“He
who does not seek to cause the sufferings of bonds and death to
livingcreatures, (but) desires the good of all (beings), obtains endless
bliss. Hewho does not injure any (creature) attains without an effort
what he thinks of,what he undertakes, and what he fixes his mind on.” (Manu-samhita 5.46-47)
Also, “By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation.”(Manu-samhita 6.60)
The earlier texts, such as the Rig-veda (10.87.16), also proclaim the
need togive up the eating of slaughtered animals. “One who partakes of
human flesh,the flesh of a horse or of another animal, and deprives
others of milk byslaughtering cows, O King, if such a fiend does not
desist by other means, thenyou should not hesitate to cut off his head.”
“Those who are ignorant of real dharma and, though wicked and haughty,
accountthemselves virtuous, kill animals without any feeling of remorse
or fear ofpunishment. Further, in their next lives, such sinful persons
will be eaten bythe same creatures they have killed in this world.”
(Bhagavata Purana 11.5.14)
I. Must We Kill in order to Live?
Also, “By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation.”(Manu-samhita 6.60)
The earlier texts, such as the Rig-veda (10.87.16), also proclaim the need togive up the eating of slaughtered animals. “One who partakes of human flesh,the flesh of a horse or of another animal, and deprives others of milk byslaughtering cows, O King, if such a fiend does not desist by other means, thenyou should not hesitate to cut off his head.”
“Those who are ignorant of real dharma and, though wicked and haughty, accountthemselves virtuous, kill animals without any feeling of remorse or fear ofpunishment. Further, in their next lives, such sinful persons will be eaten bythe same creatures they have killed in this world.” (Bhagavata Purana 11.5.14)
Vegetarianism, known in
Sanskrit as Shakahara, was for thousands of years a principle of health
and environmental ethics throughout India. Though Muslim and Christian
colonization radically undermined and eroded
this ideal, it remains to this day a cardinal ethic of Hindu thought
and practice. A subtle sense of guilt persists among Hindus who eat
meat, and there exists an ongoing controversy on this issue on which we
hope this humble booklet will shed some light.
For India's
ancient thinkers, life is seen as the very stuff of the Divine, an
emanation of the Source and part of a cosmic continuum. They further
hold that each life form, even water and trees, possesses consciousness
and energy. Nonviolence, ahimsa, the primary basis of vegetarianism, has
long been central to the religious traditions of India-especially
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Religion in India has consistently
upheld the sanctity of life, whether human, animal or, in the case of
the Jains, elemental.
The Sanskrit for vegetarianism is
Shakahara, and one following a vegetarian diet is a shakahari. The term
for meat-eating is mansahara, and the meat-eater is called mansahari.
Ahara means "to consume, or eat," shaka means "vegetable," and mansa
means "meat or flesh." The very word mansa, "meat," conveys a deep
appreciation of life's sacredness and an understanding of the law of
karma by which the consequence of each action returns to the doer. As
explained in the 2,000-year-old Manu Dharma Shastra, 5.55, "The learned
declare that the meaning of mansa (flesh) is, 'he (sa) will eat me (mam)
in the other world whose flesh I eat here.' "
There developed
early in India an unparalleled concern for harmony among life forms, and
this led to a common ethos based on noninjuriousness and a minimal
consumption of natural resources-in other words, to compassion and
simplicity. If homo sapiens is to survive his present predicament, he
will have to rediscover these two primary ethical virtues.
"Is
vegetarianism integral to non injury?" In my book, Dancing with Siva,
this question is addressed as follows: "Hindus teach vegetarianism as a
way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings, for to consume meat,
fish, fowl or eggs is to participate indirectly in acts of cruelty and
violence against the animal kingdom. The abhorrence of injury and
killing of any kind leads quite naturally to a vegetarian diet,
shakahara. The meat-eater's desire for meat drives another to kill and
provide that meat. The act of the butcher begins with the desire of the
consumer. Meat-eating contributes to a mentality of violence, for with
the chemically complex meat ingested, one absorbs the slaughtered
creature's fear, pain and terror. These qualities are nourished within
the meat-eater, perpetuating the cycle of cruelty and confusion. When
the individual's consciousness lifts and expands, he will abhor violence
and not be able to even digest the meat, fish, fowl and eggs he was
formerly consuming. India's greatest saints have confirmed that one
cannot eat meat and live a peaceful, harmonious life. Man's appetite for
meat inflicts devastating harm on the earth itself, stripping its
precious forests to make way for pastures. The Tirukural candidly
states, 'How can he practice true compassion who eats the flesh of an
animal to fatten his own flesh? Greater than a thousand ghee offerings
consumed in sacrificial fires is not to sacrifice and consume any living
creature.' "
Amazingly, I have heard people define vegetarian
as a diet which excludes the meat of animals but does permit fish and
eggs. But what really is vegetarianism? Vegetarian foods include grains,
fruits, vegetables, legumes and dairy products. Natural, fresh foods,
locally grown without insecticides or chemical fertilizers are
preferred. A vegetarian diet does not include meat, fish, fowl or eggs.
