Milly Gaines
Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which applies to mental, physical, and verbal actions towards all living things. Jains are strict vegetarians, abstaining from meat, fish, eggs, and root vegetables. Wine and fermented foods are also prohibited, as they are believed to delude the mind and lead to careless actions. Fasting is an important component of Jainism, with strict Jains refraining from eating after sunset or consuming food stored overnight. If a Jain person does not follow these dietary restrictions, it is believed that they accumulate harmful karma, hindering their liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, which is the ultimate goal of Jain activities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Vegetarianism | Mandatory |
| Consumption of root vegetables | Prohibited |
| Consumption of unfiltered water | Prohibited |
| Fasting | Practised |
| Consumption of fermented foods | Prohibited |
| Consumption of eggs | Prohibited |
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What You'll Learn
Jains do not eat meat, fish, eggs, or root vegetables
Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which applies to mental, physical, and verbal actions towards all living things. Jains are strict vegetarians, abstaining from meat, fish, eggs, and root vegetables.
Jainism teaches that violence should be limited as much as possible. This includes violence against plants, which Jains accept only when indispensable for human survival. Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, beets, radishes, leeks, and mushrooms, as consuming these vegetables involves killing the entire plant. Root vegetables are also said to contain infinite lives and have many more microorganisms, which are killed when the plant is consumed.
Jains also avoid animal ingredients that involve the killing of a life, such as honey, as bees are killed in the process of honey farming, and eggs, as they had the potential to become a life. In addition, Jains do not consume wine, butter, and certain fruits, as these are considered the "four perversions" or "maha-vigai".
Jain dietary practices also include choviar, or eating before sunset, which is believed to be better for digestion, metabolism, and overall health. Fasting is also an important component of Jainism, with 84% of Jains in India reporting that they partake in some form of fasting.
In 2021, it was found that 92% of self-identified Jains in India adhered to a vegetarian diet, with 5% trying to follow a mostly vegetarian diet by abstaining from certain meats or eating meat only on specific days.
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They avoid food stored overnight or with high concentrations of microorganisms
Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which applies to mental, physical, and verbal actions towards all living things. Jains believe that non-violence is the most essential religious duty and an indispensable condition for liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. This belief shapes their entire lives and is the most significant hallmark of Jain identity.
Jainism is one of the most rigorous forms of spiritually motivated diets, and its dietary practices are influenced by the principle of minimizing violence to all beings. Jains are strict lacto-vegetarians and abstain from eating meat, fish, eggs, and root vegetables. They also avoid food stored overnight or with high concentrations of microorganisms.
Jains believe that food stored overnight possesses a higher concentration of microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, compared to food prepared and consumed on the same day. Therefore, strict Jains avoid consuming yoghurt, dhokla, and idli batter unless freshly set on the same day. They also refrain from eating fermented foods like beer, wine, and other alcohols, as these involve the killing of a large number of microorganisms during the fermenting process.
In addition to dietary restrictions, Jains also practice fasting in various forms. According to Jain texts, a śrāvaka (householder) should not consume the four maha-vigai: wine, flesh, butter, and honey. They also avoid the five udumbara fruits from specific trees belonging to the fig genus. Jains traditionally prohibited drinking unfiltered water and continue to filter their tap water or commercial bottled water through a cloth to return organisms to the original body of water.
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They abstain from alcohol and other fermented foods
For Jains, vegetarianism is mandatory, and 92% of self-identified Jains in India adhered to some type of vegetarian diet. This is because Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which applies to mental, physical, and verbal actions towards all living things.
Jains abstain from alcohol and other fermented foods to avoid the killing of a large number of microorganisms associated with the fermenting process. This includes beer, wine, and other alcohols. Wine is specifically prohibited because it "'deludes the mind, and a deluded person tends to forget piety; the person who forgets piety commits hiṃsā without hesitation". Jains also abstain from mushrooms, fungi, and yeasts as they may harbour other life forms.
