Because the natural world is believed to be filled with nature spirits, Jains avoid causing harm to any forms of Earth life and the environment (see Ahimsa in Jainism).
The oldest canonical Jain text, Ācārāṅga Sūtra, condemns violence towards such beings.
[1] Various types of ekendriya are listed, each said to be the spirits of different natural elements.
These include: Detailed information on such creatures and their souls have also been presented in the oldest canonical scripture of Jainism, the Ācārāṅga Sūtra.
The six lessons (second through seventh) of the first lecture of the first book of the Ācārāṅga Sūtra describe these beings.