Acharya Mahaprajna
Question:
On the one hand, we talk of nature and it is said that life maintains itself on life. On the other hand, we talk about non-violence. Why this mutual contradiction?
Answer:
Our difficulty is that we do not see things from the point of view of reality. That life sustains on life is a relative principle. Life sustains on life is applicable to the fish in the sea. There, one form of life is the food for another form of life. This principle is applicable to wild animals and ferocious beasts, and not to man. While it is true that big fish eats the small fish, it is maintained that such a concept should not be applied to man. To do so would be to apply an aquatic type of justice. The principle is for those creatures that do not have any other option. Man's glandular and nervous mechanisms are so developed that they can bring about a big change. For them this rule does not apply.
