Life Is Sacred
A dead cow or sheep lying in a pasture is recognized as carrion. The same sort of a carcass dressed and hung up in a butcher’s stall passes as food,” writes Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. Time and again, over the centuries and across the cultures, the subject of animal slaughter and flesh diet has been discussed. Also since time immemorial, many cultures have avoided animal slaughter and flesh diet. These cultures were built on the philosophy of peaceful coexistence with nature and the principle of nonviolence.
This book deals with the subject of cow but before lunging into the subject, we will examine views on life in general, from the Vedic or Indian perspective.
Life Is Sacred And All Life Forms Are Worthy of Respect
Traditional Indian or Vedic way of life teaches respect for all life forms. In their view, all living beings are born of mother nature and have an equal right to life. Indeed, in Vedic conception, animals are treated like innocent children and are meant to be given all protection. Srimad Bhagavatam, the foremost of the Vedic texts states, “One should treat animals such as deer, camels, asses, monkeys, mice, snakes, birds and flies exactly like one's own son. How little difference there actually is between children and these innocent animals.” (SB 7.14.9)
The doctrine of reincarnation holds that every creature is a spirit soul that lives in one material body after another. And all life is sacred, not just the life of cow. Vedic concept is that all life forms emanate from the Supreme Life and are therefore venerable.
Each of us is an eternal spirit soul; we are not the material body that covers us. Every life form—whether bird, insect, fish, mammal, plant, or fetus—houses an individual, eternal soul as well as the Supreme Soul, who accompanies the individual soul as he transmigrates from body to body in his adventures throughout the material universe. Thus every form of life is sacred and should never be whimsically destroyed.
In fact, not only Vedic culture, but all traditional cultures teach repect for life and nature in general. It is the techno-industrial life style which is utterly callous towards life and nature.
This book deals with the subject of cow but before lunging into the subject, we will examine views on life in general, from the Vedic or Indian perspective.
Life Is Sacred And All Life Forms Are Worthy of Respect
Traditional Indian or Vedic way of life teaches respect for all life forms. In their view, all living beings are born of mother nature and have an equal right to life. Indeed, in Vedic conception, animals are treated like innocent children and are meant to be given all protection. Srimad Bhagavatam, the foremost of the Vedic texts states, “One should treat animals such as deer, camels, asses, monkeys, mice, snakes, birds and flies exactly like one's own son. How little difference there actually is between children and these innocent animals.” (SB 7.14.9)
The doctrine of reincarnation holds that every creature is a spirit soul that lives in one material body after another. And all life is sacred, not just the life of cow. Vedic concept is that all life forms emanate from the Supreme Life and are therefore venerable.
Each of us is an eternal spirit soul; we are not the material body that covers us. Every life form—whether bird, insect, fish, mammal, plant, or fetus—houses an individual, eternal soul as well as the Supreme Soul, who accompanies the individual soul as he transmigrates from body to body in his adventures throughout the material universe. Thus every form of life is sacred and should never be whimsically destroyed.
In fact, not only Vedic culture, but all traditional cultures teach repect for life and nature in general. It is the techno-industrial life style which is utterly callous towards life and nature.