Nature

Veerayatan, a Jain institution, works to preserve the environment in a variety of ways but the education they provide the villagers stuck out to me the most. "Villagers are taught moral and ethical values, including the protection of animals, the phasing out of their sacrifice, and the importance of protecting natural resources..." (p.771) Working to gradually to end the abusive treatment of animals by changing villages way of perceiving animals changes the treatment of animals for the better more reliably.

"The Bombay Humanitarian League has worked tirelessly to stop animal slaughter at religious functions, as well as the custom eating of meat, working at both the individual and societal level. The league has saved thousands of animals from slaughter." (p.765) It is important that people work to relieve animal suffering and educate people on the sufferings of animals. I can agree that the Western world has become more disconnected with nature and a way to mend this would be through education.

In the section discussing the limitations to the practice of Ahimsa, it was stated that Absolute Ahimsa was impossible. I appreciated this inclusion because I'd always wondered how one could spend there entire life without killing anything, even accidentally. The book said, "You have to destroy life in order to live." (p.761) This was interesting to me because it offered another way of looking at things. It is understood that our bodies work to destroy bacteria, so they specify that this is what makes Absolute Ahimsa unattainable.
I pondered over the quote,"Westerners generally destroy their dear horses and dogs when they are in acute agony and when there is no way of relieving their sufferings." (p.761) I've thankfully never had to make the decision to put down a pet. I can't say that I would be able to. I do understand why people have to make the tough decision though. While the animal doesn't have a say in whether they continue living in pain or are put down, I have faith that the majority of veterinary clinics perform euthanasia only in dire circumstances.

- Arctic Fox