In Jainism, the idea that “one living being is the food of another” is a reminder of the universal principle of ahimsa (non-violence). Here’s the core understanding:

• All embodied beings (jivas) have a soul and value. Eating or killing any living being involves violence to a sentient being and accrues karmic bondage.
• To follow the path of ahimsa, Jains strive to minimize harm. This is why many Jains choose strict vegetarianism, avoid root vegetables (to limit uprooting and harm), and follow careful habits to reduce accidental harm to small life forms.
• The natural food chain exists in the world, but Jain ethics ask us to reduce injury as much as possible. Cooking, cleaning, and eating are done with awareness of the life that has to be given up and the karmic impact it creates.
• The famous Jain principle parasparopagraho jivanam (the welfare of one being is tied to the welfare of others) underlines that harming others in the process of living, including eating, harms one’s own spiritual progress.

On differences between Digambara and Śvetāmbara:

• Both traditions uphold non-violence and the sanctity of life. They may differ in some ritual details and texts, but the basic teaching that unnecessary violence toward living beings should be avoided remains the same. There is no major doctrinal split about the morality of eating as such; the emphasis is consistently on minimizing harm and pursuing spiritual purification.

If you’d like, I can explain how specific Jain scriptures discuss ahimsa and food, or quote a relevant stanza with its traditional arth (meaning) in a simple, faithful way.