For good health, even certain vegetarian foods are minimized: frozen and
canned foods, highly processed foods, such as white rice, white sugar
and white flour; and "junk" foods and beverages-those with abundant
chemical additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavorings
and preservatives.
In my forty years of ministry it has become
quite evident that vegetarian families have far fewer problems than
those who are not vegetarian. If children are raised as vegetarians,
every day they are exposed to nonviolence as a principle of peace and
compassion. Every day they are growing up they are remembering and being
reminded to not kill. They won't even kill another creature to eat, to
feed themselves. And if they won't kill another creature to feed
themselves, they will be much less likely to do acts of violence against
people.
II. Five Reasons to Be a Vegetarian
In the past fifty years millions of meat-eaters have made the personal
decision to stop eating the flesh of other creatures. There are five
major motivations for such a decision.
1) The DHARMIC/SCRIPTURAL LAW reason
Ahimsa, the law of non injury, is the Hindu's first duty in fulfillment
of his religious obligations to God and God's creation as defined by
Vedic scripture.
2) The KARMIC CONSEQUENCES reason
All of
our actions including our choice of food have karmic consequences. By
involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death,
even indirectly by eating other creatures, one must in the future
experience in equal measure the suffering caused.
3) The SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS reason
Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects
our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to
live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love for all
creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. By
ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal foods, one introduces into
the body and mind anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety, suspicion and a
terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the flesh of
butchered creatures. For these reasons, shakaharis live in higher
consciousness and mansaharis abide in lower consciousness.
4) The HEALTH reason
Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest,
provides a wider range of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and
impurities on the body. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the
major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and thus live longer,
healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical complaints,
less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller
medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies are purer,
more refined and skin more beautiful.
5) The ECOLOGICAL reason
Planet earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of
species, destruction of ancient rain forests to create pasture lands for
livestock, loss of topsoils and the consequent increase of water
impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of
meat in the human diet. No single decision that we can make as
individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the
improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to not eat meat.
Many seeking to save the planet for future generations have made this
decision for this reason and this reason alone.
III. How to Win an Argument with a Meat-Eater
While their numbers are rapidly growing, vegetarians are still a
minority, and it is not unusual to be confronted with a meat-eater who
not only protects his own right to eat flesh, but argues aggressively
that vegetarians should join him in his carnivorous diet. Carnivores may
regard non meat-eaters as a strange lot who munch on "rabbit food," and
whose diet doesn't have the substance to make them strong, productive
human beings. The following presentation is designed to turn the tables
on such discussions by showing the devastating effects of meat-eating
both on individuals and on our planet. It is based on a richly
informative poster entitled, "How to win an argument with a meat-eater,"
published by Earthsave, an organization based in Felton, California,
giving facts from Pulitzer Prize nominee John Robbins' book Diet for a
New America. Below are eight separate arguments against meat-eating and
in favor of a vegetarian diet.
1. The Hunger Argument against meat-eating
Much of the world's massive hunger problems could be solved by the
reduction or elimination of meat-eating. The reasons: 1) livestock
pasture needs cut drastically into land which could otherwise be used to
grow food; 2) vast quantities of food which could feed humans is fed to
livestock raised to produce meat.
This year alone, twenty
million people worldwide will die as a result of malnutrition. One child
dies of malnutrition every 2.3 seconds. One hundred million people
could be adequately fed using the land freed if Americans reduced their
intake of meat by a mere 10%.
