"Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" (अहिंसा परमो धर्मः ) : great theory

[prasad1]

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"Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" (अहिंसा परमो धर्मः ) : great theory

In our personal life we may live by this philosophy, but should we take it a step further. Some of our religious practice is very cruel, should we actively participate to end such practice?

One in perticular: Nag Panchami.

Nag Panchami and more popularly as Nagula Panchami in Telangana.It is an important Hindu festival celebrated in most parts of India and Nepal. The festival falls on the auspicious day of Shravana Shukla Panchami that is the fifth day of the first half, Moonlit fortnight of Shravana Masam (means the month of Shravana). Naga means Cobra and the festival is called as Naga Panchami as this festival is all about worship of Snakes on the fifth day of Shravana Masam.

Several organizations like PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are trying their best to educate people that the Snake charmers who pick up Snakes on the occasion of Nagula Panchami torture them by extracting the venom by cruel methods, stitching their mouths, drugging them, not feeding them and keeping them trapped in tiny baskets. And that the process of worship by offering milk actually chokes the Snake and that the Kumkuma (Vermilion) and Turmeric powder sprinkled on its hood would blind it. Despite such appeals to prevent cruelty, a majority of the population go by the traditions set by their parents and ancestors.

 

[ozone]

No Tradition as far I know sets procedures for how the snakes should be captured. Infact many wouldnt know.
Why blame the devotees, when the PETA is powerless against the snake charmers?

 

[C RAVI]

As Shri Prasad1 has said, devotees should be alarmed about the cruelty done to snakes by snake charmers who bring snake to the devotees to carry out their aaradhana.

If true devotees understands what's happening in real, behind the scene, they would sure would not demand/entertain snake charmers to bring snakes to them to carry out their worship and give him the source of earning that way.

Abhishekam to naga are done in North India and Nepal, not in South India. In south, idol of snakes are installed below peepal tree and to that idol worships are done. At the most people keep a plate/bowl of milk and or eggs near snake burrow.

 

[v arun kumar]

I am myself a person who would not harm a dew drop let alone anything more potent and lively.

But do you ever watch National geographic or any wild life channel, do u not notice how cruel nature can be ? The entire food chain is built on voilence and cruelty. Even if man wishen we would not be in a position to stop the same snake from devouring an new born infant !b
I am not advocating mindless rituals or cruelty ! But evolution is built on life and death, so ahimsa at what cost

 

[prasad1]

I think education is important. Like Mr. Ravi said, if people come to know the suffering they may change. I think the devotee is ultimately responsible, you can not fain ignorance as an excuse.

 

[renuka]

I am myself a person who would not harm a dew drop let alone anything more potent and lively.

But do you ever watch National geographic or any wild life channel, do u not notice how cruel nature can be ? The entire food chain is built on voilence and cruelty. Even if man wishen we would not be in a position to stop the same snake from devouring an new born infant !b
I am not advocating mindless rituals or cruelty ! But evolution is built on life and death, so ahimsa at what cost

Yes wildlife can appear "cruel" to us but that still very much within the Dharma of the animal.

 

[renuka]

My favorite question now:

What about cruelty to silk worms for women to wear Pattu Sarees?
This is one question not many women want to answer despite being strict vegetarians.

 

[renuka]

I know the next question I might be bombarded with is "why take antibiotics if you are so concerned about not killing silk worms"
I have faced all these questions before when people know that I dont wear silk.

My answer is simple..No doubt its still within the Dharma of the bacteria or virus to cause harm to me but its also within my Dharma to take care of my body to make sure its not in ill health but a silk garment involves taking lives of countless silk worms that never had action of harming us even in its Svadharma.

 

[Brahmanyan]

: "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" (अहिंसा परमो धर्मः ) : great theory

While dealing with the subject of "Ahimsa", I think it is relevant to include the subject "Animal Sacrifice in Yagnas justified?"

At the outset I confide that I have no knowledge of Vedas. But I hope all will agree that Late Mahaswami of Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Mutt knows well when he said about "Animal Sacrifice" while dealing on the subject "Is Sacrificial Killing Justified?"

