Everyone can personally contribute in reducing many cruel practices, such as destruction of the Himalayan bear winter tree-shelters, handling bear cubs to gloomy bear-farmers, killing bears for either money or prestige, and the like. The most powerful way to reduce cruelty upon bears would be to change our own basic attitude towards all animals of the world. Nobody has right to kill or hurt any being for any purpose other than self-defence. This motto must be put into practice worldwide. Once we become really kind towards all beings, our limited "I" starts to expand. Our heart is getting larger and larger, absorbing into it's depths more and more beings... Our family, once so small, starts growing... We feel that we ourselves are growing then! We getting wiser... There comes a stage when we start understanding languages of all beings of this Universe.
(Photo from http://www.veganoutreach.org)
Photo by Ylla, or Camilla Koffler (last is her real name). Before being killed, Ylla was one of a best women-photographers of the world.
Animals are - just like you and me - sentient beings. They also feel pain and glory, as well as all other emotions that we - people - feel. They therefore deserve love and compassion - just like you and your relatives and friends. But animals are different from us in what they can't use computers, buldosers, chainsaws, guns, or any other technical tools with which we - people - destroy their habitat and kill them directly. Animals can't successfully defend themselves from greedy humans. They are naturally lesser and a weaker brothers of us. Man must defend them, not hurt!
The key for success in any wildlife protection is compassion, love, and not the material gain at all. Many people say they love particular animals - tigers, or bears, or elefants... They would even donate some time, energy, or money for the benefit of their favorite animals. But those, who defend interests of only their own few beloved animal species, while neglecting all others, are limited-hearted. A person, who says he/she loves animals, but - at the same time - eats meat, is really far more loves him/-herself. Those conservationists who eat chickens, pigs etc., but protect particular wild animals are heart-limited. Their love is still too small. This is why they have no power to provide sufficient and long-term protection. You have any doubts? Well, let's analyse the following example. Imagine: some non-vegetarian bear lover meets a group of bear hunters in a forest. May be, you're yourself this scientist-conservationist! The hunters are about to kill a frightened moonbear, which is sitting up on a tree. You try to stop them by screaming: "Leave him alone! There is no courage at all in slaughtering this live target!" The hunters here may ask whether you eat animals or not. As a honest person, you'll tell them truth, of course: "Yes, I do". They'd reply: "So what do you want from us? We eat wild animals, while you eat the "domesticated" ones mainly. We kill animals by ourselves, you - by paying money to those who kill for you. Aren't your chickens and pigs slaughtered just in a same way: i.e. -like live targets? Even for teenager it is an obvious fact, that wild animals are in no way "better" than the non-wild ones! So, why should we protect bears? There are still many of them in our forests...
photo by R. Anosov
"So why don't you go home and let us do our job?"─ the hunters continue. Bear's meat, if fried well, is as tasty as your cow, that's for sure. You can try!" They laugh on you and then go kill this unhappy moonbear. All this would be really upsetting, I know. But saying these (or similar) words, the hunters would be formally right. And you wouldn't be able to stop them. Well... unless you're vegetarian! Only if you don't hurt any animals, can your words have power in such or similar situation. Change yourself and become stronger!
Billions of beings are suffering in our world because of people's weakness - the mere attachment to animal's meat. Of course, if you ask them why do they eat animals, they'd say: it's a must do. In fact, ANY person, who ever tried to live without animal's meat knows well, how much healthier and happier life is then. Only those, who don't have any personal experience, believe that life without meet is impossible. When author of this papaer became vegetarian (in 2001), almost all his neighbours told him that living without meat is impossible. Now it is more than 7 years since I live without any meat or fish at all. Four years ago I also stopped eat eggs. The only animal products I sometimes eat are milk and honey. The conclusion that I made out of my own experience is: listening to those, who has no any personal experience, is a mere waste of time.
There are many strange theories for meat eating. Some of these theories defend interests of wild animals, while neglecting the domesticated ones. Others propagate killing and eating all animals without discrimination. Such theories are quite harmful not only for animals, but even more for those who believes in them. Because our health gets worse if animal food is taken. I'll explain: for example, take a car. If we love it, we always fill it with good fuel, which is best for it's sensitive engine. We wouldn't use cheap gasoline, designed for other types of engines for our beloved car. Because we don't wish it fast death. Similarly, both human's mind and body are designed for specific "fuel". Meat is not good for it. The subtle part of consumed food goes to make the mind stuff. After eating meat, people get more greedy, more lusty, less peaceful and so on.
Each person has free will. However, should we agree that anyone can do what he/she wants - without any subsequent award or punishment? I disagree. This is what Sai Baba says: we can do what we want but we must also undergo subsequences of all our actions. So better you stop eat my lesser brothers and sisters from this very moment!
Again - according to Sathya Sai Baba - Man has goal, for which he was born. Man is armed with buddhi (high intellect), which can help him realize his goal. Therefore, we must not use our minds only for gaining food and other physical pleasures. We should use our unique minds for exploring highest secrets of Universe. This will give us deadlessness and ultimate happiness.
There are always people who don't change their life because of fear to be different from majority. But - in fact - it is a norm sometimes to act differently from majority. When one sheep rushes into a chasm, all herd follows it. Even though this type of behavior can be observed in our society today, it is not a human kind of behavior. It is this very type of chain reactions that leads mankind to all exhausting competitions, all acts of terror against Nature, and - ultimately - to self destruction.
Billions of farmed animals are waiting in small dirty cages for death right now, when you read this article. Comparing to them, their wild relatives, who spend at least short periods of lifes in happy and healthy surroundings, are much luckier. Shouldn't we protect domestic animals foremost?
Now let us discuss life of plants. Last were created for both people and animals. When Man cuts off a fingertip, he feels pain. Man doesn't reproduce himself by cutting off parts of his body. Contrary - thousands plant species reproduce themselves by particles: parts of roots, branches etc. It is the nature of plants - to be reproduced by parts. This is why there is no sin in cutting plant apart (unless last is not destroyed for mere fun etc.). Plants don't feel pain, otherwise their family simply wouldn't survive. By eating fruits, animals help plants to disperse their seeds. Being cut down, or eaten by others, plants aren't suffer at all! The very attractive shapes, colors and smells of their fruits are proofs that plants were created for being eaten. Contrary - look at this slice of meat or fish... Covered by flies, it scares all normal people by it's both disgusting outlook and smell. Only artificially - by use of glass boxes (which prevent flies from landing on meat), air conditioners, and so on, can one attract customers to this non-vegetarian lot.
Beautiful and healthy vegetarian food, full of proteins and vitamins, can be obtained without violence and without putting one's hands into any dirt.
Alexey Zborovskiy (this paper was last updated in August 2008)