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INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
are individuals and groups who carry the principle of nonviolence in their hearts, because they feel that this is what the world needs most, and lacks most. Vegetarianism, too, is supported by numerous individuals in every country. Later interpretations of Hinduism, but not the original Hinduism of the Vedas, prescribed ritual animal sacrifices, but thanks to Jainism, Buddhism and Christianity such things occur only rarely today, except in Islam, certain Hindu sects and some tribal religions. Animal sacrifices did and do occur over the entire globe. Some cultures even took to large-scale human sacrifice. And – so they thought - by commission of the gods! But this is compassion turned into cruelty – how could any real god ever approve of such action? In Jain cosmology many classes of celestial beings or "gods” are described, and far from all these “gods” are good. They have been humans when incarnate on earth, and may have all the evil or noble qualities of humans. Some of them may be kind and helpful, some highly spiritual, but others may be cruel or purposely misguide people, causing accidents or worse: they may induce ignorant, self-interested worldly people to do evil things while being convinced they are pleasing the real gods or God. For example, the Mayas of Mexico and Guatemala, who in later more decadent phases of their culture performed human sacrifices on an ever larger scale (and even today animal sacrifices sometimes occur), were themselves aware that they had been misled by “second-rate” gods, and they expressed their regret in songs in their sacred book the Popol Vuh.
The wish not to harm living beings (including, but in the last place, oneself) is an essential characteristic of the deepest inner being of man. That is why religions which preach this doctrine have always found many sympathizers. No great mental effort is needed to understand how much suffering the human as well as the animal kingdom would have been spared if humans had the discipline to let this noble aspect of their being prevail at each and every opportunity. No wars, no slaughterhouses, no battery cages, terrorism, suppression, social injustice, or capital punishment would
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