Kanchi Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Shankara Mutt explains in detail on the importance of Yagnas mentions " One is enjoined to perform twenty one sacrifices. These are three types Pakayajna, haviryajna and Soma yajna. In each category there are seven subdivisions. In all the seven Pakayajnas as well as in the first five haviryajnas there is no animal sacrifice. It is only from the sixth haviryajnas onwards (it is called "nirudhapasubandha") that animals are sacrificed."
The full speech is available in the following URL:

www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part5/chap23.htm
Regards,
Brahmanyan

 

[renuka]

While dealing with the subject of "Ahimsa", I think it is relevant to include the subject "Animal Sacrifice in Yagnas justified?"

At the outset I confide that I have no knowledge of Vedas. But I hope all will agree that Late Mahaswami of Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Mutt knows well when he said about "Animal Sacrifice" while dealing on the subject "Is Sacrificial Killing Justified?"

Kanchi Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Shankara Mutt explains in detail on the importance of Yagnas mentions " One is enjoined to perform twenty one sacrifices. These are three types Pakayajna, haviryajna and Soma yajna. In each category there are seven subdivisions. In all the seven Pakayajnas as well as in the first five haviryajnas there is no animal sacrifice. It is only from the sixth haviryajnas onwards (it is called "nirudhapasubandha") that animals are sacrificed."
The full speech is available in the following URL:

www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part5/chap23.htm
Regards,
Brahmanyan

Good point sir,

As far as I know Sathya Sai Baba has mentioned that Asvamedha does not mean killing of a horse.
But to surrender or sacrifice our mind that is unstable like a horse.
Baba said that if you observe a horse..at one particular time some part of its body will be moving, legs,tail,ears etc..Horse is symbolic of unsteadiness and Medha means intellect..hence Asvamedha Yagna means to sacrifice the unstable horse like intellect.

God knows may be things got wrongly diagnosed along the way and horses ended up being killed.

 

[renuka]

Section 2: No violence in Yajna

Yajna never meant animal sacrifice in the sense popularly understood. Yajna in the Vedas meant a noble deed or the highest purifying action.
—————————————–
Adhvara iti Yajnanaama – Dhvaratihimsaakarmaa tatpratishedhah
Nirukta 2.7
According to Yaaska Acharya, one of the synonyms of Yajna in Nirukta or the Vedic philology is Adhvara.
Dhvara means an act with himsa or violence. And therefore a-dhvara means an act involving no himsa or no violence. There are a large number of such usage of Adhvara in the Vedas.
———————————————

In the post-Mahabharata period, misinterpretation of the Vedas and interpolations in other scriptures took place at various points intime. Acharya Shankar reestablished the Vedic values to an extent.
In the more recent times, Swami Dayanand Saraswati – known as the grandfather of modern India – interpreted the Vedas as per thecorrect rules of the language and authentic evidences. His literature, which includes commentary on the Vedas, Satyarth Prakash loosely translated as Light of Truth, An Introduction to the Vedas and other texts led to widespread social reformation based on Vedic philosophy and dispelling of myths surrounding the Vedas.

Let us discover what the Vedas have to say on Yajna.
————————————–
Agne yam yagnamadhvaram vishwatah pari bhuurasi
Sa id deveshu gacchati
Rigveda 1.1.4
O lord of effulgence! The non-violent Yajna, you prescribe from all sides, is beneficial for all, touches divine proportions and is accepted by noble souls.
—————————————-

The Rigveda describes Yajna as Adhvara or non violent throughout. Same is the case with all the other Vedas. How can it be then concluded that the Vedas permit violence or slaughter of animals?
The biggest accusation of cattle and cow slaughter comes in the context of the Yajnas that derived their names from different cattle like the Ashwamedh Yajna, the Gomedha Yajna and the Nar-medh Yajna. Even by the wildest stretch of the imagination the word Medha would not mean slaughter in this context.

