Mahātma Gandhi had a number of important influences throughout his life. Critical among them is the Jain tradition and its teachings of nonviolence (ahiṃsā).
This question is not infrequently voiced to animal rights advocates. While there are some troublesome assumptions embedded in its phrasing – the cogency of the catch-all category “animals,” the curious isolation of human animals from the category “animals,” the cross-cultural plausibility and applicability of “rights”
Everyone has heard of yoga. But have you heard about Jain yoga? The purpose of Jain Yoga is to help one stop the inflow of karma (āśrava), and remove existing karma (nirjarā). “Good” karma is a means towards that end, and “bad” karma represents actions that move one away from that end.
You will not find the word “vegan” in any Jain text, though in light of today’s animal rights struggles, climate change, and human wellbeing, the Jain tradition’s ethical principles obliged me to adopt a vegan lifestyle.