Twenty percent of the corn grown
in the U.S. is eaten by people. Eighty percent of the corn and 95% of
the oats grown in the U.S. is eaten by livestock. The percentage of
protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock is calculated by
experts as 90%.
One acre of land can produce 40,000 pounds of
potatoes, or 250 pounds of beef. Fifty-six percent of all U.S. farmland
is devoted to beef production, and to produce each pound of beef
requires 16 pounds of edible grain and soybeans, which could be used to
feed the hungry.
2. The Environmental Argument against meat-eating
Many of the world's massive environmental problems could be solved by
the reduction or elimination of meat-eating, including global warming,
loss of topsoil, loss of rain forests and species extinction.
The temperature of the earth is rising. This global warming, known as
"the greenhouse effect," results primarily from carbon dioxide emissions
from burning fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas. Three times
more fossil fuels must be burned to produce a meat-centered diet than
for a meat-free diet. If people stopped eating meat, the threat of
higher world temperatures would be vastly diminished.
Trees,
and especially the old-growth forests, are essential to the survival of
the planet. Their destruction is a major cause of global warming and top
soil loss. Both of these effects lead to diminished food production.
Meat-eating is the number one driving force for the destruction of these
forests. Two-hundred and sixty million acres of U.S. forest land has
been cleared for cropland to produce the meat-centered diet. Fifty-five
square feet of tropical rain forest is consumed to produce every
quarter-pound of rain forest beef. An alarming 75% of all U.S. topsoil
has been lost to date. Eighty-five percent of this loss is directly
related to livestock raising.
Another devastating result of
deforestation is the loss of plant and animal species. Each year 1,000
species are eliminated due to destruction of tropical rain forests for
meat grazing and other uses. The rate is growing yearly.
To
keep up with U.S. consumption, 300 million pounds of meat are imported
annually from Central and South America. This economic incentive impels
these nations to cut down their forests to make more pasture land. The
short-term gain ignores the long-term, irreparable harm to the earth's
ecosystem. In effect these countries are being drained of their
resources to put meat on the table of Americans while 75% of all Central
American children under the age of five are undernourished.
3. The Cancer Argument against meat-eating
Those who eat flesh are far more likely to contract cancer than those following a vegetarian diet.
The risk of contracting breast cancer is 3.8 times greater for women
who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week; 2.8 times greater
for women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week; and 3.25 greater
for women who eat butter and cheese 2 to 4 times a week as compared to
once a week.
The risk of fatal ovarian cancer is three times
greater for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week as compared with
less than once a week.
The risk of fatal prostate cancer is 3.6
times greater for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily as
compared with sparingly or not at all.
4. The Cholesterol Argument against meat-eating
Here are facts showing that: 1) U.S. physicians are not sufficiently
trained in the importance of the relation of diet to health; 2)
meat-eaters ingest excessive amounts of cholesterol, making them
dangerously susceptible to heart attacks.
It is strange, but
true that U.S. physicians are as a rule ill-educated in the single most
important factor of health, namely diet and nutrition. Of the 125
medical schools in the U.S., only 30 require their students to take a
course in nutrition. The average nutrition training received by the
average U.S. physician during four years in school is only 2.5 hours.
Thus doctors in the U.S. are ill-equipped to advise their patients in
minimizing foods, such as meat, that contain excessive amounts of
cholesterol and are known causes of heart attack.
Heart attack
is the most common cause of death in the U.S., killing one person every
45 seconds. The male meat-eater's risk of death from heart attack is
50%. The risk to men who eats no meat is 15%. Reducing one's consumption
of meat, dairy and eggs by 10% reduces the risk of heart attack by 10%.
Completely eliminating these products from one's diet reduces the risk
of heart attack by 90%.
The average cholesterol consumption of a
meat-centered diet is 210 milligrams per day. The chance of dying from
heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol is 210
milligrams daily is greater than 50%.
5. The Natural Resources Argument against meat-eating
The world's natural resources are being rapidly depleted as a result of meat-eating.
Raising livestock for their meat is a very inefficient way of
generating food. Pound for pound, far more resources must be expended to
produce meat than to produce grains, fruits and vegetables. For
example, more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.
is consumed in livestock production. The amount of water used in
production of the average cow is sufficient to float a destroyer (a
large naval ship). While 25 gallons of water are needed to produce a
pound of wheat, 5,000 gallons are needed to produce a pound of
California beef. That same 5,000 gallons of water can produce 200 pounds
of wheat. If this water cost were not subsidized by the government, the
cheapest hamburger meat would cost more than $35 per pound.
