297 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
297 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
Reverence for Life
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World Scripture
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REVERENCE FOR LIFE
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Passages in this section prescribe the ethic proper to reverence for life.
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There is, first of all, the ethic of ahimsa, nonviolence toward all living
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beings. Religious vegetarianism is motivated by this ethic. Then we have
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passages on the ethic of proper stewardship, recognizing that the natural world
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is given to humans as a trust, to be tended, maintained, and made fruitful.
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These deal with doing kindness to animals in distress, the proper management of
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natural resources, agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, and forestry.
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As a mother with her own life guards the life of her own child, let all-
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embracing thoughts for all that lives be thine.
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1. Buddhism. Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta
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Have benevolence towards all living beings.
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2. Jainism. Tattvarthasutra 7.11
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The mode of living which is founded upon a total harmlessness towards all
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creatures or [in case of actual necessity] upon a minimum of such harm, is the
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highest morality.
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3. Hinduism. Mahabharata, Shantiparva 262.5-6
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One should not injure, subjugate, enslave, torture, or kill any animal, living
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being, organism, or sentient being. This doctrine of nonviolence is
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immaculate, immutable, and eternal. Just as suffering is painful to you, in
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the same way it is painful, disquieting, and terrifying to all animals, living
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beings, organisms, and sentient beings.
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4. Jainism. Acarangasutra 4.25-26
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One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on
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himself to feel how it hurts.
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5. African Traditional Religions. Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)
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- - - - - - - - - - - -
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Metta Sutta: Cf. Lion's Roar of Queen Srimala 4, p. 373; Milarepa, p. 316; Holy
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Teaching of Vimalakirti 1, p. 1034.
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- - - - - - - - - - - -
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The Exalted One was entering Savatthi when he saw some youths ill-treating a
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snake with a stick. Then he uttered these verses of uplift,
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Whoso wreaks injury with a rod
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On creatures fain for happiness,
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When the self hereafter he seeks happiness,
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Not his, it may be, happiness to win.
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6. Buddhism. Udana 11-12
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This is the quintessence of wisdom: not to kill anything. Know this to be the
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legitimate conclusion from the principle of reciprocity with regard to
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non-killing. He should cease to injure living beings whether they move or not,
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on high, below, and on earth. For this has been called the Nirvana, which
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consists in peace....
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A true monk should not accept such food and drink as has been especially
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prepared for him involving the slaughter of living beings. He should not
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partake of a meal which contains but a particle of forbidden food: this is the
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Law of him who is rich in control. Whatever he suspects, he may not eat. A
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man who guards his soul and subdues his senses, should never assent to anybody
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killing living beings.
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7. Jainism. Sutrakritanga 1.11.10-16
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Without doing injury to living beings, meat cannot be had anywhere; and the
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killing of living beings is not conducive to heaven; hence eating of meat
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should be avoided.
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8. Hinduism. Laws of Manu 5.48
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If one is trying to practice meditation and is still eating meat, he would be
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like a man closing his ears and shouting loudly and then asserting that he
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heard nothing... Pure and earnest bhikshus, when walking a narrow path, will
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never so much as tread on the growing grass beside the path. How can a
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bhikshu, who hopes to become a deliverer of others, himself be living on the
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flesh of other sentient beings? Pure and earnest bhikshus will never wear
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clothing made of silk, nor wear boots made of leather for it involves the
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taking of life. Neither will they indulge in eating milk or cheese because
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thereby they are depriving the young animals of that which is rightfully
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belongs to them.
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9. Buddhism. Surangama Sutra
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Udana 11-12: Cf. Anguttara Nikaya iv.41-45, pp. 863f., condemning the slaughter
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of animals for ritual sacrifice.
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Buy captive animals and give them freedom.
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How commendable is abstinence that dispenses with the butcher!
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While walking be mindful of worms and ants.
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Be cautious with fire and do not set mountain woods or forests ablaze.
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Do not go into the mountain to catch birds in nets, nor to the water to
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poison fishes and minnows.
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Do not butcher the ox that plows your field.
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10. Taoism. Tract of the Quiet Way
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At the openings of ant hills
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Please have trustworthy men
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Always put food and water,
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Sugar and piles of grain.
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Before and after taking food
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Offer appropriate fare
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To hungry ghosts, dogs,
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Ants, birds, and so forth.
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11. Buddhism. Nagarjuna, Precious Garland 249-50
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"He that is wise, wins souls" (Proverbs 11.30). The rabbis said, "This refers
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to Noah, for in the Ark he fed and sustained the animals with much care. He
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gave to each animal its special food, and fed each at its proper period, some
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in the daytime and some at night. Thus he gave chopped straw to the camel,
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barley to the ass, vine tendrils to the elephant, and glass to the ostrich. So
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for twelve months he did not sleep by night or day, because all the time he was
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busy feeding the animals."
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12. Judaism. Midrash, Tanhuma, Noah 15a
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According to Abu Hurairah, the Messenger of God said, "A man traveling along a
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road felt extremely thirsty and went down a well and drank. When he came up he
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saw a dog panting with thirst and licking the moist earth. "This animal," the
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man said, "is suffering from thirst just as much as I was." So he went down
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the well again, filled his shoe with water, and taking it in his teeth climbed
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out of the well and gave the water to the dog. God was pleased with his act
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and granted him pardon for his sins."
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Someone said, "O Messenger of God, will we then have a reward for the good done
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to our animals?" "There will be a reward," he replied, "for anyone who gives
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water to a being that has a tender heart."
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13. Islam. Hadith of Bukhari
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The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep
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it.
