Acharya Mahaprajna
According to Mahavira, the prudent principle guiding the limits to consumption is this: any article of use, which does not impinge on physical, mental and emotional health, should be acceptable. And the article, which does harm to physical, mental and emotional health is undesirable. Fridge is a means of immediate comfort, but it is injurious to physical health. It is also harmful for the environment. Similarly, an air-conditioner is also harmful for health. An air-conditioned house is, no doubt, a more comfortable place, but it is harmful for health.
One industrialist fell sick. He did not become well despite the medicines prescribed by the doctor. After getting frustrated with hospitals and doctors, he ultimately went to a naturopath. The physician inquired: What do you eat? Where do you live? The patient replied to all the queries. All information was registered in the physician' s mind. He advised the patient to bathe with hot water for three hours. The industrialist did accordingly. In a couple of days he started regaining health. One day when he was sitting in the hot water tub, an idea came to his mind: what foolishness is this? During the day we worked for eight to nine hours in an air-conditioned room and then took bath with hot water for three hours. He got the air-conditioner switched off and then took bath with hot water for three hours. Eventually, he got the air conditioner removed. With this, the need to sit for three hours in the hot water tub also ended.
