Veganism and Ahimsa Priscilla Archer presents a case for understanding vegan lifestyle in terms of the religious principle of Ahimsa.
The dictionary definition of “vegan” is: ‘One who believes in the use for food, clothing, etc., of vegetable products only, thus excluding dairy products, leather, etc.’ If one asks a vegan why he or she follows this way of life, their primary reason is usually because they abhor the callousness of factory farming including the cruelty involved in dairy farming and egg production and the multifarious ways in which mankind abuses the animal kingdom. Underlying such a response is the belief that such practices are wrong, but this leads to the question ‘Why?’ There are a number of reasons.
From a Buddhist perspective the eating of flesh or dairy products or the use of animal skins would all break the Buddha's injunctions not to kill or cause to kill and also not to take what is not given - animals do not willingly sacrifice themselves in the abattoir or give their offspring (sometimes unborn) into the hands of the slaughterman, or the milk, intended for their young, to human beings. ‘All creatures want to live and be happy’ said the Buddha. I think we can be pretty sure he was right for if animals had any choice in the matter they would quite obviously not volunteer to be incarcerated and tormented in vivisection laboratories and factory farms.
Love dictates that the strong protect the weak.
Human abuse of animals is the stronger taking advantage of the weaker and is selfish and violent. I see veganism, therefore, as a part of ahimsa. Ahimsa is usually translated as non-violence but Gandhi, who immediately springs to mind when discussing ahimsa, said that ‘The principle of ahimsa is hurt by every evil thought, by undue haste, by lying, by hatred, by wishing ill to anybody. It is also violated by our holding on to what the world needs.’ (From Gandhi the Man by Eknath Easwaran.) The person who feels compassion for animals to the extent that he becomes a vegan has expanded his vision beyond narrow anthropocentric thinking but, if he harbours hatred in his heart for human beings who abuse animals, he is not fulfilling the law of ahimsa. Ahimsa is perfect love.
The Jains’ reverence for life is well known and Gandhi's earliest mentor and, later, his closest friend were both Jain masters, according to Eknath Easwaran. Gandhi believed that ahimsa was the law of our being, a dynamic state of mind in which power is released. He said ‘Ahimsa is the attribute of the soul, and, therefore, to be practised by everybody in all the affairs of life. If it cannot be practised in all departments, it has no practical value.’ The eschewing of violence to all creatures is necessary for our spiritual growth. We hurt ourselves if we hurt others: ‘And when a man sees that the God in himself is the same God in all that is, he hurts not himself by hurting others: then he goes indeed to the highest Path’ (Bhagavad Gita). Perhaps such a process of self-perfection is also that spoken of by Jesus: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt.5:48) Ahimsa, perfect love, can be seen as the outworking of the nature of God and veganism is part of the expression of that love in our lives.
Priscilla Archer is a vegan.