The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (662 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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Dietary laws
:
In Judaism the term
kasher
, or
kosher
, refers to food that is ritually fit for consumption—hence
kashrut
, fitness. According to Genesis, God gave all fruits and vegetables for human food (1. 29). Dietary laws, therefore, are primarily concerned with animals, birds, and fish, and their products. Animals that have a cloven hoof and chew the cud, such as the ox, sheep, and goat are kosher (Deuteronomy 14. 6), but creatures that fulfil only one of those criteria, such as the pig or camel, are forbidden (14. 7–8). Creatures must be slaughtered (
she
itah
) in the ritually correct manner, and this must be carried out by a trained and licenced slaughterer (
shohet
). After slaughter, the animal or bird must be hung so that as much blood as possible drains out. Leviticus specifically forbids the eating of blood (7. 26–7), so meat must be salted and washed before it is cooked.
Reform
Jews generally ignore the dietary laws.
For other Religions, see
FOOD AND RELIGION
.
Digambara
(Skt., ‘clothed in air’).
1
A Hindu
s
dhu
who goes about naked, having left sexual identity and desire far behind; a title, therefore, of
iva
in his naked
asceticism
.
2
One of two major divisions among Jains, the other being
vet
mbara. The major divisions between the two are not mainly doctrinal, and it was often Digambara Jains who took the lead on behalf of both in controverting Hindu and Buddhist opponents (e.g. Akalanka, 8th cent. CE). They can live harmoniously in close proximity, though serious disputes arise over the ownership of, and access to, holy places (e.g. Bahubali, in S. Maharashtra; over 130 places are currently in dispute).
The origins of the split are obscure. The division appears to have been formalized at the Assembly of Valabhi (453 or 466 CE), which only
. attended, making an attempt to agree on what would count as scripture—a concept rejected by the D. in any case.
There are five major issues between them:
(i) 
. monks and nuns wear clothes, D. monks do not;
(ii) 
. use a bowl for begging and for eating, D. do not;
(iii) according to
., the
kevalin
(fully omniscient being) requires food, according to D., not so;
(iv) according to
., women can attain deliverance, according to D., they must first be reborn as men;
(v) 
. accept ancient writings as
gama
/siddhanta (scripture), D. believe that scripture has been lost in the age of decline.
On (v), both groups believe that, from the t
rtha

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