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14. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Genesis 2.15
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Precious Garland 249-50: Cf. Digha Nikaya ii.88, Nihon Shoki 22, p. 372.
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Never does a Muslim plant trees or cultivate land, and birds or men or beasts
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eat out of them, but that is a charity on his behalf.
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15. Islam. Hadith of Muslim
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For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but in the
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seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people
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may eat; and what they leave the wild beasts may eat. You shall do likewise
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with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.
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16. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Exodus 23.10-11
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A certain priest had been killed by the bite of a snake, and when they
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announced the matter to the Blessed One, he said, "Surely now, O priests, that
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priest never suffused the four royal families of snakes with his friendliness.
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For if that priest had suffused the four royal families of the snakes with his
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friendliness, that priest would not have been killed by the bite of a snake....
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Creatures without feet have my love,
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And likewise those that have two feet,
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And those that have four feet I love,
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And those, too, that have many feet.
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May those without feet harm me not,
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And those with two feet cause no hurt;
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May those with four feet harm me not,
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Nor those who many feet possess.
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Let creatures all, all things that live,
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All beings of whatever kind,
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See nothing that will bode them ill!
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May naught of evil come to them!"
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17. Buddhism. Vinaya Pitaka, Cullavagga v.6
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Behold this buffalo, O Grandfather, which You have given us.
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He is the chief of all four-leggeds upon our Sacred Mother.
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From him the people live and with him they walk the sacred path.
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18. Native American Religions. Sioux Prayer
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Hadith of Muslim: And likewise if he should cause a stream to flow: see Hadith
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of Ibn Majah, p. 1015. Exodus 23.10-11: The sabbath for the land signifies
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that God is the true landowner, and He gives the land to us as its stewards.
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Land, like man and beast, deserves periodic rest; it should not be
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overexploited. In addition, the fallow land provided food to the poor who had
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no property. Cf. Leviticus 25.1-7. Cullavagga v.6: Buddha gives in these
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verses a song for protection against harm from wild animals. Sioux Prayer: The
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buffalo, as the source of food, clothing, and all life's necessities for the
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Sioux, represents Mother Earth herself.
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The cows have come and brought us good fortune,
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may they stay in the stall and be pleased with us;
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may they live here, mothers of calves, many-colored,
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and yield milk for Indra on many dawns....
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They are not lost, nor do robbers injure them, nor
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the unfriendly frighten, nor wish to assail them;
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the master of cattle lives together long
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with these, and worships the gods and offers gifts.
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The charger, whirling up dust, does not reach them,
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they never take their way to the slaughtering stool,
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the cows of the worshipping man roam about
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over the widespread pastures, free from all danger.
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To me the cows are Bhaga, they are Indra,
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they [their milk] are a portion of the first-poured Soma.
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These that are cows are Indra, O people!
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the Indra I long for with heart and spirit.
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Ye cows, you fatten the emaciated,
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and you make the unlovely look beautiful,
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make our house happy, you with pleasant lowings,
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your power is glorified in our assemblies.
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19. Hinduism. Rig Veda 6.28
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A man should not breed a savage dog, nor place a shaking ladder in his house.
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20. Judaism. Talmud, Ketubot 41b
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Confucius fished with a line but not with a net. While fowling he would not
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aim at a roosting bird.
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21. Confucianism. Analects 7.26
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If you do not allow nets with too fine a mesh to be used in large ponds, then
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there will be more fish and turtles than they can eat; if hatchets and axes are
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permitted in the forests on the hills only in the proper seasons, then there
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will be more timber than they can use... This is the first step along the
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kingly way.
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22. Confucianism. Mencius I.A.3
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Rig Veda 6.28: Vv. 1, 3-6. This special regard for cows as sacred animals has
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persisted in India from Vedic times till today. Ketubot 41b: Stewardship
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includes creating a safe environment. Cf. Deuteronomy 22.8, a biblical
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ordinance requiring flat-roofed houses to have parapets.
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When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take
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it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them; for you
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may eat of them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field
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men that they should be besieged by you?
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23. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Deuteronomy 20.19
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The destruction of vegetable growth is an offense requiring expiation.
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24. Buddhism. Pacittiya 11
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There is a type of man whose... aim everywhere is to spread mischief through
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the earth and destroy crops and cattle. But God loves not mischief.
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25. Islam. Qur'an 2.205
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Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai used to say, "If there be a plant in your hand when
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they say to you, 'Behold the Messiah!', go and plant the plant, and afterwards
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go out and greet him."
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26. Judaism. Talmud, Abot de Rabbi Nathan, Ver. B, 31
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Rajah Koravya had a king banyan tree called Steadfast, and the shade of its
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widespread branches was cool and lovely. Its shelter broadened to twelve
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leagues.... None guarded its fruit, and none hurt another for its fruit. Now
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there came a man who ate his fill of fruit, broke down a branch, and went his
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way. Thought the spirit dwelling in that tree, "How amazing, how astonishing
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it is, that a man should be so evil as to break off a branch of the tree, after
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eating his fill. Suppose the tree were to bear no more fruit." And the tree
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bore no more fruit.
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27. Buddhism. Anguttara Nikaya iii.368
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Deuteronomy 20.19: But contrast Qur'an 59.5. Pacittiya 11: This monastic rule
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refers to monks living in forest dwellings. It is interpreted to mean that
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monks should never cut down large trees to clear the land; they may only clear
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underbrush. Abot de Rabbi Nathan Ver. B, 31: Cf. Luke 14.16-24, p. 674.
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Anguttara Nikaya iii.368: Cf. Nihon Shoki 22, p. 372.
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