Non-Violence
53
types of eggs: Eggs with life and eggs without life. So can we eat
the eggs that do not contain life?
Dadashri: Yes, they argue that there are eggs, which are
lifeless, so technically it is non-violent to consume them. I tell
them that it is impossible to eat anything that is non-living. You
cannot eat anything that is lifeless. If eggs did not contain life,
they would be considered inanimate and therefore inedible. Only
living things can be eaten as long as they are not spoilt. Even
vegetables will rot and become inedible a few days after being
freshly picked. One can only eat living things. There is no truth
in the statement that an egg has no life in it. It is a wonder that
people have created such a concept. Anything that is non-living
cannot be eaten.
Questioner: But these ‘vegetarian eggs’ do not develop
into a chick.
Dadashri: That is a different matter, but there is indeed life
in them.
People are being misinformed. This issue has become a
difficult one for Jain children to accept. So many of them argue
with me about this and I simply tell them that they should give this
more thought. There is no problem if there is no life in it, but you
cannot eat anything that is lifeless. If you are eating an egg with the
idea that it does not contain life, then you should also stop eating
grains and only eat food that does not contain any life. Food that
does not contain life may satisfy hunger but it does not have any
nutritional value and it will not nourish and sustain the body. The
children accepted this and agreed to stop eating eggs altogether.
People will listen if one takes the time to explain things to them;
otherwise there is so much misinformation out there to lead a
person’s intellect astray.
All foods contain life, but the Lord tells humans to consume
only certain foods. He has drawn limits about which foods are