2 . FOOD PROBLEM.
Now let
us investigate the conditions prevailing in the world , which have caused so
much unrest and chaos . For our purpose , it is necessary to survey the
activities of the individual man and thereby ascertain how far spiritual
awakening in the light of Ahimsa has influenced his primary instincts in daily
life . Let us begin from his food instincts . Man requires food for the upkeep
of a healthy body ; but today the food has become a luxury to satisfy the
relishes of the tongue . Void of Viveka , not heeding to the inner voice of
conscience and caring little for Ahimsa , man devours whatever is placed before
him in a fashionable way and appealing to his taste . People care but littile
to ascertain whether the food they take is natural and not harmful . Nobody
seems to remember that man is a herbivorous living being and his right food is
corn , fruit and vegetable . Prominent medical opinion declares it so . To
begin with Sri Henry Thompson , M. D. , F. R. C. S. , writes:--
“ It is a vulgar error to regard meat in
any form as necessary to life . This statement is amply proved by the fact that
three-fourths of the human roce do not eat flesh . It is difficult to
understand how a civilisation can call itself Christian or humane or even
rational , while its main article of food is not unnecessary but one that
involves so much degradation to the producer , disease to the consumer , and
untold suffering and cruelty to the victims .”
Likewise another medical authority , Dr. Josiah Oldfield remarks:--
“ In
order to secure a clear head upon an active body , I am of the opinion that a
man should give up eating all dead bodies and all perparations of them—all
entrails , organs , muscles , blood and bones of dead animals , under whatever
fancy names , they may be presented – and should carefully and wisely select
from the producers of the harvest field , the garden , the orchard and the
forest . ”
Vegetarian diet is rather helpful to health and prolongs life . The
opinion of Dr. John H. Kellog , M. D., LL. D. Is worth perusal . He writes :
“ There
is nothing necessary or desirable for human nutrition to be found in meats or
flesh foods which is not found in and derived from vegetable products . ”
But
inspite of such eminent medical opinion in favour of vegetarian food , most of
our intelligentsia is swayed away with the alluring tastes of the meat dishes .
They believe in Ahimsa , yet eat the carcasses of animals . Does it not cause
pain and fear to lesser berthen , the animals ? When one hurts life , how can
he style himself an Ahimsaist ? But the wonder is that a few of the modern
Pacifists , who are so very anxious and are true in their laudable efforts to
establish peace in the world , do not attach much importance in the approach
between Western and Gandhian pacifisms , Rev. John Nevin Sayre , an American
representative to the World Pacifist’s Conference held at Wardha
(
“ I
think our Pacifism would be very close to Ahimsa , with this difference . I
think , Ahimsa would involve refusal to take any life including animal life .
Our pacifism does not go that far . The kind of pacifism I am talking about ,
is refusal to take human life by warfare and murder and so—( Vide Amrita Bazar
Patrika , dated
But on
the other hand a different opinion , somewhat a rejoinder to the above view ,
comes itself from the West . Rev. J. Harold Kemmis a clergyman of the Church of
England and a member of the Order of the Cross ( London ) , is reported to have
spoken at Los Angels
(
“
Everybody wants peace , whether or not they are religious . But what kind of
peace ? When Millions of Lambs are about to be slaughtered , is that conducive
to Peace ? If man really wants peace he must build all the conditions which
make far peace . Carnivorism is an evil force which helps war . It is for us to
do something now which the United Nations are not doing , something which the
churches could do but are not doing . Carnivorism is a barbarity – something
evil—something hurtful – something which should bring a blush of shame to men ,
though many noble people have not perceived it thusly . Carnivorism is utterly
wrong , vegetarianism is in line with Divine Law . Carnivorism is a war on a
certain level: it is war upon the less developed creatures of this planet .
Carnivorism is a war in which the lesser creatures always lose . They have a
right to life just as we humans do . Carnivorism encourages cruelty , it causes
a group of people to make their living by abominable slaughtering . I believe
carnivorism makes far war in that it encourages all those rough and beastial
ways . ”
No one
can deny the force of the above reasoning . As you sow , so much reap . Karmas
work in their own way . The effect of one’s instincts is responsible to create
a good or bad character . In
Khave Anna
, Waisa Hove mana--- ‘ As your
diet , so your feelings . ’
More
than a century ago , Brillat – Savarin , the French Philosopher , also ,
remarked :
“ Tell
me what you eat and I will tell you what you are ! ” It is certainly true , for
food has an effect on character . “ Today the truth of this contention ” ,
writes the Editor of “ The Vegetarian News Digest ”: “ Is borne out by studies
of human beings and by existance research which show , for instance , that
whatever affects the endocrine glands deleteriously or favourably influences
character and personality . These glands are dominent in the whole process of
digestion , as well as metabolism , and through the harmones produced from food
they are directors of every activity of the bodymind . ”
Dr.
