Vicharshuddhi Ki Niv Aharshuddhi

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Vicharshuddhi ki Niv Aharshuddhi" by Acharya Shri Rajendrasuri, based on the provided PDF excerpt:

Core Message:

The central theme of this text is the profound connection between Aharshuddhi (purity of food) and Vicharshuddhi (purity of thought). It emphasizes that for mental clarity, spiritual progress, and ultimately, the attainment of liberation (moksha), a pure diet is not just beneficial but absolutely essential.

The Foundation: Purity of Food for Purity of Thought

The author, Acharya Rajendrasuri, a disciple of Acharya Shri Bhuvan Bhanusurishwarji, highlights the paramount importance of both purity of thought and purity of conduct within Jain philosophy. He asserts that purity of food is the fundamental basis for achieving purity of thought. This, in turn, leads to the health of the body and mind, facilitates spiritual practice, and makes the ultimate state of being "anahari" (one who does not consume food, a liberated soul) more attainable.

The Dangers of Impure (Abhakshya) Food

The text elaborates on the numerous reasons why certain foods are prohibited (Abhakshya) in Jainism, drawing upon the pronouncements of omniscient beings (Sarvajna Bhagwan). These reasons are categorized as follows:

• Himsa (Violence):
  • Consuming root vegetables (kandamoola) and other similar items leads to the destruction of infinite microscopic life forms (ananta jeeva).
  • Meat, alcohol, honey, and other such substances involve the destruction of countless tras (mobile) beings from the two-sensed to the five-sensed. This makes such food a source of great violence.
• Impact on the Soul and Mind:
  • Eating Abhakshya makes the soul harsh, cruel, and detrimental to its well-being.
  • It turns the soul towards tamas (inertia, darkness) and fuels violent tendencies.
  • It corrupts the soul's intentions (adhyavasaya), increases passion (kaam) and anger (krodha).
  • It leads to impurity of mind and thoughts, breaking down the natural order and rhythm of life.
  • It creates mental impurity, making the mind a slave to vices and tamas.
  • It hinders the development of good thoughts and righteous conduct.
  • It diminishes faith in the words of the omniscient.
• Karmic Consequences:
  • Causing pain to infinite beings results in the bondage of inauspicious karma, such as ashaata vedaniya (karma that brings suffering).
  • It leads to the bondage of lifespan for lower realms (narakgati, tiryan-gati, durgati).
  • It incurs sin that causes the soul to wander through countless lifetimes in various forms of existence.
• Health and Well-being:
  • It leads to physical illness and an unhealthy body.
  • It causes dullness and a lack of interest in spiritual practices.
  • It contributes to the production of severe diseases due to the enhancement of tastes.
  • It results in untimely and troubled deaths.
  • It leads to indigestion and other digestive issues.
• Violation of Religious Principles:
  • It is considered food contrary to religious principles.
  • It is unnecessary for sustained life.

The Benefits of Pure (Bhakshya) Food

In contrast, consuming pure and sattvic foods leads to:

• Protection from Violence: The soul is saved from the destruction of infinite and tras beings.
• Physical Health: The body becomes healthy, beautiful, and strong.
• Mental Purity: The mind becomes pure, cheerful, and sattvic (characterized by purity, goodness, and knowledge).
• Ethical Development: The soul becomes compassionate and kind, leading to the development of good thoughts and righteous conduct.
• Spiritual Progress: The path to a good destination (sadgati) becomes easier.
• Cultivation of Virtues: Seeds of renunciation (tyaga) and austerity (tap) are sown.
• Peaceful Life and Death: Life and death become filled with peace and equanimity.
• Liberation: Through continuous mental purity, leading to purity of life, and then to pure meditation, the ultimate purity and the state of being "anahari" (moksha) become attainable.

The List of 22 Prohibited (Abhakshya) Foods:

The text then systematically lists and explains the reasons for prohibiting 22 categories of food:

