It is necessary to filter water:

For the most part, in Jain families, they first filter water by means of a thick and clean cloth and then use it for drinking, bathing and for washing clothes, because there will be countless creatures in water; moreover, flying creatures may fall into open vessels. Filtering water is necessary even if we think of kindness to these creatures. If water is filtered those creatures are saved; moreover, filtered water is not only good but absolutely essential for health. We should place covers or lids on vessels containing water meant for bathing and washing so that flying creatures may not fall into them. Sometimes, some poisonous creatures also may fall into those vessels or their saliva, spittle etc., may fall into them if they are kept open; and so such things cause harm to health.

Why should water be boiled ?

Jains, while performing Biyasan and any higher austerity have to drink only boiled water. First, water should be filtered and boiled and then cooled, Then they can drink it; that too, only before the sunset; not after that. They should not drink water in the nights. Of course, when water is heated once, all the countless beings in it, die. But according to the Jain doctrines, in boiled water beings will not be born and so will not die for a certain period according to the season. In unboiled water every moment countless creatures are born and they die. So if once the water is boiled further violence is avoided. The sin of killing creatures is committed only once if the water is heated; and this avoids the committing of that sin again and again. Thoughtful people incur a small loss if by that small loss they can get a large profit. Of course, we should not cause violence to creatures; but we cannot live without water; so minimizing sins, we should use water. If the use of hot water is necessary, it has to be used. Meaningless use is improper. Now-a-days, even great physicians and doctors prescribe the drinking of hot water. Boiled water is good for health. In china, today, in large hotels drinkimg-water is first boiled and then cooled.

Tapasya and the codes of conduct:

Food has been considered inevitable for existence. It has been considered essential. The impact of food falls on the body as well as on the mind. " The food we eat determines the nature of our minds". Moreover there is the epigram, "As is the food; so is the mood" Such statements are certainly true. They contain truth. The body helps us in our spiritual endeavors. The enlightened men have prescribed the quantity of food to be taken; the time at which food should be taken and the kinds of food that should be taken to keep the body vigorous and healthy. They have made a beautiful analysis of these points. They have pointed out some austerities to get rid of karmas; moreover, they have also prescribed some prohibitions in respect of eating and drinking. Just as total fasting is a tapasya, even restriction to some kinds of to be taken is also a kind of tapascharya; austerity.

Twelve kinds of austerities have been described. Of these, six are external and six are internal.

Bahya External: means that which can be seen.

Abhyantar Internal:means that which cannot be seen externally.

Why should we not eat certain types of food?

(Prohibited food)

Certain kinds of food like pulses should be given up. They are prohibited by Dharma because they are generative of life and so eating them amounts to violence. Moreover, according to the science of health and physiology, by the mixing of certain things, certain substances that can cause chemical reactions, are produced. They convert foreign substances into poisons which get into the body Since they do not get out of the body in the form of perspiration etc., they get into blood and pollute it. On account of this it may become polluted and ooze out causing skin-diseases. Therefore, We should not eat raw pulses like green gram, black gram, bengal gram, beans etc., mixing them with raw milk or curds. The Jain dharma has prohibited the consumption of such food under the name, Dwidal Tyag(The renunciation of pulses).In addition to this, we should not consume such thlngs as fruit salad, ice-cream, fruit-shrikand(fruit slices mixed with sugar and curds),Dahi fruit(fruit mixed with curds) and all antibiotic medicines since they are made up of different substances the combination of which is harmful to our health.

Is our food killing us?

Have you ever gone out for Chinese food and felt bloated, dizzy, got headaches and experienced tightness in your chest? You made the connection with the food you ate and vowed that you were never going for Chinese food again, unless it was a place that does not use MSG.

But what most people don't know is that MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) is in thousands of processed foods. You will find it in salad dressing; frozen dinners; potatoes chips and in most fast food. What is even more of a concern is that it goes under more than twenty-five different names, making it almost impossible to decipher, unless of course you have a degree in food science.

So what is MSG anyways and why is it in our food chain? MSG was introduced over fifty years ago. It is a flavourless crystalline substance that has no flavour of its own but will enhance the flavour of certain foods that it is mixed with. It is also used as a meat tenderizer and in its pure form, goes under the name "Accent".

Food manufacturers use it because it makes their food taste good, actually so good that it becomes addictive and you can't stop eating it. Pretty smart marketing isn't it, because the more you eat, the more you buy and the more you increase their bottom line.

MSG has been linked to a host of disorders including: obesity; asthma, high blood pressure; blindness; migraines and Type II Diabetes. Although there are reports for and against the safety of MSG, the numbers speak for themselves. As MSG increased in our food supply, so did asthma, Type II Diabetes and obesity.

According to the latest report from the BBC, China has witnessed a 28 fold increase in childhood obesity from 1985-2000. As fast food and more proceeded foods were introduced into their food chain, the obesity rates climbed. In John Erb's book the "The Slow Poisoning of America", he states that thousands of research reports done on rats injected with MSG showed they became obese. Rats by nature are not obese animals. If MSG is an addictive substance like nicotine, it is no wonder we are a population of expanding waistlines.

Instead of being persuaded by ulterior motives by the food giants, get informed about what you are eating so you can make smarter choices. The following is a list of some of the names that MSG is known as:

* Glutamate
* Glutamic Acid
* Gelatin
* Monopotassium
* Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HVP) or (HPP)
* Autolyzed Yeast
* Sodium Caseinate
* Calcium Caseinate
* Textured Protein
* Yeast Extract

My lesson for the day, try to eat a cleaner diet free of additives and preservatives. Your body will thank you for it.

By Dini Cohen