Rejoinder to Dr. Gary L.Francionee and Dr. N.L. Kachhara

Jai Jinendra.

It was interesting to read your thoughts on domestication of animals in the light of doctrine of ahinsa.

We surely rear the animals for our needs - or to put it otherwise for our selfish purpose as Dr Gary writes it is quite logical to eqate it with the practice of slavery. Since animals are speechless they can not shout and declare that they do not want to be captured and confined to our stables. every creature wants freedom and cows and dogs and horses are no exception.

It is another thing that you deduce it as an acceptable hinsa in the same way as even tilling land for agriculture is also hinsa. The Jain philosophy admits that a living eats living for survival. But that does not give us license to kill and eat the creatures who have more than one sense. to say, we should confine our survival to the minimum of hinsa - i.e. surviving on vegetables and cereals.

So what is the acceptable level of hinsa that i would engage in depends on my conscious and if my conscious does not allow to use wool, leather and silk i must refrain from that as much torture and hinsa is involved in producing these things. Same way dairy products are in fact made of milk which is a calve's right which we deprive him of.

Even the liberated souls after achieving enlightenment (Keval Jnan) could not have refrained from hinsa as they had to move their limbs, drink water and eat food until their Nirvana. Surely compassion is more strong in them which allows them to remain out of the bounds of Karma Bandhan.

Warm Regards

Kolkata. India.