We English-speaking people, who pride ourselves on our civilisation and
religion; who call ourselves the followers of the gentle Jesus, the Prince
of Peace; yet hunt, shoot, trap and torture animals for food sport and
science. Our main reason for eating flesh is that of personal
gratification. We are loath to admit that the lower animals have any
rights. Those Eastern peoples who are adherents to the teachings of the
gentle Buddha hold life sacred. Mr. H. Fielding, who lived many years
amongst the simple-minded Burmese, says that though there is now no law
against the sale of beef, yet no respectable Burman will even now, kill
cattle or sell beef. No life at all may be taken by him who keeps to
Buddhistic teaching, and this is a commandment wonderfully well kept. "He
believes that all that is beautiful in life is founded on compassion and
kindness and sympathy--that nothing of great value can exist without them.
Do you think that a Burmese boy would be allowed to birds'-nest or worry
rats with a terrier, or go ferreting? Not so. These would be crimes. That
this kindess and compassion for animals has very far-reaching results, no
one can doubt. If you are kind to animals, you will be kind, too, to your
fellow-men."
By participating in any form of cruelty or injustice, not only to our
fellow-men, but also to the lower animals, we retard our progress towards
the higher life, the subtler forces in man cannot find their full
expression and we are less responsive to spiritual influences.
Printed by
Hurst Bros., Shaw Heath, Stockport.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account