Are Jains the only true environmentalists?

By Lopa Patel, 8 November 2009

On Saturday (7 November 2009) I attended Jain Network's Interfaith seminar where one young man asked why the Jains hadn't been invited to Prince Philip's Arc climate change project launch held at Windsor Castle on 3rd November. This young man was, to my assessment, fobbed off with answers of how British Jains have met The Queen and been invited to private dinners at Buckingham Palace etc. All Community Cohesion and Interfaith blah! blah!

What I failed to grasp at the time was why he was asking the question. Further research lead me to understand the Jain view on the planet and to conclude that 'Jains are the only true environmentalists'! I agree that it is quite incredulous that they weren't invited to participate in the climate change talks. It’s a bit like hosting a dinner and forgetting to invite the guest of honour!

So why exactly do I think “Jains are the only true environmentalists”? * Jain cosmology denies the existence of a supreme being responsible for creation and operation of universe – nectar to non-creationists like Richard Dawkins (author of ‘The God Delusion’). The distinguishing features of Jain philosophy are its belief of the independent existence of soul and matter, denial of a creative and omnipotent God, potency of karma, eternal and uncreated universe, a strong emphasis on non-violence, accent on relativity and multiple facets of truth, and morality and ethics based on liberation of soul.

Jain philosophy attempts to explain the rationale of being and existence, the nature of the Universe and its constituents, the nature of bondage and the means to achieve liberation. It has often been described as an ascetic movement for its strong emphasis on self-control, austerities and renunciation. Apart from the strong ethical code Jains follow of: Ahimsa (non-violence), Aparigraha (non-possession), Asteya (not-stealing), Satya (truth) and Brahmacarya (celibacy), they view all life as sacred.

Compassion for all life, both human and non-human, is central to Jainism. Human life is valued as a unique, rare opportunity to reach enlightenment. To kill any person, no matter their crime, is considered unimaginably abhorrent. History suggests that various strains of Hinduism became vegetarian due to strong Jain influences.

Jainism's stance on non violence goes far beyond vegetarianism. Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. Many practice a lifestyle similar to veganism, due to the violence of modern dairy farms, and others exclude root vegetables from their diets to preserve the lives of these plants. Potatoes, garlic and onions in particular are avoided by Jains. Traditionally-oriented Jains do not eat, drink, or travel after sunset, and prefer to drink water that is boiled and then cooled to room temperature. Many Jains abstain from eating root vegetables as the plant, which is a living organism, is usually uprooted during the harvest. The purpose of these practices is to minimise the harm that may otherwise be caused to living organisms inadvertently.

I recall my father’s great aunt in India who would eat before dusk and retire to bed before sun down so as to avoid switching on lights that attract moths and other insects. She could not bear to see them harmed inadvertently by the heat of the light bulb.

Jains also believe in fasting. There are three types of Jain fasts based on the level of austerity; Uttam, Madhyam and Jaghanya; the first being the most stringent: Uttam involves renouncing all worldly things including food & water on the day of fasting and eating only once on the eve & next day of fasting. During a Madhyam fast, water is taken on the day of fast, but not the food. For Jaghanya fasting, Jains eat only at a particular time on the day. Jain fasting is described “as the most radical form of religiously-motivated diet regulation in the Indian subcontinent.”

A life this ascetic takes a lot of hard work and yet many Jains in the UK successfully juggle their Western and Eastern lives on a daily basis, thus proving that it is possible to preserve the planet by having a lower impact on it as they do. They preserve “life” as far as humanly possible, exercise rigid dietary restraint to almost inhuman levels, practice non-consumerism and believe in continuity of life and the universe - so arguably Jains are the only true environmentalists.

* Information obtained from Wikipedia.

Click here to read about the Jain Network Interfaith Seminar