Meat-eating is devouring oil reserves at an alarming rate. It takes
nearly 78 calories of fossil fuel (oil, natural gas, etc.) energy to
produce one calory of beef protein and only 2 calories of fossil fuel
energy to produce one calory of soybean. If every human ate a
meat-centered diet, the world's known oil reserves would last a mere 13
years. They would last 260 years if humans stopped eating meat
altogether. That is 20 times longer, giving humanity ample time to
develop alternative energy sources.
Thirty-three percent of all
raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including
fossil fuels) consumed by the U.S. are devoted to the production of
livestock, as compared with 2% to produce a complete vegetarian diet.
6. The Antibiotic Argument against meat-eating
Here are facts showing the dangers of eating meat because of the large
amounts of antibiotics fed to livestock to control staphylococci
(commonly called staph infections), which are becoming immune to these drugs at an alarming rate.
The animals that are being raised for meat in the United States are
diseased. The livestock industry attempts to control this disease by
feeding the animals antibiotics. Huge quantities of drugs go for this
purpose. Of all antibiotics used in the U.S., 55% are fed to livestock.
But this is only partially effective because the bacteria that cause
disease are becoming immune to the antibiotics. The percentage of
staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin, for example, has grown
from 13% in 1960 to 91% in 1988. These antibiotics and-or the bacteria
they are intended to destroy reside in the meat that goes to market.
It is not healthy for humans to consume this meat. The response of the
European Economic Community to the routine feeding of antibiotics to
U.S. livestock was to ban the importation of U.S. meat. European buyers
do not want to expose consumers to this serious health hazard. By
comparison, U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries gave their full and
complete support to the routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock,
turning a blind eye to the threat of disease to the consumer.
7. The Pesticide Argument against meat-eating
Unknown to most meat-eaters, U.S.-produced meat contains dangerously high quantities of deadly pesticides.
The common belief is that the U.S. Department of Agriculture protects
consumers' health through regular and thorough meat inspection. In
reality, fewer than one out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is
tested for toxic chemical residues.
That these chemicals are indeed ingested by the meat-eater is proven by the following facts:
A. Ninety-nine percent of U.S. mother's milk contains significant
levels of DDT. In stark contrast, only 8% of U.S. vegetarian mother's
milk containing significant levels of DDT. This shows that the primary
source of DDT is the meat ingested by the mothers.
B.
Contamination of breast milk due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides
in animal products found in meat-eating mothers versus non meat-eating
mothers is 35 times higher.
C. The amount of the pesticide Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant is 9 times the permissible level.
8. The Ethical Argument against meat-eating
Many of those who have adopted a vegetarian diet have done so because
of the ethical argument, either from reading about or personally
experiencing what goes on daily at any one of the thousands of
slaughterhouses in the U.S. and other countries, where animals suffer
the cruel process of forced confinement, manipulation and violent death.
Their pain and terror is beyond calculation.
The
slaughterhouse is the final stop for animals raised for their flesh.
These ghastly places, while little known to most meat-eaters, process
enormous numbers of animals each years. In the U.S. alone, 660,000
animals are killed for meat every hour. A surprising quantity of meat is
consumed by the meat-eater. The average per capita consumption of meat
in the U.S., Canada and Australia is 200 pounds per year! The average
American consumes in a 72-year lifetime approximately 11 cattle, 3 lambs
and sheep, 23 hogs, 45 turkeys, 1,100 chickens and 862 pounds of fish!
Bon appetite!
People who come in contact with slaughterhouses
cannot help but be affected by what they see and hear. Those living
nearby must daily experience the screams of terror and anger of the
animals led to slaughter. Those working inside must also see and
participate in the crimes of mayhem and murder. Most who choose this
line of work are not on the job for long. Of all occupations in the
U.S., slaughterhouse worker has the highest turnover rate. It also has
the highest rate of on-the-job injury.
