Have you heard of Jains killing a sentient being? No, we don’t kill any sentient being directly. Are we not responsible for killing when we use products containing animal ingredients?

Many people think that leather is a by-product and the animal was already killed for meat. They think that animal skin is just thrown away and picked up by leather manufacturer. The skin is not just picked up, it is bought by leather manufacturer for a price. The butcher kills animals because of the cumulative the price he would get for meat, for skin, for bones and all the other body parts.

Just because we are not buying the shoes from the butcher, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t involve himsa. Imagine if we had to directly buy the skin from a butcher shop and make the shoes ourselves or if we had to buy the skin and give it to a cobbler. Would we go to a butcher shop and stand next to a meat buyer and buy the skin?

Not just animal skin but crocodile skin is also used for making ladies shoe and handbags, wallets, belts watch straps and vanity items. Many products used in our daily lives are derived from animals. These include leather, silk and wool. The technology has developed enough these days to produce functional alternatives. Yes, some of these might be inferior in some respects - e.g. PU Leather often suggested as an alternative to natural leather may degrade faster, but we do need to keep it in the context of the harm we would inflict on animals if we continued using leather.

Similarly for silk, where more than 6000 worms are killed in boiling water just to produce one silk saree - again an area where there are a lot of cruelty free alternatives available.

There are quite a few cosmetic products such as soap, shampoos, conditioner, lipsticks etc. that contain animal derived ingredients. Check the label, check the symbols, and identify the ingredients before purchasing the product.

Thirthankar Mahavira said that we should at least abstain from inessential violence. Essential violence relates to man’s survival and inessential violence is what he indulges in for his comfort, cosmetic decoration and to satisfy his greed. If humans take this pledge that they will refrain from indulging in inessential violence and will do the least harm to environment, it will result in sustainable ecological harmony.

Let us know how you practiced vegetarianism today by writing to us on forms@appliedjainism.inand receive a certificate. Don’t forget to mention your name