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Compiled By: Mr. Pravin K. Shah Animals cannot
speak, but can you and I not speak for them and represent them? Let us all feel their
silent cry of agony and let us all help that cry to be heard in the world. Non violence and
kindness to living beings is kindness to oneself. For thereby one's own self is saved from
various kinds of sins and resultant sufferings and is able to secure his own welfare. The time will come
when men will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men. Until we extend our
circle of compassion to include every living creature we cannot enjoy 'World PEACE'. 'Thou shalt not
kill' does not apply to murder of one's own kind only, but to all living beings and this
commandment was inscribed in the human breast long before it was proclaimed from Sinai. We should be able to
refuse to live if the price of living be the torture of sentient beings. The highest religion
is to rise to universal brother hood; aye to consider all creatures your equals. Let us pray that our
food should not be colored with animal blood and human suffering. Animals are our
younger brothers and sisters, also on the ladder of evolution but a few rungs lower. It is
an important part of our responsibilities to help them in their ascent, and not to retard
their development by cruel exploitation of
their helplessness. The misery we
inflict on sentient beings slackens our human evolution. Sympathy for the
lowest animals is one of the noblest virtues with which man is endowed. Blessed are the
merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Cruelty is the
obvious cancer of modern civilization. I think that
sacrifices of animals in the name of religion are barbarous and they degrade the name of
religion. Kindness multiplies
fast and brings tremendous dividends. Anything that can
feel pain should not be put to pain. No nation is truly
free until the animal, man's younger brother is free and happy. If we wish for mercy
ourselves, we must show mercy to all dumb animals. Our enlightened
posterity will look back upon us who eat oxen and sheep, just as we look upon cannibals. Which religion gives
the greatest joy to God? That which inspires human beings to practice Ahimsa and
compassion to all creatures. Your feasts and your
ceremonials, which are marked by animal sacrifices, are gateways to direct hell. When a man wants to
murder a tiger, he calls it sport; when the tiger wants to murder him, he calls it
ferocity. ---------------------------------------------
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