[rescue] Hindus vegan?

[Andrew Weiss]

On Friday, October 12, 2001, at 01:49 AM, rescue-request at sunhelp.org 
wrote:
> Message: 15
> From: Joshua D Boyd <jdboyd at cs.millersville.edu>
> Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 01:29:08 -0400
> To: rescue at sunhelp.org
> Subject: Re: [rescue] Friggin huge list members!
> Reply-To: rescue at sunhelp.org
>>
>
> I didn't know that hindu's were vegitarian.  I thought they only refused
> to eat beef.  Can't say as I know any hindus though.
>>
>
> Now, the real question is: Are hindus vegan?
>
>
No indeed not... they love Indian cheese too... ala Paneer.  One reason 
Hindus don't eat beef is that they see the cow as a mother figure 
providing milk after the child's own mother cannot.  It also plows the 
fields and does a lot of work so it is highly revered.  Perhaps the 
closest thing to a vegan in Indian culture would be a Jain Sihk (sp, 
pairing?).  Some of them wear masks over their faces (to avoid breathing 
micro-organisms) and sweep the streets in front of them constantly to 
avoid killing even bugs.  They don't eat many vegetables because you 
have to kill the plant.

My question... do those Jains? (pronounced jai in) go to the doctor 
ever?  I.e. take medicine to kill bacteria inside them?

Andrew