ahimsa | The Hare Krishna Movement

Ahimsa; Nonviolence

15 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ahimsa, Martin Luther King Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ahimsa, Krishna, Martin Luther King, nonviolence, Srimad Bhagavatam

So today in America Martin Luther King Day is being observed. Although his main intent was to fight for the equality of African-Americans during the 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quotes about nonviolence are still relevant today.

I thought it might be fitting to do a post on Ahimsa, nonviolence. Ahimsa, nonviolence, means that one should not do anything which will put others into misery or confusion. That which furthers the future spiritual happiness of the people in general is called nonviolence.

Violence is an ongoing cycle that is hard to break, and in todays world, violence is an epidemic.

The Case Against Animal Slaughter

01 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in ahimsa, Animal Rights, Care for Cows, Cow Protection, Vegetarianism Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, animal rights cow protection, animals, cow protection, health, vegan, vegetarian, vegetarianism

Happy New Year! We all hope for a happy life and peaceful world, but still we see so much violence and war happening around the world. The strict law of karma deals measure for measure with anyone who violates the laws of nature. As long as the people of the world continue to murder and eat animals, they will perpetually suffer the sinful reactions of criminal violence and catastrophic wars. That is why I believe this to be a proper first post for the New Year. -V

The Case Against Animal Slaughter

(excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine January 1976, Vol. 11 No. 1)

From the standpoints of health, economics and ethics, animal slaughter and meat-eating are detrimental to human society.

1. Slaughtering animals causes extreme suffering. Animals are sentient creatures with feelings like humans. Cows especially can sense that they are going to be slaughtered, and they live in constant fear.

2. We have no right to artificially end the life of any creature, especially that of a cow, who nurses her own offspring and the whole human society with her milk.

3. Killing animals breeds insensitivity toward all beings, sadism and general irreverence. Pythagoras taught, “Those who kill animals for food will be more prone than vegetarians to torture and kill their fellow men.”

The strict law of karma deals measure for measure with anyone who violates the laws of nature. As long as the people of the world continue to murder and eat their two most benign friends, the cow and bull, they will perpetually suffer the sinful reactions of criminal violence and catastrophic wars.

Happiness & Suffering

15 Jan 2020 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ahimsa, Buddha Tags: A. c. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ahimsa, animal slaughter, animal-killing, Bhagavad-gita, ego, Eightfold Path, four noble truths, Lord Buddha, nonviolence, Srimad Bhagavatam

Ever since I was a small child, I have been attracted to the statue of Buddha. Don’t know why, but I had a statue of Buddha in my bedroom, and it was a Christian home. I didn’t really know about Krishna then or who the Buddha was…but I was so attracted to everything Eastern. As I learned latter in life, Buddha was actually an incarnation of Krsna.

“From the Bhāgavatam we understand that Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa who appeared when materialism was rampant and materialists were using the pretext of the authority of the Vedas. Although there are certain restrictive rules and regulations regarding animal sacrifice for particular purposes in the Vedas, people of demonic tendency still took to animal sacrifice without reference to the Vedic principles. Lord Buddha appeared to stop this nonsense and to establish the Vedic principles of nonviolence. Therefore each and every avatāra, or incarnation of the Lord, has a particular mission, and they are all described in the revealed scriptures. No one should be accepted as an avatāra unless he is referred to by scriptures. It is not a fact that the Lord appears only on Indian soil. He can advent Himself anywhere and everywhere, and whenever He desires to appear. In each and every incarnation, He speaks as much about religion as can be understood by the particular people under their particular circumstances. But the mission is the same—to lead people to God consciousness and obedience to the principles of religion. Sometimes He descends personally, and sometimes He sends His bona fide representative in the form of His son, or servant, or Himself in some disguised form.” (from purport Bg 4.7)

I have included a short summary of the Four Noble Truths & The Eightfold Path, along with some references from the Vedic Perspective

Bill Clinton Explains Why He Became a Vegan

27 Jul 2016 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in ahimsa, Bill Clinton, Vegetarianism Tags: ahimsa, Bhagavad-gita, Bill Clinton, def of ahimsa, healthy diet, nonviolence, plant based diet, road to a healthier diet, spiritual happiness, spiritual realization, vegan, veganism, vegetarian

Last night former President Bill Clinton spoke at the Democratic National Convention. I was able to catch part of his speech. I woke up this morning thinking that sometime back Bill Clinton had stopped eating meat, fish and eggs, and became a vegan. Veganism, by definition is; “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” (this quote was taken from the Vegan Society). Although I personally am an avid vegetarian, and believer in offering everything to Krsna, I very much appericate the ideals of veganism and its attempt to practice ahimsa, or the idea of causing no injury and harm to other living entities, as well as it being a healthy lifestyle. There is a definition of ahimsa, or nonviolence, at end of post.

…”I just decided that I was the high-risk person, and I didn’t want to fool with this anymore. And I wanted to live to be a grandfather. So I decided to pick the diet that I thought would maximize my chances of long-term survival.” -Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton Explains Why He Became a Vegan
by Joe Conason

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