Jains are also prohibited from drinking unfiltered water. In the past, when stepwells were used for water, the cloth used for filtering was reversed, and some filtered water was poured over it to return the organisms to the water source. This practice is no longer possible due to modern piped water supply, but some modern Jains continue to filter their tap water in the traditional way.
Fasting is an important component of Jainism, and 84% of Jains in India report partaking in some form of fasting. On the eighth and fourteenth days of the lunar cycle, many orthodox Jains will not eat fruit or green vegetables, only eating food made from grain.
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Jains do not consume dairy products or root vegetables
Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which applies to mental, physical, and verbal actions towards all living things. Jains are strict vegetarians, abstaining from meat, fish, and eggs.
Jain dietary practices also include the practice of choviar, or eating before sunset. This is because, once the sun sets, more bugs awaken and can end up in food. The Jain diet aims to minimize violence towards living creatures while still maintaining a healthy, sustainable diet.
Jains make considerable efforts not to injure plants in everyday life. They accept violence only when it is indispensable for human survival and follow special instructions for preventing unnecessary violence against plants. Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, and other tubers, as they are considered ananthkay, or one body containing infinite lives. The act of pulling up a root vegetable can injure tiny life forms, and the bulb is seen as a living being as it can sprout. Additionally, consuming root vegetables involves killing an entire plant, whereas consuming terrestrial vegetables does not, as the plant continues to live after plucking the vegetable or withers away seasonally.
Some Jains have also chosen to adopt a vegan diet, as the modern commercialized production of dairy products involves violence against farm animals. According to Jain texts, a śrāvaka (householder) should not consume the four maha-vigai (perversions)—wine, flesh, butter, and honey. However, traditionally, Jainism does not limit dairy products, as cows were historically treated more humanely on family farms, and their milk production did not harm the animal.
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They try to minimise violence and harm to all living things
Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which applies to mental, physical, and verbal actions towards all living things. Jains believe that it is their duty to minimise violence and harm to all living things. This includes humans, animals, insects, and plants.
Jains believe that every act by which a person directly or indirectly supports killing or injury is seen as violence (hinsa), which creates harmful karma. The aim of ahimsa is to prevent the accumulation of such karma and to achieve liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, which is the ultimate goal of all Jain activities.
To minimise harm to living things, Jains follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet. They abstain from consuming meat and fish, eggs, and root vegetables. Jains believe that even the smallest particles of the bodies of dead animals or eggs are unacceptable. Some Jains support veganism, as they believe that the modern commercialised production of dairy products involves significant violence against farm animals.
Jains also take care not to injure plants in their daily lives. They do not consume root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, and tubers, as these plants have many more microorganisms that are killed when the plant is consumed. Additionally, consuming root vegetables involves killing the entire plant, rather than just taking one of its fruits or allowing it to wither naturally. Jains only accept violence against plants when it is indispensable for human survival, and they follow special instructions to prevent unnecessary harm to plants.
Jains also avoid consuming fermented foods and beverages, such as beer, wine, and other alcohols, as these involve the killing of a large number of microorganisms during the fermenting process. In addition, Jains traditionally do not consume food or drink anything after sunset, as this is when insects are attracted to lamps or fire, and they do not want to accidentally harm any insects.
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Frequently asked questions
Eating meat goes against the principle of non-violence (ahimsa) that Jainism is based on. According to Jainism, every act by which a person directly or indirectly supports killing or injury is seen as violence, which creates harmful karma.
Strict Jains avoid consuming root vegetables as it involves uprooting and killing the entire plant. They believe that this causes injury to tiny life forms and goes against the principle of non-violence.
Jains do not consume alcohol as it is considered to delude the mind and cause a person to forget piety. They also avoid fermented foods as the fermenting process involves the killing of a large number of microorganisms.
Strict Jains avoid consuming food stored overnight as it possesses a higher concentration of microorganisms. This includes foods like yogurt, dhokla, and idli batter unless they have been freshly set on the same day.
Traditionally, Jains have been prohibited from drinking unfiltered water as it may contain small organisms. Some modern Jains continue to filter their tap or bottled water to remove any microorganisms.
