Nonviolence in Diet: Choosing the Right Foods

Keep 3 things in mind:

1. How to eat
2. What to eat
3. What time to eat

What one can’t eat is abhakshya. How can one give it up? Make your mind strong in the belief of nonviolence to stop eating abhakshya. If it has been said to stop abhakshya, then it is for your benefit since eating abhakshya or even thinking about eating abhakshya causes our parinaam to falter due to raag dvesh [ attachment and hatred] and aasakti [dependency]. Imagine the raag one has for the things if one is not able to stop eating/ using things they have been told not to eat or use.

Bhaav [emotional need] for something is the worst kind of sin. It can be controlled only by oneself; no society or government can help with this.

Eat only sthaavar [creatures with one sense] Jeev, no tras Jeev [5 udambar fruit], or food with high sthaavar Jeev hinsa [ e.g. jaminkand or roots]. Or even using products that involve tras hinsa [violence]. Cooking vegetables makes them achitta [dead], but this is not true for meat; so there will always be the growth of tras Jeev [creatures with 2 senses or more] in that. Vegetables that are not anantkaya [many physical bodies], such as jaminkand [root vegetables], are bhakshya [edible]. Do not mix hot and cold or vice versa. Do not mix lentils and yogurt to prevent hinsa [violence] from the growth of organisms in the presence of saliva. Drink filtered boiled water only.

Eat or take nothing that causes altered mental status or dependency.

Eat things that support good health, and eating that which results in poor health suggests one’s tivra raag.

Eat edible things only, not urine, stool, etc., or drink from another’s glass or share spoons, etc., with a mixing of saliva.

Check how things are made before consuming or using things.

Best time to eat: after sunrise and before sunrise.

Where is this talked about? In Jain scriptures written by Jain ascetics.