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It was introduced to Western societies by the Hindu saint and Father of India, Mahatma Gandhi. Inspired by his actions, Western civil rights movements, led by such people as Martin Luther King Jr., engaged in non-violent protests. The more recent popularity of yogaYoga meaning union or yoking in Sanskrit, is the primary focus of Hinduism's diverse religious activities. Yoga is a science of the body, the mind, the consciousness and the soul. Yoga is a teaching of wisdom and knowledge which has been transmitted to ma and meditationMeditation usually refers to a state of extreme relaxation and concentration, in which the body is generally at rest and the mind quieted of surface thoughts. Several major religions include ritual meditation; however, meditation itself need not be a reli in The West has also served to introduce many westerners to Ahimsa and other Hindu concepts.
In Jainism, the ahimsa-vrata (vow of ahimsa) is the first of the five mahavratas (great vows). All animal life, and most plantGreen algae land plants (embryophytes non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta liverworts Anthocerophyta hornworts Bryophyta mosses vascular plants (tracheophytes seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta clubmosses Equisetophyta horsetails Pteridophyta "true" life, is considered sentientSentience is the ability to feel or perceive. In the philosophy of animal rights sentience is commonly seen as the ability to experience suffering. The Eighteenth Century philosopher Jeremy Bentham raised the issue of animal suffering in An Introduction t and any action which may endanger such life is forbidden. Examples of forbidden activies include: agricultureFarming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). Agriculture is also known as farming ., violence, animal sacrifice, liquor, eating honey, eating potatoes or certain fruits, and night-eating (eating in the dark may result in the accidental ingestion of an insect). Some Jains wear a cloth over their mouths, to avoid inhaling airborne lifeforms.
The ethical code of Jainism is taken very seriously. Summarized in the Five Vows, they are followed by both lay people and monastics. These are:
The Jain conception of ahimsa involves three times three--the three actions (karanas) of himsa in the three modes (yogas)--of observances:
Neither by action, by speech or by thought:
For a discussion of the faith and its broader implications, see Jainism.