Bhakti List Archives

Re: Ahimsa, Logic, and Changing with the times

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ram Gopalaswamy • Wed Jul 29 1998 - 16:25:58 PDT 


shrii. Parthasarati Dileepan writes:

| On Ahimsa, Sri Mani Varadarajan quoted from a translation 
| of the original discourse by Tuladhara on non-violence
| >
| 
| [...]
| >
| >These, O Jajali, are some of the wicked and dreadful practices
| >that are current in the world.  You practice them because they
| >have been practiced by men from ancient times, and not because
| >they agree with the dictates of your purified understanding.
| >
| >One should practice what one considers to be one's duty, guided
| >by reason, instead of blindly following the practices of the
| >world.  Listen now, O Jajali, as to what my behavior is towards
| >him that injures and him that praises me.
| 										
| I have neither read the original nor the above translation
| in any formal way.  Therefore I am not qualified to offer
| detailed comments on it.  However, please note that the
| quoted passage condemns gratuitous violence "not
| sanctioned by the scriptures."  As such there is no
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| automatic injunction against such violence as those that
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| lead to the production of sanctioned materials for use in
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| the course of Bhagavath Aradhanai.  Sri Ramanuja says
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| that animals killed in the course of such violence go to
| heaven.  Therefore, Sri Ramanuja says, such violence is
| actually good for the animals killed for this purpose.
| 

Could reference be provided from shrii. raamaanujaacaarya's works?

 -Ram