Violence to living entities( jiva himsa)

All Glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj

All Glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada

Violence to other living entities is  a most despicable nature and here we attempt to analyse this topic in short. The Vedas declare ma himsat sarvani bhutani  meaning one should never cause harm to any living entity. Or in the case of those people not having faith in the Vedas as the atheists who quote instead this verse ahimsa param dharma that the highest religion is non violence. Most people know  the strict stance of the  Jains on non violence  as well  without excluding the impersonalists. In the Manu Samhita scripture ,it has been declared loudly that   violence to living entities  is to be given up while the path of renunciation is glorified. Kullukka Bhatta  has commented on verses  regarding meat eating from the Manu Samhita in the following way: That those who eat a certain type of meat are called eaters of that very meat but those who have a taste for fish are called eaters of all types of meat ,what to speak these people are even capable of eating what has been banned in the Vedic Literature being  under the control of their voracious tongue. Sometimes people are under the impression that only eating meat or fish is the  only  implication of sin .Many widows do not eat fish or meat but they not only  cook  but serve the same meat  to their children. But according to Manu ,the person who kills animals for meat, the one who supports such killing, the  butcher, the one who sells meat ,the one who buys meat ,The one who serves meat and finally the one who eats the meat are all implicated in the grievous sin of violence to the living entities. One who wants to preserve his flesh with the flesh of others are great sinners .Actually, the scholars  comment that now one may be eating the flesh of an animal but in the next birth , similarly I have to give my flesh for that being to eat. Kulluka Bhatta on that topic explains that in sanskrit , 'mam' mean me while 's 'refers to the other  being or implies  that in the next time  he will eat me. The scholar have given the etymology of the word mams or meat in the latter way. That is in opposition to what is commonly accepted on ethical grounds, provision by memory or by  the atheists. But the Vedas and the testimony of the saintly people as Narada say otherwise: That the tendency to kill or violence to living entities is against the principles of devotional service. This jiva himsa is compared to a   branch creeper that tends to stunt the growing  main creeper of devotion ,which is growing in the heart by devotional practices. The Vedas has prohibited the killing of animals by the verse ma himsat sarva bhutani .Actually the question of killing animals as demonstrated in Vedic sacrifices can be raised but this was conducted  just to dampen and thwart the passion cum ignorance natures of those ritualists who like to be engaged in such violent pursuits and  a level of trick strategy in order to satisfy such people. This was the method of using a thorn to remove a thorn but an ignorant person will simply allow the other thorn to be imbedded as well in the flesh. In this respect ,the belief of the devotees is independent of such rituals altogether. As they are constantly worshipping the Lord ,every action of theirs  is in connection with the Lord. Anything that is unfavorable to the pure cultivation of devotion to the Lord is rejected while what is favorable is accepted. So their method of viewing actual violence to living entities is through the vision of devotion unlike the non violence exhibited by the Buddhists and the sentimental beliefs of the Jains who go as far as to allow the bugs to eat their flesh without killing them in any way .It does not imply logical reasoning as by the dry ethical scholars or for those eager to attain perfections, enjoyment up to liberation. It does not include the fruitive workers who use their mind and body in action. The nature of the mind is to accept and reject  as that this good and that is bad. Some  people say that as the time and place changes so does the scriptures .Do the scriptures  keep speaking  in the same way without change? At that ancient times the life span of a person was thousand years and food was ample too! In Some argue that not eating meats would mean the eyes become weaker, Another says the first consideration is the protection of our body then after ,we will speak about religion. Some have been know to say that eating greens and vegetables makes the liver weak. Then there is the point that once in a while it helps to change the diet by just  eating vegetables .Also some contest that eating meats can cause infection of disease stemming from these animals .Some even dare to say that the essence of the fish are still running  in the veins of the  Bengali people and therefore to to stop eating will not be advisable. Then there is the point that eating of vegetables is in the mode of goodness and therefore there consequently reduced violence to living entities. Some remark the the stomach diseases of the Babajis are in fact increasing and in that  context, the policy of the lion of the jungle is most effective as the lion eats meats but it only mates once a year unlike certain birds which appear to be vegetarian but always engaged in mating. In this way there is no end to the mental speculation in the minds of worldly people. In contrast, the devotees are not of that order for they are worshippers of the Supreme Truth who attracts all the souls of the world. As  the Supreme Lord is the unchanging truth for all time ,past ,present and future. There is no allowance for different conditions of  time ,place and circumstance .Wherever there is consideration of  some added facility or  of no advantage then it becomes reduced to  the mental  realm .Everybody has different desires therefore they may formulate various conclusions accordingly. Only when there is total dependence to please the Lord ,then it is above the mental framework. 