IV. Humans Have neither Fangs nor Claws
A ninth and most compelling argument against meat-eating is that humans
are physiologically not suited for a carnivorous diet. The book Food
for the Spirit, Vegetarianism in the World Religions, summarizes
this point of view as follows. "Many nutritionists, biologists and
physiologists offer convincing evidence that humans are in fact not
meant to eat flesh._" Here are seven facts in support of this view:
"Physiologically, people are more akin to plant-eaters, foragers and
grazers, such as monkeys, elephants and cows, than to carnivora such as
dogs, tigers and leopards.
"For example, carnivora do not sweat
through their skin; body heat is controlled by rapid breathing and
extrusion of the tongue. Vegetarian animals, on the other hand, have
sweat pores for heat control and the elimination of impurities.
"Carnivora have long teeth and claws for holding and killing prey; vegetarian animals have short teeth and no claws.
"The saliva of carnivora contains no ptyalin and cannot predigest
starches; that of vegetarian animals contains ptyalin for the
predigestion of starches.
"Flesh-eating animals secrete large
quantities of hydrochloric acid to help dissolve bones; vegetarian
animals secrete little hydrochloric acid.
"The jaws of
carnivora only open in an up and down motion; those of vegetarian
animals also move sideways for additional kinds of chewing.
"Carnivora must lap liquids (like a cat); vegetarian animals take liquids in by suction through the teeth.
"There are many such comparisons, and in each case humans fit the
vegetarian physiognomy. From a strictly physiological perspective, then,
there are strong arguments that humans are not suited to a fleshy
diet."
V. The Health Benefits of Vegetarianism
It was
only recently that smoking only recently became recognized as a health
and environmental hazard. As a result of research and education on a
habit once believed to be not only harmless but stylish, most major U.S.
cities have banned smoking of cigarettes, cigars or pipes in all public
places. Smoking has also been outlawed in government offices and
completely eliminated from all domestic U.S. air flights. Now, another,
even more devastating problem is under scrutiny. Its threat to health
and the environment is being realized based on overwhelming evidence
amassed by recognized authorities over the past fifty years. Recently a
group of eminent doctors called the Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine (PCRM), themselves members of the American Medical Association
(AMA), have gathered to change the U.S. consciousness on human
nutrition, particularly among the medical community. The PCRM is a
nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., consisting of doctors
and lay persons working together for compassionate and effective medical
practice, research and health promotion. Founded in 1985, the PCRM is
supported by over 3,000 physicians and 50,000 lay persons PCRM president
Newal D. Barnard, M.D., is a popular speaker and the author of The
Power of Your Plate.
As stated by the PCRM in their 1991
literature, "A vegetarian diet has been advocated by everyone from
philosophers, such as Plato and Nietzsche, to political leaders, such as
Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, to modern pop icons such as Paul
McCartney and Bob Marley. Science is also on the side of vegetarian
foods. A multitude of studies have proven the health benefits of a
vegetarian diet to be remarkable.
"Vegetarian is defined as
avoiding all animal flesh, including fish and poultry. Vegetarians who
avoid flesh, but do eat animal products such as cheese, milk and eggs
are ovo-lacto-vegetarians (ovo = egg; lacto = milk, cheese, etc.). The
ranks of those who eschew all animal products are rapidly growing; these
people are referred to as pure vegetarians or vegans (vee'guns).
Scientific research shows that ovo-lacto-vegetarians are healthier than
meat-eaters, and vegans are healthier than ovo-lacto-vegetarians." It
should be noted that the Indian Hindu tradition has always been
lacto-vegetarian, permitting the consumption of milk products.
The PCRM literature lists a host of health benefits of a vegetarian diet, including the following:
Preventing cancer: "Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies have
shown that vegetarians are nearly 50% less likely to die from cancer
than non vegetarians."
Preventing heart disease and lowering blood pressure.
Preventing and reversing diabetes.
Preventing and alleviating gallstones, kidney stones and osteoporosis.
Preventing and alleviating asthma.
