Jain Soup for the Soul

NEW YORK – While keeping kosher or halal may seem strict to some, Jainism’s eating restrictions are so vast they make primary global religions’ diets seem like a free-for-all buffet. An Indian religion with a practicing population of 5 million worldwide, the Jain diet avoids any meat, eggs, honey, and root vegetables like potatoes and carrots. And that is just to start.

Jain philosophy stresses ahimsa, the tenet of non-violence that Gandhi popularized with his teachings. To fully practice ahimsa, Jains should not harm humans, animals, or plants. If they choose to eat a radish, Jains believe that the entire plant and its microorganisms are hurt when taken from the earth. However, Jains also believe in a multiplicity of voices through the idea of anekantavada. The diverse interpretations of the Jain diet in the U.S. reflect the religious belief that there is no absolute truth.

In India, ahimsa is a precept that is present in the daily lives of practicing Jains, Hindus, and Buddhists. The country is no stranger to diets based on religion – beef consumption was just banned in the state of Maharashtra. It is when the devotees of these religions immigrate outside of India that they are faced with puzzled looks at social gatherings and restaurants. In particular, the Jains who move to the States have to adapt to comply with both social and religious protocol.

Liza Shah, one of the founders of the Apple Global School in Ahmedabad, carries on with her busy schedule as a school administrator without thinking about what she eats.

“In India it’s easy because everyone knows about Jainism,” she said.

It’s her son, Param, who moved to the States for college that is having a difficult time. Now a sophomore at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the 19-year-old civil engineering major has had to make some sacrifices. Cafeterias in the States may offer some options for vegetarians, but Jains are limited to rice, and vegetables like peas and lettuce from the salad bar. There are no prepared dishes that cater to Jains, a problem Shah has encountered not only at school but while eating out as well.

“Being a Jain in the U.S. is not easy. I am a pure vegetarian still and I also try my very best to stay away from eggs,” Shah said. “Not eating eggs is a huge struggle because here, almost everything from pizza and cake to Indian naan has eggs. This is not something that’s seen in India.”

Indian women in the Golden Temple of Amritsar preparing roti, Indian bread that is common in the Jain diet. Photo by Jenna Belhumeur.

Indian women in the Golden Temple of Amritsar preparing roti, Indian bread that is common in the Jain diet. Photo by Jenna Belhumeur.

At his mom’s house, a typical dinner consists of dal, a stew made from lentils, served with either rice or some roti, traditional Indian bread that is not yeast-leavened. Their samosas, baked triangle pastries typically stuffed with potatoes, have cheese and mint instead. The Shahs’ water is filtered through a cloth in order to not ingest any microorganisms that may be living in it. Whatever is collected in the cloth is returned to the water source.

While Shah is more lenient on his diet while out, he eats most meals in his own apartment. At home, his cooking resembles what he would have in India.

“We don’t buy onions, potatoes and garlic for our cooking,” Shah said. “The spices I have for cooking are all from home, hence they are Jain too.”

To feel closer to home, Shah started the Jain Student Organization on his campus last year. The small group often meets for lunch or dinner and hosts round-table discussions.

“This is a great way to make Jains feel like it is not impossible to remain a Jain when studying abroad,” he said.

Most Jain meals feature Indian dishes, though devotees like Sonal Lakhani say that Mexican and Italian dishes can be adapted to suit their diet. Lakhani left India for New York after she got married. When she arrived in 1998 she was in a similar situation to Shah in Illinois. Even the country’s foodie capital could not cater to her specific dietary needs. The problems were not so much at home where she could keep her traditions, but rather when she was out with her husband at any event serving food.

“If there is no other choice, I will eat what’s there. I don’t want to create the wrong feelings in people and have them say I’m picky,” she said. But she’s not willing to give in completely. “I would never touch non-veg food. I would never ever have eggs.”

Unlike a busy engineering student on a college campus, Lakhani has the luxury of time and a nice kitchen where she cooks in Long Island. She says that maintaining a Jain diet is difficult, but she believes that her choices are the right ones.

“I get discipline from it. I’m very happy I’m not harming,” she said.

Lakhani is collaborating on an e-book based on “cruelty-free living” in the United States. Her day-to-day is spent researching and fact-checking companies and their products. Her goal is to provide others with information on animal testing in manufacturing processes.

“It’s for ahimsa, for non-violence that I’m doing it,” she said.

According to the Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife, there are 100,000 Jains in the United States – the largest population in the diaspora. Sabina Jain grew up in Pasadena, a part of the only family following a Jain diet in her branch of the Los Angeles Indian community. Her father was very strict with his own diet, choosing to only eat before sunset. This more traditional part of Jainism propagates the belief that any organism that cannot be seen in the absence of light will be harmed. But neither 23-year-old Jain nor her mother are pressured to follow the patriarchal lead, keeping with anekantavada. Instead, the recent UCLA engineering graduate maintains a practically vegan diet and volunteers at her local animal shelter about once a month.

“I lived with my parents for the four and a half years of college, so that definitely helped,” said Jain when asked about the challenges of maintaining a Jain diet. “I don’t know what I would do if I had to be eating on campus all the time or outside of home much more. But I do like to cook, so maybe.”

For Jain, cooking has a spiritual element because food is an important part of her religion. When she’s cooking, she feels she is pleasing the Earth. Ultimately, Jains carry out the precept of ahimsa to achieve moksha, or the enlightenment of the spirit.

“All of the cooking we do has a real meaning because we’re supposed to bear in mind why we are doing it. When I make dal with my mom and I chop the tomatoes, pour the water and finally stir the dish, I remember that I am eating without harming anything, and I remember God. Same as when I peel fruit, I remember God and I am grateful for my own life,” she said. “The Jain diet is a way to take care of your body and your soul.”

Even with so many trends originating from religions in India, from the yoga studios to karma becoming part of the everyday American lexicon, Jain doubts that her diet will become popular enough in the United States that she will not have to explain her situation at restaurants.

“I mean, but who knows. At its core, Jainism is the ultimate green living,” she said.

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