Louis Berman has analysed the various traits in terms of diet and metabolism ,
which establishes that man is made by what be eats and drinks . Jaina
Tirthankaras knew this well and consequently . They laid down ethical rules ,
which regulate man’s diet in an Ahimsaist manner . A Jain can never touch meat
or fish or eggs and he can never drink intoxicants . The Jains refuse meat on
following grounds : --
“ Flesh
cannot be procured without causing destruction of life; one who uses flesh ,
therefore commits Himsa ( Injury ) , unavoidable . If the flesh be that of a
buffalo , ox etc ., which has died of itself , even then Himsa is caused by the
crushing of creatures spontaneously born therein . Whether pieces of flesh are
raw , or cocked , or in the process of cooking spontaneously born creatures of
the same genus are constantly being generated there . He who eats , or touches
, a raw , or a cooked piece of flesh , certainly kills a group of spontaneously
born creatures gathering together . ”
------(
Purushartha Siddhyupaya , pp. 35-36)
In the whole
world , the Jainas are the only people who have never touched meat and wine
since a hoary antiquity and yet they are well-off in all walks of life . They
are most peaceful citizens and try to live out Ahimsa principle so far as is
possible for them .
Almost
all the great teachers and other personages of the world , namely Zoroaster ,
Socrates , Pythagoras , Plato , Confucius , Christ , Muhammad , Plutrach , Ovid
, Buddha , Mahavira , Nanak , Asoka , Pope , Tolstoy , Ruskin , Thoreau and
Walt Whitman , Shelley , M. Gandhi and others lived and preached Ahimsa . They
knew well the intimate relationship
between man and his food . Voltaire observed :
“Men
fed upon carnage , and drinking strong drinks , have all an impoisoned and
acrid blood , which drives them mad in a hundred different ways”
Ralph
Waldo Trine , author of “ Every Living Creature ” declared :
“I
share the belief with many others that the highest mental , physical and
spiritual excellance will come to a person only when , among other things , he
refrains from consuming flesh and blood . ”
The
great Moghul Emperor of
“It is
indeed from ignorance and cruelty that although various kinds of food are
obtainable man , are bent upon injuring living creatures , and lending a ready
hand in killing and eating them ; none seems to have an eye for the beauty
inherent in the prevention of cruelty , but makes himself a tomb for animals .
”
--- (
Ain-I-Akbari , by H. Blochmann , Vol. I, p. 61 )
Akbar
was aware of the degenerating influence which the contact and company of
fleshmongers could create ; hence he ordered that “ butchers , fishermen and
the like , who have no other occupation but taking life , should have a
separate quarter and their association with others should be prohibited by fine
. ”
( Smith Akbar , the Great Moghul , pp. 335-336 )
Christianity is plainly and emphatically against the killing of animals
and declares that man’s food is to be fruits and vegetables :
“
Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed , which is upon the face of
earth , and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you
it shall be for meat . ”
---- ( Genesis , l : 29 ).
But today the Christian nations of the West
have forsaken the very spirit of Jesus Christ’s sublime teaching and have
forgotten the meaning of the Sermon on the Mount . In so doing , they have lost
the balance of mind and with that the privilege of peaceful living . But in the
East , we were fortunate to have been blessed by the birth of a living Apostle
of Ahimsa . M. Gandhi was born in
“ I do
not regard flesh food is necessary for us at any stage and under any clime in
which it is possible for human beings ordinarily to live . I hold flesh food to
be unsuited to our species .We err in copying the lower animal world , if we
are superior to it . For one thing , the tremendous vested interests that have
grown round the belief in animal food prevent the medical profession from
approaching the question with complete detachment . Vegetarianism is one of the
priceless gifts of Hinduism . It may not be lightly given up ... Abstentiosness
from meat is undoubtedly a great aid to the evolution of the spirit ... Experience
teaches that animal food is unsuited to those who would curb their passions...
