If we look through the pages of history, we find stories of war and conquest. At some point in time, a nation may be the conqueror, and then a century later, it is conquered. land and wealth change hands many a time. Wars have been fought over territory, riches, religion, and political ideology. The causes of each conflict may differ, but they all involve loss of life, and immeasurable pain and suffering.
Periodically, great philosophers or thinkers come along to clearly express how precious and sacred life is. They try to spread the message that power, possession, and pride are not worth risking even one human life. We have examples of Mahatma Gandhi in the East and Martin luther King Jr in the West, who preached the gospel of non-violence. By using non-violent methods, Gandhi led India to independence, and King helped move America closer to its vision of equal rights for all.
Humanity recognises the greatness of those souls who control their anger and refrain from violence. Every year, someone receives a Nobel Peace Prize. If peace is so highly valued in our society, why does it remain so elusiveIJ Is peace possible in this world, and how can we attain itIJ These issues are critical not only for the future of our planet, but also for those treading the spiritual path. One of the basic principles of spirituality is non-violence. To enter God’s kingdom we must not injure any living creature either in thought, word, or deed. Our soul must be freed from the impurity of violence in any way.
This entire creation has been made by God. Every living creature is his handiwork. Although the lives of the tiniest forms of creation seem insignificant to us, there is a definite divine purpose for every form of life. Each life form is animated by a soul. Every being in creation is travelling on a journey back to God, the source from where it came. In this voyage, souls are moving from one life to another, aspiring to receive the human form. The human body is considered the highest in all creation. It is the only one which has the faculty to rise above this physical world and return to God. We are most fortunate that we have received a human birth. It is our golden opportunity to realise God.
While endowed with the human body, we have two responsibilities. One is to our own self. We should take advantage of this priceless gift and utilise our life for knowing ourself and realising God. Second, we should also be of service to God’s creation. We need to realise that the souls embodied in various species are passing through tremendous suffering. The lower species of life reside in bodies in which their only concern is survival. The purpose of their lives is to eat, protect themselves, and reproduce. They lack the faculty to know themselves and to realise God. We need to have compassion for all forms of life.
There are several reasons why those following the spiritual path need to cultivate non-violence. One reason revolves around the law of karma. This law states that for every action there is a reaction. Whatever we do is credited or debited to our karmic account. If we cause injury to any living creature, we must pay for that deed in kind. Most people live in ignorance of this law. They harm others without being aware of the consequences. Although there are courts of law by which certain crimes are tried, many crimes seemingly go unpunished. We may think we have escaped punishment, but sooner or later we must pay for our deeds, whether it is in this life or the next. The karmic law is inexorable. Those following the spiritual path refrain from any violent acts. If we want to reduce our karmic debt so that we can return to God, we must develop non-violence.
Violence to other forms of life is interfering with God’s creation. How can we expect God to grant us entry to the spiritual regions if we mistreat his childrenIJ We may consider the lower forms of life insignificant. We may think insects are repulsive and reptiles useless. But for some reason known to him, God created each life form. The outer form is but a shell or casing for the soul within. And that soul is a part of God. If we can feel so much love for our children, how much more love must God feel who has created the entire universeIJ
Imagine his pain to see his most intelligent life forms, his most noble creatures, human beings, injuring his less endowed childrenIJ We, who are the highest in all creation, should be the most spiritual and noble of his creatures. It is incumbent on us to live up to the highest ideals for which he created us, and protect and help the lower life forms. It is for this reason that those on the spiritual path advocate a vegetarian diet.
God has granted humanity enough growing plants as food. We need not kill animals, birds, and fish for our sustenance. If we wish to reunite our souls with God, we must keep ourselves pure. We must develop love for all creation. We can not say we love God, if we do not love his children.
The writer is a spiritual leader