It’s interesting to note what Yajurveda says about a horse
——————————————————–
Imam ma himsirekashafam pashum kanikradam vaajinam vaajineshu
Yajurveda 13.48
Do not slaughter this one hoofed animal that neighs and who goes with a speed faster than most of the animals.
———————————————————-

Aswamedha does not mean horse sacrifice at Yajna. Instead the Yajurveda clearly mentions that a horse ought not to be slaughtered.

In Shathapatha, Ashwa is a word for the nation or empire

The word medha does not mean slaughter. It denotes an act done in accordance to the intellect.

Alternatively it could mean consolidation, as evident from the root meaning of medha i.e. medhru san-ga-me

Raashtram vaa ashwamedhah
Annam hi gau
Agnirvaa ashwah
Aajyam medhah
(Shatpath 13.1.6.3)

Swami Dayananda Saraswati wrote in his Light of Truth:

A Yajna dedicated to the glory, wellbeing and prosperity of the Rashtra the nation or empire is known as the Ashwamedh yajna.

“To keep the food pure or to keep the senses under control, or to make the food pure or to make a good use of the rays of Sun or keep the earth free from impurities[clean] is called Gomedha Yajna”.

“The word Gau also means the Earth and the yajna dedicated to keep the Earth the environment clean is called Gomedha Yajna”

“The cremation of the body of a dead person in accordance with the principles laid down in the Vedas is called Naramedha Yajna”.


No beef in Vedas

 

[Brahmanyan]

Dear Doctor,

It is the " Arya Samjists" interpretation of Vedas. ( But I would like to stick-on to Kanchi Acharya's views). Maharishi Dhayanand Saraswathi has written a detailed commentary of his reading of Vedas in his magnum opus "Satyartha Prakash" (Light of Truth). He decries many of the current practices and calls Hindus to "go back to Vedas". I wish every lover of Hinduism read this interesting book. But for his untiring effort of purifying Hinduism, what ever left of Punjab and Haryana would have been converted to other religions.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[renuka]

Dear Doctor,

It is the " Arya Samjists" interpretation of Vedas. Maharishi Dhayanand Saraswathi has written a detailed commentary of his reading of Vedas in his magnum opus "Satyartha Prakash". He decries many of the current practices and calls Hindus to "go back to Vedas". I wish every lover of Hinduism read this interesting book. But for his untiring effort of purifying Hinduism, what ever left of Punjab and Haryana would have been converted to other religions.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

Dear sir ,

here is the link for everyone to read.

http://www.aryasamaj.org/newsite/Light_Of_Truth.pdf

 

[Iyyarooraan]

My favorite question now:

What about cruelty to silk worms for women to wear Pattu Sarees?
This is one question not many women want to answer despite being strict vegetarians.

Kaanchi Paramacharyal discouraged ladies wearing pattupudavai for the same reason. Good. Renukaji, just hide the silkworms, thousands of people are meeting their livelihood in sericulture, weaving and selling (poor boys, the literally wear the sarees to help the ladies select their choice). One last question, as a doctor, dont you kill or help people kill many bacteria, germs, etc. I think we do not know what is right and what is wrong. Perhaps, what you do without hurting your own mind is right.

 

[renuka]

Kaanchi Paramacharyal discouraged ladies wearing pattupudavai for the same reason. Good. Renukaji, just hide the silkworms, thousands of people are meeting their livelihood in sericulture, weaving and selling (poor boys, the literally wear the sarees to help the ladies select their choice). One last question, as a doctor, dont you kill or help people kill many bacteria, germs, etc. I think we do not know what is right and what is wrong. Perhaps, what you do without hurting your own mind is right.

Dear sir,

Thats why I wrote this in an earlier post:

I know the next question I might be bombarded with is "why take antibiotics if you are so concerned about not killing silk worms"
I have faced all these questions before when people know that I dont wear silk.

My answer is simple..No doubt its still within the Dharma of the bacteria or virus to cause harm to me but its also within my Dharma to take care of my body to make sure its not in ill health but a silk garment involves taking lives of countless silk worms that never had action of harming us even in its Svadharma.