1. Panch Ubari (Five types of figs): (e.g., Vatavruksha, Peepal, Pilakhan, Kala Udamber, Gular) - These fruits contain innumerable seeds with countless tras beings. Consuming them can lead to the entry of these beings into the brain, causing death, and poses a high risk of disease transmission.
2. Chauvigai (Four categories): (not explicitly detailed in this excerpt, but implied to be categories of food)
3. Him (Ice): Ice contains countless living organisms in its frozen structure. It is unnecessary for life and a cause of digestive problems. All related items like sherbets, ice cream, etc., are also prohibited.
4. Vish (Poison): All poisons, whether mineral, animal, or plant-based, are deadly and cause various diseases.
5. Karageya (Hailstones): Similar to ice, hailstones are frozen water and carry the same issues.
6. Savvamattia (Soil/Clay): Clay contains countless earth-bodied organisms. Its consumption leads to severe diseases like kidney stones and internal infections.
7. Raibhoanang (Night-Eating): Considered the first door to hell, night-eating leads to the destruction of various organisms and binds the lifespan for lower realms. It also causes indigestion, awakens lust, increases negligence, and can lead to various diseases.
8. Bahubeeja (Many Seeds): Fruits and vegetables with dense, tightly packed seeds where the pulp is minimal and the seeds are abundant (e.g., Khaskhas, Timuru) cause aggravation of bile and health damage.
9. Anantakaya (Infinite-bodied): This refers to root vegetables like potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, etc. These have infinite microscopic life forms within a single body. Cutting them for planting leads to regrowth, indicating their infinite nature. Consuming them makes the intellect dull and the mind tamasic, promoting unrighteous thoughts.
10. Sanghaana (Acara, etc.): Pickles. Pickles become Abhakshya after a few days due to the generation of tras beings, especially if made with sour ingredients or added spices like fenugreek. Pickles made with fruits like mango, lemon, and chili become prohibited after three days if not properly dried. Pickles that develop mold (phoolan) are also prohibited.
11. Gholavada (Split-pulse items): Foods made from split pulses like moong, urad, chana, etc., especially when mixed with curd or raw milk, immediately generate two-sensed beings and spoil health. Cooked versions mixed with curd or raw milk are also prohibited.
12. Vayangana (Eggplant/Brinjal): Eggplant has countless tiny seeds and microscopic tras beings in its stem. It increases tamasic tendencies, lust, and dullness, and can lead to fever and tuberculosis.
13. Amaniya Namai Punph Phalaai (Unknown fruits/flowers): Any fruit or flower whose name, properties, and defects are unknown are considered Abhakshya. Consuming them can lead to many diseases and even death.
14. Tuchchha Phala (Insignificant fruits): Fruits with very little edible portion and many inedible parts, which do not provide satisfaction or strength (e.g., Chaniya Ber, Pilu, Jamun, Sitaphal), attract insects and microorganisms when their waste is discarded.
15. Chalitarasa (Changed/Spoiled substances): Any food whose form, taste, smell, or texture has changed or spoiled. This includes rotten food, stale food, and anything that has fermented. Consuming these leads to health loss, untimely illness, and even death.

Specific Prohibitions Explained in Detail:

The text further elaborates on specific prohibited items:

• Butter (Makhan): After being churned from buttermilk, butter can generate tras beings of the same color. Consuming it stimulates lust, harms character, and can lead to diseases.
• Honey (Shahad): Honey is formed from the saliva and vomit of bees. During its collection, many bees, eggs, and impurities are mixed in. It is a cause of violence to many life forms.
• Alcohol (Sharaab): Alcohol is produced by fermenting substances like jaggery and grapes, which involves the destruction of countless tras beings. It leads to loss of consciousness, financial ruin, increased passion and anger, madness, health destruction, and the loss of virtues like discretion and knowledge.
• Meat (Maans): Consuming meat involves the violence of five-sensed beings. It also involves the generation of infinite-bodied, tras, and spontaneously generated beings. It makes one tamasic, cruel, and prone to severe diseases like cancer. It destroys gentleness and compassion and binds lifespans in hell.
• Eggs (Ande): Eggs are considered meat as they contain the germinal essence of five-sensed beings. They contribute to cholesterol, heart disease, kidney problems, cough, and TB. They are not inert.
• Other Prohibitions: The text also mentions prohibitions for items like panipuris, bhel, market food, processed foods, bottled drinks, and foods containing gelatin.

Concluding Advice:

The text strongly advises abandoning the 22 prohibited items to protect the soul from repeated downfall. It encourages contemplation before eating, asking whether the food will harm the soul or body. The author emphasizes that renouncing harmful substances is crucial for a pure and elevated life. Further details on these prohibitions can be found in other Jain texts like "Ahar Shuddhi Prakash" and through the guidance of a Guru.

In essence, "Vicharshuddhi ki Niv Aharshuddhi" serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding and practicing dietary purity in Jainism, linking it directly to spiritual growth and the ultimate goal of liberation.