20 MORE religions and faith practices 304

The Search for Peace in Times of Chaos—Volume Special Doctrine Vegetarianism: 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 It is the only religion that requires monks and laity, from all its sects and traditions, to be vegetarian Jains run animal shelters all over India Jainism’s stance on nonviolence 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, carrots, garlic and onions in particular are avoided by Jains due to the fact that pulling them out of the ground would effectively kill the plant Devout Jains not eat, drink, or travel after sunset because they might step on something in the dark, and prefer to drink water that is boiled and then cooled to room temperature to avoid consuming any bacteria which also has life.29 Renunciation: Jain monks and nuns should be devoid of possessiveness, free from any attachment toward self, family and relatives, and one who is willing to be exposed to suffering caused by environment or situations They must gain control over passions and must not indulge in any undesirable activities in an effort to advance on the path to liberation When a person takes that step toward liberation, Jain lay people will show them great respect and veneration, inviting them to teach whenever possible Monks and nuns depend on charity, and lay Jains regard it as a duty to provide food and other necessities of life for monks and nuns But in general, Jain monks and nuns live a hard life, with no or few worldly possessions Although they are separated from their birth family, they regard the whole world as their family They live in small groups of five or six, not in big monastic communities, and spend their day in meditation and study The senior monk of the group will teach each morning to an audience of monks, nuns, and laypeople 30