. Ahimsa is Sanskrit for « no harm. »
Nonviolence is regarded as the most important obligation for all Jains (ahins paramo dharma). It is a necessary condition for breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation, which is Jainism’s ultimate aim. According to Jainism, any act that directly or indirectly favors death or injury is considered violence (himsa), and it results in negative karma. The goal of ahimsa is to keep such karma from accumulating. Jains, like Hindus and Buddhists, share this purpose, although their method is more complete.

Their meticulous and complete application of nonviolence to normal daily tasks and eating moulds their lives and is the most important defining feature of Jain identity.

Nonviolence is central to the Jain vegetarian diet. They do not consume meat, fish, eggs, root vegetables, or animal products. Many devout Jains will not eat fruit or green vegetables on the eighth and fourteenth days of the lunar cycle, only grain-based meals.

Interestingly, milk and cheese are included in Jain cuisine. Veganism is practised by some Jains, however it is not required by Jainism’s beliefs.Even though ginger is a root vegetable, some Jains consume it. Some root crops are damp after being uprooted from the ground, whereas others are dry. This means that some have more microorganisms than others. Jains pursue a less violent path. Jains must follow a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarianism, in the Jain perspective, excludes all animal-based products except milk and other dairy products. Several Jain scholars and activists promote vegetarianism because they think that modern commercialized dairy farming includes cruelty to farm animals. In a nutshell,Jainism is founded on the principle of ahimsa, or nonviolence. This principle applies to all of our mental, physical, and linguistic interactions with other
living beings.

Author : Riya Jain