In Jainism, the key question is: does your money support or strengthen himsa (violence)?

An ETF makes this more indirect, but from a Jain-dharma angle we still look at:

1. Level of involvement in himsa

- Direct: owning or running a meat business, slaughterhouse, fishing company, etc. - Indirect but conscious: knowingly buying shares or funds whose clear purpose is to profit from such himsa. Even if it is one step removed (via ETF), if you know it is invested in meat companies and you keep money there for profit, then some responsibility and papa-bandh (karmic bondage) is there.

1. Intention (bhav) matters a lot

- If you didn’t know, the bondage is lighter. - Once you know, and still continue only for higher return, the bhav shifts towards lobh + supported himsa, which is not in line with Jain values.

1. Householder standard (shravak dharma)

- Jain shastras accept that grihasthas cannot be 100% free from all indirect himsa. - But they must consciously avoid clear, major himsa sources when possible: meat, alcohol, weapons, etc. So: owning units in a fund that is heavily involved in meat (or other clear violence) is not ideal and best avoided.

1. Practical guidance for ETFs and funds

- Prefer funds that: - Are broad-based but allow you to exclude obvious sectors you find himsik (meat, tobacco, weapons, etc.). - Or “ethical/ESG” style funds, then further screen out meat/animal-exploitation as far as you can. - If your current ETF has only a very tiny and unavoidable exposure (e.g., 0.1–0.5% in a large index), many Jains treat this as upshamable, something to gradually reduce as better options appear. - Where you have a clear choice (two similar funds, one with meat exposure and one without), Jain dharma would guide you to choose the non-harming one, even if return is slightly lower.

1. Simple summary

- Eating meat: clearly not allowed. - Intentionally investing in a meat-producing company: also against Jain spirit. - Holding an ETF that you know significantly profits from meat companies: spiritually not okay; you should move away when practically possible. - If exposure is small and hard to avoid, treat it as a transition stage, keep your bhav of ahimsa and non‑support, and look for cleaner alternatives.

For a broader view on Jain principles in investment and wealth, you can read more here