On Monday, April 7, the Jain Studies Program invited the campus community to an evening of Jain Philosophy and vegan cuisine. Vegan Fest offered delicious plant-based meals as well as information on the ethicality and environmental dimensions of veganism.
The menu consisted of a diverse array of global vegan cuisine. At the Mexican Taco Station, guests could build their own tacos with tortillas, vegan shredded cheese, black beans, spicy roasted vegetables and guacamole.
Meanwhile, the Indian Cuisine Station featured pan-fried seitan cutlets with a lemon tahini sauce, Indian vegetable stir-fry and chana masala. At the Mediterranean Mezze Station was hummus, baba ganoush, fresh cucumbers, kalamata olives, and vegan pita chips .
As the guests enjoyed their vegan dinner, the event began with opening remarks from Caley Smith, assistant professor of religious studies, who spoke about how the ancient Indian philosophy of Jainism aligns with many of the principles behind modern veganism.
According to Smith, Jainism emerged alongside early renouncer movements such as Buddhism and strands of Hinduism. The core principle of Jainism is to break out of the cycle of birth and rebirth, as life is riddled with suffering, and instead pursue a spiritual path towards liberation.
In this philosophy, karma physically sticks to the soul through violent or careless actions. Therefore, the less one acts, the purer the soul remains.
“The core value in Jainism is ‘Ahimsa’, or non-violence,” Smith said. “It’s not just about avoiding harm to humans, but to all sentient beings.”
It is the Jain belief that ethical action means minimal action. The idea of doing the least harm possible to ensure minimal suffering is what many see as one of the earliest examples of ethical vegetarianism.
While many Jains have traditionally practiced vegetarianism, growing numbers of Jains outside of India have embraced veganism. They regard this as the ultimate nonviolent lifestyle.
Jain values have influenced inspiring global figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, who applied ‘Ahimsa’ to political activism, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez.
Further into the event, Dr. Mark Causey, senior lecturer of philosophy & religious studies discussed the environmental and analytical aspects of veganism. Veganism is regarded primarily as an animal rights issue but it has expanded into a prominent environmental movement.
Infographics were provided to show the numerous effects meat consumption has upon the climate. Some of the facts discussed were that one pound of beef takes around 16 pounds of grain, roughly 3,000 gallons of water, and that the methane emitted by livestock farming surpasses the total emissions from the entire transportation sector.
“If we diverted even a fraction of the land, water, and food used for animal agriculture toward plant-based alternatives, we could feed significantly more people and reduce environmental degradation,” Causey said.
Another primary topic of the event was the nutritional aspect of veganism. Christina Caro, the school’s regional dietitian for GCSU, offered practical guidance for those considering a vegan lifestyle.
“The key to a healthy vegan diet is variety,” Caro said. “Think of the nutrition rainbow. Eat as many colors as possible.”
Caro also highlighted the importance of texture and suggested meals should contain hot and cold elements to make them satisfying. Vegans should also supplement B-12 and seek calcium from a variety of sources.
“I thought what the nutritionist said about incorporating a variety of colors and textures into your diet was really interesting,” said Regan Duke, a sophomore management major.
While vegans do need to replace certain proteins typically derived from animal meat, plant-based diets are wonderful for gut health. The enhancement of the gut through a variety of plant foods can have a plethora of effects on well-being.