X. Hindu Religious Leaders on Non Injury
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way in which its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi
As long as human society continues to allow cows to be regularly killed in slaughterhouses, there cannot be any question of peace and prosperity. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Refrain from killing knowingly even the trifling insects like a louse, a bug or a mosquito. Use no violence even to gain possession of a woman, wealth or kingdom. Never kill any animals even for the purpose of sacrifice. Non-violence is the greatest of all religions. Swami Sahajanand
O lover of meditation, become pure and clean. Observe nonviolence in mind, speech and body. Never break another's heart. Avoid wounding another's feelings. Harm no one. Help all. Neither be afraid nor frighten others. Swami Muktananda
Someone who believes in violence and continues causing injury to others can never be peaceful himself. Swami Satchidananda
To be free from violence is the duty of every man. No thought of revenge, hatred or ill will should arise in our minds. Injuring others gives rise to hatred. Swami Sivananda
By ahimsa, Patanjali meant the removal of the desire to kill. All forms of life have an equal right to the air of maya. The saint who uncovers the secret of creation will be in harmony with Nature's countless bewildering expressions. All men may understand this truth by overcoming the passion for destruction. Sri Yukteswar to Paramahansa Yogananda
If you plant eggplant, you can pluck eggplants. If you sow goodness, you can reap goodness. If you sow evil, you will reap evil. Do good to all. God is there, within you. Don't kill. Don't harbor anger. Sage Yogaswami
We are all of the same race and religion. We are holy beings established in Divinity itself. This truth can be understood only by those who have grasped it through the magical charm of a life of dharma-not by other means. Because of that, sages have emphatically proclaimed again and again that it is necessary to love all existing lives as one's own. Sage Yogaswami
The test of ahimsa is the absence of jealousy. The man whose heart never cherishes even the thought of injury to anyone, who rejoices at the prosperity of even his greatest enemy, that man is the bhakta, he is the yogi, he is the guru of all. Swami Vivekananda
Strictly speaking, no activity and no industry is possible without a certain amount of violence, no matter how little. Even the very process of living is impossible without a certain amount of violence. What we have to do is to minimize it to the greatest extent possible. Mahatma Gandhi, My Socialism, 34-35.
You do not like to suffer yourself. How can you inflict suffering on others? Every killing is a suicide. The eternal, blissful and natural state has been smothered by this life of ignorance. In this way the present life is due to the killing of the eternal, pristine Being. Is it not a case of suicide? Ramana Maharshi, June 1935
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way in which its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi
As long as human society continues to allow cows to be regularly killed in slaughterhouses, there cannot be any question of peace and prosperity. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Refrain from killing knowingly even the trifling insects like a louse, a bug or a mosquito. Use no violence even to gain possession of a woman, wealth or kingdom. Never kill any animals even for the purpose of sacrifice. Non-violence is the greatest of all religions. Swami Sahajanand
O lover of meditation, become pure and clean. Observe nonviolence in mind, speech and body. Never break another's heart. Avoid wounding another's feelings. Harm no one. Help all. Neither be afraid nor frighten others. Swami Muktananda
Someone who believes in violence and continues causing injury to others can never be peaceful himself. Swami Satchidananda
To be free from violence is the duty of every man. No thought of revenge, hatred or ill will should arise in our minds. Injuring others gives rise to hatred. Swami Sivananda
By ahimsa, Patanjali meant the removal of the desire to kill. All forms of life have an equal right to the air of maya. The saint who uncovers the secret of creation will be in harmony with Nature's countless bewildering expressions. All men may understand this truth by overcoming the passion for destruction. Sri Yukteswar to Paramahansa Yogananda
If you plant eggplant, you can pluck eggplants. If you sow goodness, you can reap goodness. If you sow evil, you will reap evil. Do good to all. God is there, within you. Don't kill. Don't harbor anger. Sage Yogaswami
We are all of the same race and religion. We are holy beings established in Divinity itself. This truth can be understood only by those who have grasped it through the magical charm of a life of dharma-not by other means. Because of that, sages have emphatically proclaimed again and again that it is necessary to love all existing lives as one's own. Sage Yogaswami
The test of ahimsa is the absence of jealousy. The man whose heart never cherishes even the thought of injury to anyone, who rejoices at the prosperity of even his greatest enemy, that man is the bhakta, he is the yogi, he is the guru of all. Swami Vivekananda
Strictly speaking, no activity and no industry is possible without a certain amount of violence, no matter how little. Even the very process of living is impossible without a certain amount of violence. What we have to do is to minimize it to the greatest extent possible. Mahatma Gandhi, My Socialism, 34-35.
You do not like to suffer yourself. How can you inflict suffering on others? Every killing is a suicide. The eternal, blissful and natural state has been smothered by this life of ignorance. In this way the present life is due to the killing of the eternal, pristine Being. Is it not a case of suicide? Ramana Maharshi, June 1935
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