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KILLING OF WILD ANIMALS 109. take our lives. Thus they manifest their enmity. And if it is violence to make them suffer pain out of inimical intentions, then what to say about taking their very lives? That is not only violence, but cruelty. It is the climax of that activity of mind called “Raudra Dhyan." If, owing to it, man sinks deeply into sin, it is no wonder.
Now let us examine the second definition of violence. “To destroy life out of carelessness is called violence." In doing harm to the aforesaid animals, selfishness is clearly the underlying motive. And if people kill innocent animals out of selfish motives, then their carelessness is obvious. Because selfishness creates passions, and passion is one of the live forms of carelessness. Thus, it is clear, also from the stand-point of this definition, that this violence shares the sinfulness of common violence.
Now, we have to examine whether we have a right to commit violence. Mankind is a superior species, because man is distinguished, in contradistinction to other creatures, by number of prerogatives.
But it would be an arbitrary conclusion to infer that this superiority gives him the right to kill creatures inferior to him. For within the human species itself, there are likewise individuals gifted with superior power, and if these individuals gifted with superior power would make it a point to kill the individuals of inferior power, then nobody would be able to live in this world. Even mankind itself would be reduced in this way. Thus, to proclaim the battle cry:“We are superior, accordingly let us kill the others," would mean nothing but an invitation for the destruction of one's own species and life too.
Other people argue like this: "Those animals injure us, therefore we are entitled to kill them." Under this pretext, lions, tigers, snakes and scorpions, and, finally, also bugs etc, are being killed.
But people very well acquained with the nature of animals know that even such cruel animals as lions and tigers regard man as the most dangerous of all creatures, and man is indeed such a fearful creature, which fills all other creatures with
terror. Human beings are accustomed to dwell together that Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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