Dr. Sulekh Chand Jain
Every community has its customs and traditions. Many of the customs vary and change from country to country, within the same country, over time and with the prevailing environment and circumstances. Some customs and traditions develop over a long period of time and have a long life cycle, while some customs come and go. The Jain community is no different. Being part of the larger Indian community, it is but natural that Jains follow quite a few traditions and customs in common with many non-Jains. Still, there are a few traditions which are followed by Jains only.
In this chapter, I will describe some prevalent traditions followed by Jains also which most probably may have the foot prints of himsa. Since nothing is cast in concrete, and nothing is permanent, an Ahimsak person should examine each and every tradition that smells or tastes like himsa. Then, after such examination he should take necessary steps to avoid, amend or curtail such practices.