I agree many make a living thru the silk industry etc just like how fishermen too make a living thru fishing.

I am not saying they are wrong cos thats their Dharma but for a person who has taken to a Sattva life where he/she believes in Ahimsa I feel its better if they try to practice much Ahimsa as possible.

Thats why I feel its better if the spiritual aspirant tries to avoid using silk,leather etc.

Each one of us have a different mindset and the best is to live along the path we have chosen.

I certainly do not expect an Eskimo to be a vegetarian in the North Pole.

Dear sir..with regards to patients..its my Dharma as a doc to save lives and eradicate any harmful bacteria.
Becos the harmful bacteria/virus is an invader..just like how an army can shoot down the invader when it crosses the border of a country and misbehaves.

In cases where a person doesnt need antibiotics but insists on it still, I advise them not to take antibiotics when its not needed cos if will kill off the beneficial bacteria in the colon..So I am still very micro organism friendly.

 

[Brahmanyan]

: "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" (अहिंसा परमो धर्मः ) : great theory

Dear Doctor,

I agree with your views. Many a time I have pondered over this subject, but I could never come to a conclusion.
Ahimsa in life has its limitations in its practice. We cannot dissect the subject to minutest level to find an answer. There is no end for this. It is my personal opinion that that non-violence is a mental attitude, not to cause harm to any living being in thought, word or deed.

Jainism is one religion which is based on Ahimsa, (Non-violence) as one of its first and fundamental principles. Their spiritual Acharyas have gone through the subject in depth and come out with useful treatises on this subject. Ahimsa is the first and foremost among the five vows taken by the Jain monks and nuns. They follow rigorous set of rules to uphold the vow,and go to the extreme towards observance of Ahimsa like brushing the path they travel in barefoot, or covering their mouth to avoid killing tiny insects. Jains follow strict rules and diet restrictions in their food habits.
It is the Jainism that had influenced the spread Vegetarianism among the followers of Vedic religion (mostly in North). Equally influence of Saivam must have had an impact in the same way in South.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[C RAVI]

Dear sir,

Thats why I wrote this in an earlier post:


I agree many make a living thru the silk industry etc just like how fishermen too make a living thru fishing.

I am not saying they are wrong cos thats their Dharma but for a person who has taken to a Sattva life where he/she believes in Ahimsa I feel its better if they try to practice much Ahimsa as possible.

Thats why I feel its better if the spiritual aspirant tries to avoid using silk,leather etc.

Each one of us have a different mindset and the best is to live along the path we have chosen.

Dear Renuka,

I fully agree with your sentiment, with your spiritual sense, with which you are expecting spiritual aspirants to avoid silk, leather etc..

I also have the same sentiments towards silk worms and other animals catering to the needs of leather industry. Being a spiritual aspirant myself, I would not like the act of killing to meet my demands.

But I get stuck often and finds everything normal as God's Will, when I think about all silk and leather industry, differently.

On that basis, my question to you, just to see how we can think over it unanimously, is -


What would be your considerations towards folks making their livelihood through silk and leather industry, IF each and every human on this Earth reject the usage of Silk cloths and Leather products based on empathy (without any spiritual sense) towards all Living creatures, signifying every LIFE.

I am not including Killing for consumption in this, considering human's habitual taste from the time immemorial and some medicinal values.

 

[renuka]

What would be your considerations towards folks making their livelihood through silk and leather industry, IF each and every human on this Earth reject the usage of Silk cloths and Leather products based on empathy (without any spiritual sense) towards all Living creatures, signifying every LIFE.

I am not including Killing for consumption in this, considering human's habitual taste from the time immemorial and some medicinal values.

Dear Ravi,

You know over the years humans have changed profession when something is no more lucrative.
We have had persons leaving even farming to work in factories out here.
Even people have left priesthood to work in IT industry.

It will be a gradual shift cos it wont be an overnight drastic decline in demand for silk.

When there is a will there is a way.

 

[ozone]

Dear Renu,
But what will the silkworms do, with so much of silk?