It is necessary to correct the error that vegetarianism has made us weak in
mind or body or passive or inert in action ... There is a great deal of truth
in the saying that man becomes what he eats . The grosser the food the grosser
the body . A man who wants to control his animal passions easily does so if he
controls his palate . ”
Once
when Mahatma Gandhi’s second son Manilal had suffered seriously from a severe
attack of typhoid , the medical doctor advised to give him eggs and chicken
broth . The Doctor warned Mahatmaji that his son’s life was in danger and that
diet was necessary but inspite of this warning , Mahatmaji was quite serious
and he thought that it is only on such occassions that a man’s faith is truly
tested . He writes : ---
“
Rightly or wrongly it is part of my religious conviction that man may not eat
meat , eggs and the like . There should be a limit even to the means of keeping
ourselves alive . Even for life itself we may not do certain things . Religion
, as I understand it , does not permit me to use meat or eggs for me or mine
even on occasious like this .”
---- ( An Auto biography , p. 180 )
It is
not only necessary to abjure from taking meat , fish and eggs on the ground of
religious belief , but it is absolutely esssential for a healthy and happy life
. The medical opinion favours Vegetarianism , because that is the natural diet
of human beings , as we have discussed and seen above . Some people think that
there is no harm in taking eggs , but in this instance they commit a mistake ,
because nature has provided eggs for procreation . They are not edibles and can
not be the natural food of man . It is the reason that medical anthorities like
Dr. J. E. R. McDonagh had condemned eggs and declared them harmful . To eat
them is to commit the sin of infanticide .
Consequently if the common man of the world wants to be happy , he
should learn to control his lower nature and he should follow the human way of
Ahinsa diet , as discussed above . The individual common man then and then
alone will be able to awake his inherent spiritual tendency . Then he will not
eat for the pleasures of the palate but for the sake of health , which is to be
acquired best by eating sun-baked fruits and vegetables . This change in diet
will certainly change the heart of man ; who then following his inner Voice of
Viveka , will turn out to be true in his efforts to live and work for Ahimsa .
At this stage only , he can feel proud to be in a position to style and feel
himself as a world citizen . The individual thus would be a safety and security to his own self and to
others as well . Animals too , would be happy ; for , their ruthless massacre
and slaughter will come to an end . Human beings by sowing the seeds of Ahimsa
, can naturally reap the blessed fruits of Ahimsa ; which are joy , happiness
and selfsatisfaction . Then the land
would yield and produce more grain , because the man could have earned the
blessings of millions of those saved animal souls . In this way only ‘ Grow
more food’ campaign would succeed and man would be happy in a world of plenty .
By the
change in diet , man would be nearer to Ahimsa , because he would be able to
alleviate in him the animal tendencies of lower nature which have become
uppermost in his heart and are the root cause of conflict . Thus man would feel
Oneness of Life ; to him man and animal would be equal then . He will treat them
as brethren and with them in peaceful co-operation . Regions of abundance then
will be alert and will vie with each other to ensure the basic needs of human
beings all over the planet ; for it is their duty in Ahimsa Law to render help
and save their fellow beings .
With a
changed heart , the vision will itself become clarified and the individual will
feel pleasure in observing the vows of austerities in diet . Then common man
will eat for the sake of health only and will deem it his duty to eat less , so
that others may also have their shares and he may start the lesson to conquer
the demon of hunger . Jains observe this vow , which they call “ Unodara –
Vrata ”. This mode of life saves food to a considerable quantity and causes no
physical harm to the observer ; rather it helps him to make progress in mutual
co-operation and spiritual advancement . It is , certainly , wrong to presume
that in order to meet out the shortage of food-grain in the world today , man
should take to unnatural diet and eat fish and fouls . It would mean only to
under root the very foundation of Ahimsa belief and to push the common man in
the dump of cruelty and barbarity ; which will turn him to become more beastly
in his daily dealings than ever before . The present crisis due to the shortage
of food-grain is the creation of man himself and he can easily ward it off
provided he adheres the principle of Ahimsa . Much of the tillable land today
is utilised for growing tobacco crop and tons of edible grains are destroyed in
producing alcohol . If man stops smoking and drinking intoxicants , which are a
manace to the mankind , the problem of the shortage of food would certainly be
solved to a greater degree .
Besides
it a greater area of tillable land is also left unsown as grazing ground for
animals meant for provision of meat dishes . In this respect , Hon’ble Mr.
Peter Freeman , M. P. Has proved that “ an acre of land used for the grazing of
cattle or sheep can produce about 1000 Ibs. of animal food per annum , but the
same acre can produce an average of 5000 Ibs. of cereals , or as much as 20000
Ibs. of vegetables such as potatoes , and probably some fruit in eddition .
