Author: Dhruti Ghiya Rathi

About Author

Email: dhrutirathi@gmail.com

Dhruti is a New Jersey-based MBA, SAP and FJAS professional. A Pathshala and guest lecturer for Jainism at VCU University and High schools, she has spoken at Comparative Religion Conference, Religious Baccalaureates and Rotary Club in Richmond, VA. Involved with Jainism-Says-Blogspot, she researches Jain Iconography, Epigraphy, Historical and Numismatic references in Jain literature overlooked by historians, and on the applications of Jain principles. Dhruti’s research was presented at the Dating of Mahavir Nirvana Symposium by ISJS.

Jainism and Environment February, 2023 by Dhruti Ghiya Rathi

The core value of Jainism is to be of service to one another expressed through the phrase Parasapagraho Jivanam. Jainism classifies living beings into various categories from having one to five senses. Categories of living beings include plants and trees (vanaspatikaya), air (vayukaya), water (apkaya), fire (teukaya), and soil-earth (prithvikaya), and are the lowest category of living beings. Humans and mammals with five senses are a part of the highest category of living beings.