From the Sacred Principles of BISHNOIS Principles 14-18

The Bishnoi faith was established by Shri Jambheshwar Bhagwan, also known as Jambhoji, more than 500 years ago in Rajasthan, India. Through a vision during meditation, Jambhoji came to understand that only a respectful co-existence of human and nature can prevent misery and disaster. He led the people in the planting of trees and advised them to remain devoted to God and nurture their compassion towards fellow beings. He also outlined a set of 29 principles by which he advised his followers to live their lives. This is how the Bishnoi religion obtain its name: “Bish” meaning 20, and “Nois” meaning 9. In the 29 guidelines that he gave this followers, Jambhoji encouraged them to be vegetarians. One should not eat meat nor harm animals, but treat them as they would their own kin. Today, we invite you to listen to some of the guidelines established by Shri Jambheshwar Bhagwan or Jambhoji. “Cheating is prohibited. We should not tell lies and cheat for our selfishness or to harm others. Temporarily we may cheat others and get our work done by lying, but the truth cannot be hidden for long, and in the end we lose respect, confidence, trust and credibility.”