With the world’s population growing at such a pace that it will reach 3000
millions by the end of the century , as against 2200 millions today , the
urgent necessity of using all land to the best possible advantage can readily
be seen . ” ( The Voice of Ahimsa , Vol. No. 5 p. 20 ) And when this economical
vegetarian aspect will be substantiated with the sacred vow of observing
austherities in diet , not only the crisis of food shortage will be removed ,
but man will contribute remarkably to create an atmosphere of universal peace
and happiness . Shri Richard B. Gregg , the renowned Pacifist , is emphatic on
the point , when he writes in his letter addressed to me :
“ I
agree with the Jain belief that vegetarianism is now a real element in Ahimsa
and a factor in the promotion of World Peace . There are now in this world too
many people to be supported by the available acres of tillable land . Only if
people stop eating meat can every one be fed . So people who eat meat are
causing others to starve . ”
Obviously the meat-eater is responsible to bring about a deterioration
and loss of cattle all over the world ; which tells highly on the growth of
grain production . Thus it is only Ahimsa which can solve all our problems , as
well as can advance us in every respect .
An
International Scientific Food Committee was set up after the first World War by
the League of Nations , composed among others of representatives of Great
Britain , U.S.A. , Russia , France , Germany , Italy and Holland . Hon’ble Mr.
Peter Freeman , M P. informs that one of the questions this Committee was asked
to answer , was: ---
“ What
is the minimum meat ration necessary to keep a soldier on active service in
good health ?”
After
securing all the expert Military Medical and other evidence from all over the
world , Mr. Freeman says , the answer , brifly was: ---
“ NONE
In view of the fact perfect health can be maintained by a soldier on active
service without any meat at all .”
Thus it
is obvious that meat is not necessary at all to sustain life . Most of the
strongest and most enduring animals are vegetarians , including the horse ,
zebra , elephant , rhinoceros , buffalo , bison , all the deer tribe , giraffe
, monkey , gorilla , cattle , sheep , hares and rabbits .
Many
world’s records have been won by vegetarians of long standing and vegetarian
workers have performed some of the greatest , feats of strength and endurance .
In
certain quarters , however , an objection is raised against vegetarian diet on
the ground that the plants also have life : as such it also involves violance
i. e. Himsa . But this objection is vain and thoughtless . No doubt plants have
life ; but they are neither killed nor hurt in getting their products . When
the fruits or the grain of wheat or barley are ripe , they become detached from
the plants in their natural way . Nobody uproots a fruit or harvest tree in
order to get its products ; only a natural process is gone through to get them
. But in meat diet , the animals are killed , rather butchered mercilessly for
their flesh ; which involves greater Himsa
( injury ) and creates a violent atmosphere . Moreover
the Jain Thinkers enlighten us in this respect that every living being from
vegetable kingdom to mean , all survive in life due to vitalities , called ‘
PRANAS.’ These Pranas
( Life vitalities ) are ten in all , namely five
senses of touch , taste , smell , sight and hearing; three strengths of mind ,
speech and body ; respiration and age . Man and animals possess all the ten
vitalities ; while the vegetable life have only four . In vegetable life these
four vitalities are consisted of one sense of touch , one strength of body ,
respiration and age . Now if there could be any tinge of violence in procuring
a vegetarian diet , then it is of the lowest and least degree . The motive
behind the vegetarian diet is to cause not even the least possible injury to
life . Certainly a vegetarian do not wants to hurt even the vegetable life . He
satisfies his hunger with the products of plants , such as fruits , nuts , dry
grain etc ., which the nature provides itself . In fact a vegetarian life
creates a peaceful and prosperous atmosphere , which is most beneficial for
humanity at large .
This is
the way of Ahimsa life , which a true Jaina layman lives gladly . The Jaina
tradition abounds with many humance deeds of its enthusiastic followers of
Ahimsa . Here I restrict myself to the mention of only one example of recent
date . Some time ago famine and draught visited the vicinity round about
Dronagiri in M. P. (
Thus
the real solution of the Food Problem of the world today is hidden in food
reform and in adoption of a life of Ahimsa . Through Ahimsa the food craving
instincts of man can be regulated and controlled . Being vegetarians and
Ahimsaists at the same time , they can become self sufficient and satisfied .
Mr. Donald Groom , a representative to the World Pacifists Conferance , is
reported to have said at Wardha that “ Pacifists should take that a vegetarian
population needed a smaller area of land for its support than one dependent on
meat . ” “ The Pacifists ” , he said , “ consider the implications of this fact
for thamselves .”