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CONFLUENCE OF OPPOSITES
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Knowledge, since Right Faith only means an unwavering belief, i, e., an un-doubting conviction in the subject matter of the tattvas.
The start in Right Conduct is to be made by the renunciation of the very worst habits and thoughts as soon as Right Faith is acquired. Wanton cruelty, animal flesh, intoxicating drinks and sport are the very first things to be abandoned. It is no use our endeavouring to make a headway on the 'path' without renouncing these worst forms of himså. *
It is interesting to note that the ancient Jewish Creed prohibited the eating of fiesh from a living animal (ERE. Vol, vi. 245). The Parsis, too, way (The Teaching of Zoroaster, p. 43) :
« Of all kinds of sine which I have committed with reference to Heavou against the Ameshaspead Bahuman with reference to the world agaiust the cattle and the various kinds of cattle, if I have beaten it, tortored it, plain it wrongfully, if I have not given it fodder and water at the right time, if I have castrated it, not protected it from the robber, the wolf, and the waylayer, if I have not protected it from extrerae heat and cold, if I have killed cattle of usefal strength, working cattle, war horses, rams, goats, cocks, aud heng, so that alike these good things and their protector Bahman have been injured by me and uot contented with me, I repent."
Io Shayast La-Shayast (chap. I. 8-9) it is said :~ The rule is this, that reverential should be the abstidence from unlawfully plaaghtering of any species of animals ; for in the Studgar Nashk it is said, concerning those who have unlawfully slaughtered animals, the punishmeat is such that each hair of those animals becomes like a sharp dagger, and he who is onlawfully a slaughterer is slaio. Of animals, the slaughtering of the lamb, the goat, the ploaghing
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