Page 112 - Courage Redifined

8. The Depth of Jainism

Nirdosha means that the fault preparing foodspecially for the
sadhus is not there about the person for whom this food is
made. It is only the fact that the food is not made for the
sadhus. Hence when sadhus accept such food the acceptance
is only limited to the fact that the food is not made for sadhus.
The acceptance of the food made for the householders does
not come in there.

Here we want to emphasize about the depths till which the
Jain religion goes. When the sadhus takes food made for
them, it means that they approve to the violence caused in
the preparation, even if he convinces his mind that, “I do not
consider food made to be good.” Jainism preaches that even
if you do not consider it to be good, why do you accept and
eat it ? Your act of consuming such food shows that in your
heart, you agree to this fault.

This agreement to the sin of violence is also a sinful act. This
is the broadness and depth of Jainism.

Buddhists belief :

Buddhists believe that you cannot kill a living creature on
your own but you can consume the creature killed by someone
else. For eg. you can consume the animal’s meat cut by the
butcher. Also, you can eat the fish already caught by the
fisherman. This is not considered violence and cannot bind
karmas according to them. But it is very obvious that if there

102 Courage Redefined