Jainism and Animal Issues 1997

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 12

Jainism and Animal Issues
Entertainment
What are the Jain views on circuses, zoos, etc.
entertainments?
The animals we see and cherish at zoos, circuses, amusement parks, rodeos, etc. are always caged. They have been forcefully removed from their natural residences and separated from their friends and relatives forever. In many cases, mothers are shot to death in order to catch the young ones. Many of these animals die during transportation. For example, out of every ten monkeys caught in the jungles of Indonesia, only one reaches North America; the other nine die en route. After that, these animals go through a harsh training to learn unnatural tricks, only to humor us. During training they are beaten, starved, blinded, even electrocuted.
From the Jain viewpoint, such entertainment is merely a sensual pleasure. A cruel entertainment is not a necessity for daily Living. While pleasing our senses, it binds our soul with demeritous Karma, which is an obstacle to spiritual progress.
Chandubhai Morbia
insulting these majestic animals on stage, they are squeezed in small rail cars and cages - to spend most of the life there.
And then there are zoos. Who could argue with the children favorite? Though the casual visitor sees no violence there, hou much pain must the animals go through to be kidnaped from the home - the wild - then thrown into jail - for life. Every natural instinct that the animal may have had - such as the urge to roam reproduce, migrate, group in herds, and interact - all have beca suddenly denied. Instead, the animals are kept in small boring caga or fenced plots of land. Sometimes, they are placed with one or two others so they don't go insane from absolute boredom. It must be a miserable life ... imagine yourself, taken by force from your home and family, then shoved into a small apartment with all the doors and windows locked. At first you try to escape, but soon you realize there is no way out. Sure, three times a day, someonc places food in your room ... but it is the same food every day, and it is just enough to keep you alive enough to suffer through the dull life for years. If you can imagine what pain you will go through living a useless life in that small room, then you can start to imagine why all the animals at the zoo are sitting around, doing nothing. And why is a zoo needed? Is it for education? I, for one, have learned more from a one hour National Geographic special than I have from ALL my visits to the zoo in my whole life.
Usage of animals in entertainment lacks respect for living beings. Do not take part in such traditions. Look from their point of view, "What if it was me?"
Samir Sanghani
Onc basic Jain tenet is that all life should be respected in the same manner as humans respect each other. So there is nothing inherently wrong with being entertained by our animal cousins, as we are entertained by actors, comedians, and clowns. Unfortunately the common practices by industries such as the zoo, circus, and race tracks, do NOT treat animal entertainers like human ones. The
at animal entertainers like human ones. The businesses exploit the animals, hurt them, and then usually kill them off when they are no longer useful.
Race tracks especially breed horses in order to win races. If the horse never becomes fast enough, or when he or she gets hurt (as do the over 60% of horses that end their career lame ) - the animal is usually killed off - sometimes made into dog food. Unless the horse becomes a big star by winning many important races, most owners consider it a useless liability once its career is over. The circus is even crueler. They use many means of pain (as
eler. They use many means of pain (as shown by the whip most trainers carry around on stage) to force the animals into performing unnatural acts. Then after degrading and
What is the Jain view on hunting and fishing?
Very simple. Both are killing, so both are a 'no no. Even though the industry likes to promote them as 'sport', there is no competitive sportiness in either one. It is merely torture, and technology showoff. Humans are always at an advantage with their tools. Jains would never hunt or fish.
Narendra Sheth
Credos
ANIMALS are not ours to eat, wear, or experiment on MEAT STINKS ... for animals... for the environment .. for your health. CIRCUSES are no fun for animals.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
Be Kind to Animals - Don't Eat Them. Vegetarians are Sprouting up All Over.
Vegetarian Resource Group
To respect animal rights basically means allowing animals the right to ... Swim if they have fins ... run if they have legs... and fly if they have wings.
The Ark Trust ("Genesis” Awards)
Live and Let Live. अहिंसा परमो धर्मः परस्परोपग्रहो जीवानाम्
All Life Is Bound Together by Mutual Support and Interdependence.
JAINISM
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Jain Education Intermational 2010_03
Jain Education Interational 2010_03