Iswaya idam sarvam yat kinchid jagatyam jagat tena tyakytva bhunjita ma grdha kasyasinchana

whatever article in this world is to be regarded in connection with the Lord and enjoyed in the proper measure only after offering it to the Lord. The enjoyer should never attempt to imitate the Lord as the Supreme Enjoyer in that respect. All living entities are endowed with consciousness whether it is a goat or a fish or whether  pumpkin or gourd. So the devotees  understand that violence to the  living entities is performed in all the  cases whether  in the context of eating vegetables or meats and fish. In the enjoying mood, both  of these are in the fold of the material world and ordinary . Only when trying to accept these articles as the remnants of the Lord ,can these remnants become transcendental .The enjoyers in viewing them according to their enjoying tendencies becomes implicated by sin. In contrast, to view this object in connection with the Lord and as His remnants will mean that one is able to preserve the mood of service with the service mood  actually becoming increased. All attempts directed to one 's enjoyment is under violence to living entities. If we pluck flowers for the service of Lord that will increase our service mood ,while plucking  scented flowers and placing them in a  vase  on the table for our gratification is simply reduced to jiva himsa. In this way, one being averse to the Lord but in their  attempt to enjoy becomes instantly implicated by jiva himsa at all periods of time. In fact ,at our every step ,we may be culpable of violence to living entities but on going to the temple or going there to perform service to the Lord are all under service in respect to the goal and therefore  not  at all being infected by sin. Just as  when one tries to hit a snake with a stick, the stick is not implicated for  being violent to anyone. In the same way any service for the Lord overrides the question of being implicated in any sin  .Therefore ,rules and regulations  which is mentioned in the scriptures as in relation to service of the Lord are called devotional service in practice and in the mature stage it is called loving devotion .The Lord himself says :mam   nimittam krtam papam dharmaya kalpate:mamanadrtya dharmo pi papam syat matprabhavatah

In moral terms, what is usually considered sin can become real religion if it is done for Me, If  anything pious or ethical work is done without remembrance of Me, then it becomes transformed  to actually  being sin .Then a question crops up if all whether beast or vegetable are considered to be consciousness beings ,then what is the best article to be offered to the Lord in that respect? It has been stated that what is pleasing to the Lord is that which should be offered in service. Service can not defined as by the wishes of a fickle mind. What is pleasing to the Lord is the test of actual service. As the previous verse sastra; vihita  harir uddesya va kriya   in other words ,we have to obey the injunction of the scriptures .That mean we cannot offer articles prohibited in the scriptures as goats milk, buffalo's milk ,animals having five nails and fish  to the Lord. In the Kurma Purana, it is stated that onions ,garlic, kanji and foods without taste cannot be offered. The place where meats and fish or forbidden vegetables as radish is offered ,know for sure there is no devotion to Lord Hari in that place. The Srutis declare that all articles are created solely  for the service of the Lord. He is the absolute enjoyer. All the rest are to be enjoyed by Him. All types of articles  can serve Him in various ways. In which way an article is to be used in service of the Lord, the discriminating devotees expertly use that article for that service. Just as fish can very useful in the cleaning of water resources and the wool of the sheep is utilized  into making proper blankets and clothing and that is the way it can be  used in the Lord's 'service. Similarly , as in the case of the sun, moon, air ,the sea ,in fact there is no article that cannot be used in the service of the Lord. Violence to living entities can be performed  in many ways. Killing living entities is real violence and this killing  can be effected in many ways. Illicit sex with women is one form of violence. Other than approaching one' wife at her monthly  season in service to the Lord ,all the rest is called Jiva himsa when done by one's own wishful fancies. To perform this act at an unsuitable period or time would mean with the spilling of the seed ,many small living entities are killed at the same time. The atheistic people and the heretics  by their  convincing  of those ignorant people with weak faith so much so that these  ignorant  people too become implicated by the sin of jiva himsa at every duration. These atheistic class are always causing disturbances in the devotional service of the devotees. In not trying to oppose this class of people too would mean  one becomes implicated by jiva himsa. To be indifferent to those heretics ,putting on a show of being humble and tolerant while being averse to the  Lord and His devotees are also violence. Therefore ,only the intelligent devotee in taking complete shelter of the Lord and mitigating his sin of violence to other living entities will be able to bask in the joy of devotion. Otherwise ,activities like the pancha suna sacrifices can never be able to free one from the violence commited against living entities.  All those type of counter activities are compared to the bathing of an elephant without any actual gain. It is only by complete surrender to the lotus feet of the  Lord that one can be free from al, this types of sinful reactions. As the Lord instructs Arjuna ;sarva dharmam parityagya mam ekam sharanam vraja   aham tvam sarva papebhyah moksyasyami ma sucah.