 

[renuka]

Dear Renu,
But what will the silkworms do, with so much of silk?

Dear ozone,

The silk worm just spins the silk for its cocoon and once metamorphosis is over the chrysalis emerges and the cocoon is left behind.

Thats why now there is something called vegan silk where the silk is made from left behind cocoons so no silk worm dies.

 

[ozone]

The vegan silk (also called ahimsa silk) would not be of the same texture and quality, since it gets older and also the thread is not continuous because of the rupture caused by the worm.

The worm has nothing else to do post this event, except to wander around? Will it turn into a butterfly or equivalent?

 

[renuka]

The vegan silk (also called ahimsa silk) would not be of the same texture and quality, since it gets older and also the thread is not continuous because of the rupture caused by the worm.

The worm has nothing else to do post this event, except to wander around? Will it turn into a butterfly or equivalent?

Life cycle. A silkworm starts its life as a tiny egg laid by the female moth. The egg is just about this size: . The egg, laid in the summer or early fall, remains dormant until the warmth of spring stimulates it to start developing. When silkworms first hatch in the spring, they are tiny—3 mm or so (about 1/8")—and hairy. They require young tender mulberry leaves during their first few days. As they grow, they can eat tougher leaves, and late in their development they will eat any mulberry leaf you can supply.
The larvae advance through five stages of growth, called instars. The silkworm literally outgrows its skin five times, and molts its outgrown skin. With the first molt the silkworm loses its hairy exterior, and for the rest of its larval life its skin is soft and smooth.
Silkworms grow rapidly, eventually reaching the size of your ring finger. Then they spin beautiful oval white or yellow cocoons in which they pupate. After 2–3 weeks the creamy-white adult moths emerge from the cocoons. They clamber around, vibrate their wings rapidly, and mate, but they don't fly or attempt to escape from their container. During the adult phase of the life cycle, the silkworm moths do not eat or drink. After mating, the female lays a profusion of eggs, and the moths die.
Males and females look slightly different, and students will be able to tell them apart with a little practice. The female has a larger abdomen. The male has a much larger pair of antennae, which look like long rakes or comb-shaped eyebrows, and vibrates its wings rapidly to attract a female.

SILKWORM MOTHS

 

[C RAVI]

Dear Ravi,

You know over the years humans have changed profession when something is no more lucrative.
We have had persons leaving even farming to work in factories out here.
Even people have left priesthood to work in IT industry.

It will be a gradual shift cos it wont be an overnight drastic decline in demand for silk.

When there is a will there is a way.

Dear Renu,

Yes, I know this. You may also know that many farmers suffered hell and still are suffering. Many poor priest who all could not go for a secular descent jobs and are suffering without any hopes.

Likewise, is that OK if 1000s of poor and uneducated folks get into any sort of immoral and unethical work/profession in a phased manner? Would not it be leading to the existence of more anti social activities and ruining the life of these folks offsprings and swell the population of immoral/unethical activists?

How you gonna evaluate the importance of personal and social living quality in comparison to the sacrifices of Silk Worms (that God must have offered for the human kind)?

 

[ozone]

Dear Renu,
Is eating sprouts immoral from a doctors pov?

 

[renuka]

Dear Renu,

Yes, I know this. You may also know that many farmers suffered hell and still are suffering. Many poor priest who all could not go for a secular descent jobs and are suffering without any hopes.

Likewise, is that OK if 1000s of poor and uneducated folks get into any sort of immoral and unethical work/profession in a phased manner? Would not it be leading to the existence of more anti social activities and ruining the life of these folks offsprings and swell the population of immoral/unethical activists?

How you gonna evaluate the importance of personal and social living quality in comparison to the sacrifices of Silk Worms (that God must have offered for the human kind)?

In that way even many people make a living tru the tobacco industry and smoking is hazardous to health.

So if we encourage people to quit smoking the people whose livelihood depends on tobacco cultivation will suffer.

That way anything and everything is a never ending story.

Thats why I said in my earlier post that each one of us has a different mind set and follow the path that suits us best.