Ahimsa in business: which trades do you avoid, and how do you decide today?

For a shravak, Jain tradition lists fifteen karmadan — livelihoods to avoid because they cause great harm to living beings: for example dealing in liquor, poisons and weapons, trade in ivory and other animal parts, and work that destroys forests or drains lakes.

Modern business is less clear-cut. How do you apply ahimsa to choices like leather or silk inputs, pesticides, food processing, investing in shares, or suppliers whose practices you cannot see?

Share how your family or business draws the line. For vows and their details, the guidance of your guru matters most.