Sagar K. Shah
Jiv daya is the act of caring for life. For many, the expression conjures up images of cows being lovingly cared for at a cow sanctuary. For others, it brings memories of putting out grain for birds to feed on, or the image of ornate collection boxes at temples through which funds are passed on to animal sanctuaries in India.
In this article, I outline why jiv daya in the form of support to animal shelters (pranjapurs) is an important activity to participate in, especially for those of us living a modern western lifestyle. I also offer some thoughts on other ways in which we might be able to extend the compassionate spirit of jiv daya in our daily lives.
Living in the west, it is all too easy to forget our interconnectedness with other living beings we share the planet with. We reside in cities where most natural life has been concreted over. We spend our time in buildings which block us from seeing the few plants and animals that do live around us. And we buy our food from supermarkets and restaurants - a distant world from the tropical environments where many of the fruits and vegetables we eat were grown.
Although we may not see it directly, our lifestyles have a huge impact on the world around us and the creatures we share the earth with. When we build on new land, we displace living beings who were there before us. As we farm additional land to support our growing population, we cut down forests and vegetation, leaving less space for wild plants and animals. And in order to guarantee a bountiful harvest, we often employ violent methods to protect the crops we grow from the insects, birds and mammals we have displaced.
Our demand for certain products can have an even greater impact on the animals. Protocols encouraging animal testing mean that innocent beings are brutally tortured in order to serve our demand for medicines and cosmetics. And because cows need to be made pregnant in order to give milk and are only productive for a fraction of their natural lifespan, millions of cows and calves are killed each year as a direct result of our taste for milk.
For many of the animals we displace or harm as a result of our lifestyles, pranjapurs (animal sanctuaries) are the ONLY the safe place to go. They are places where animals can live freely and peacefully, without being suppressed or exploited. They are places where animals receive unconditional love and care, and can express natural behaviours. They are places of true compassion.
Unfortunately, there are far more animals in need of support than there are spaces in animal sanctuaries. Each year in the UK, about 800,000 male calves born to dairy cows who are forcefully made pregnant in order to give milk. A handful might be lucky enough to be saved and taken in by a pranjapur, but the rest go straight to the slaughterhouse, causing immense pain and distress to their mothers. In India, the combination of increased demand for dairy milk and a lack of space for retired dairy cows at gaushalas (cow shelters) has resulted in the country becoming the world’s biggest exporter of beef.
The sad truth is that most pranjapurs and gaushalas are desperately underfunded. They struggle to meet the cost of day-to-day feed and medicines, let alone the costs of repairs and maintenance for barns and shelters. Without more support, taking in more animals just won’t be possible.
Jiv daya, in the traditional form of support for pranjapurs, is generally offered in two main ways - money and time. By offering money and encouraging others to do the same, we can enable pranjapurs to improve their facilities and take in more animals, extending their reach. And by visiting sanctuaries and volunteering directly, we not only get the chance to learn about the animals and support them directly, but we also gain a powerful opportunity for personal development and inner transformation.
In western society, our lifestyles often run counter to the principle of aparigraha (non possessiveness or non-attachment). Success is typically defined by the accumulation of wealth or power, not by strength of character, kindness or humility. Most actions are carried out with some degree of attachment or expectation - be it in the form of financial return, reciprocation or recognition. Very often, it can even feel like society actually discourages from giving unless we are going to get something in return.
Spending time at a pranjapur helps us reflect on the nature of our daily lives and is a helpful antidote to the individualistic pressures of western society. Pranjapurs open our eyes to the tireless work that fellow humans do to support other living beings, without expecting anything in return. They show us how little we need to live a fulfilling life, and how fortunate we are to have what we have. And they allow to see the virtues of compassion, detachment and equanimity first hand. Everyone I know who has visited a pranjapur has returned a stronger, better person.
In the UK, we are fortunate to have over 15 different animal sanctuaries that are run by vegans who do not seek to profit from the exploitation or killing of animals. Many of these are within a 2 hour drive from major Jain communities, and organise open days for members of the public to learn about their work.
If you have not yet visited a pranjapur, words cannot describe how strongly I would recommend you go. It will be a transformative experience for you, and help you do your small part to make the world a better place. The next time an opportunity arises, make sure you take it.
List of UK-based animal sanctuaries run by vegans
- Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary (East Sussex)
- Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary (Warwickshire)
- Tower Hill Stables (Essex)
- Hillfields Animal Sanctuary (Worcestershire)
- F.R.I.E.N.D. Farmed Animal Rescue (Kent)
- The Algernon Trust Animal Sanctuary & Wildlife Rescue (Northamptonshire)
- Brinsleyanimal Rescue (Nottingham)
- Brook Farm Animal Sanctuary (Northamptonshire)
- The Farm Animal Sanctuary (Worcestershire)
- Farplace Animal Rescue (County Durham)
- Folly Wildlife Rescue Trust (Kent)
- Hillside Animal Sanctuary (Norfolk)
- New Life Parrot Rescue (Cambridgeshire)
- Rainbow Ark Animal Sanctuary (County Durham)
- Retreat Animal Rescue (Kent)
While supporting animal sanctuaries is important and can bring about enormous personal transformation, it is not the only way in which we can embody the compassionate spirit of jiv daya and support animals. Given that human activity is often the cause of animals needing to go to shelters for protection, supporting other activities that protect or avoid harm to animals could also considered to be forms of jiv daya too.
One set of actions we would be to try limit the harm we cause to the living beings we share the planet with. As a first step we could stop consuming dairy milk, which would stop us from contributing to the continual process of cows being forcefully being made pregnant in order to give milk and then killed as soon as their milk yield falls. We could also reduce how much we consume and be more careful about the products and services which we purchase (see the article on food ethics in this e-magazine for some recommendations regarding food).
A second set of actions would be to support organisations which educate people about animals or act as a voice for animals. In the UK, we are fortunate to have charitable organisations which educate the wider population about the suffering imposed on animals in farming, support research into alternatives to animal testing in medicine, and support people wishing to make the transition to a dairy-free (and thus cow slaughter-free) vegetarian diet. All of these charities could be more effective if they had more resources, and are completely worthy of our support.
Some UK charities which help reduce the harm we cause animals
Supporting individuals make the transition to a dairy-free vegetarian (vegan) diet:
- The Vegan Society
- Vegan Campaigns
- Viva Health (formerly the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation)General voice for animals:
- Vegetarian International Voice for Animals
- Animal AidPeaceful campaigning against animal testing and promoting research into alternatives
- BUAV
- Uncaged
- Dr Hadwen Trust
- Safer MedicinesSupporting humans in developing countries without expoiting animals:
- Vegfam
- HIPPO
In this article, I have argued why I believe why our lifestyles oblige us to do more to support animals, and how jiv daya in the form of supporting animal sanctuaries can be a helpful for animals and for own personal development too. I have also offered some suggestions on how we can extend the compassionate spirit of jiv daya further in our daily lives. Living in the west, it can sometimes feel hard to make time to make time for anything. But given the benefits for animals, the planet and for our own spiritual development, participating in jiv daya is one thing we as Jains should all make time to do.