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The Jain Food Philosophy and its
influence on India
Vegetarian Cookbooks
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Indian vegetarian cook books
Jainisim is governed with the idea of
non-violence or ahimsa. This high ideal has had a tremendous influence on India's
cuisine resulting in India's glorious vegetarian culture
Jainism is a very evolved
philosophy and a very gentle religion. Many Jains have very soft and peaceful souls
and very simple lives and they command respect wherever they go. This philosophy was
also seen as having many good ideals by ancient India and many of its principles have been
naturally incorporated into Hinduism and India's culinary culture.
Jainism takes non violence
to a very strict level and respect life at any level including plant life. They
make sure that there lifestyle does not cause injury to anyone. Gandhiji has been
influenced greatly by this philosophy and in turn influencing Martin Luther King to resort
to non violence.
As a result of this the Jain
diet consists of grains like wheat, rice, lentils or pulses and beans, oil-seeds are
recommended as they fall under the category of non-injurious food. They are yielded only
when their plants get dried of their own after their age ends. Fruits and vegetables
that become ripe on the plants or branches of trees or those that fall on their own after
becoming ripe, are used for food.
Jains are strict vegetarians
and many also avoid root vegetables as it is violent to plants. They also avoid any liquor
so they can live a mindful life. Other aspects of their food philosophy is that they
regularly offer food to poor people, fast on certain days, do not waste any food, drink
filtered water and eat after sunrise and before sunset.
Jain ideas can be traced
back to the seventh century B>C> in India, though it was Mahavir Jain who formalized
the philosophy of what was to be known as Jainism in the sixth century. Mahavira, most
likely born around 540 BC, was a Kshatriya of high Licchavi tribal birth. At the age of
30, he renounced family life and proceed to live, for the next 12 years, as an ascetic
The Consecration of Mahavira. Gujarat, 1404. Miniature from Jaina manuscript, the
Kalpasutra. 7x10 cms. Collection: British Museum, London.
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