Bishnoi rule number 28: 'Not to eat meat or non-vegetarian dishes

To protect the man, the best creation of the nature, from stooping to such low standards as eating meat of dead animals/birds...'

other rules:

7. To offer daily oblation to the holy fire with a heart filled with feelings of welfare, love and devotion

18. To be compassionate towards all living beings

19. Not to fell green trees

22. To provide a common shelter (Thhat) for goat/sheep to avoid them being slaughtered in abattoirs
No Bishnoi should sell a male goat/sheep because these could be used for slaughtering purposes. Hence, he should send them to Thhat’s where the whole community provides feed and shelter for them. In later years, most Bishnoi’s got out of the business of rearing goats/ sheep, etc.

23. Not to have bull’s castrated
In rural India, bulls are castrated before they are used as bullocks for agricultural purposes. Guru prohibited this activity for his disciples. The underlining feeling behind this commandment is that Bishnoi’s rear the bovines like their son/daughters and getting them castrated through a painful procedure portray nothing but cruelty.

28. Not to eat meat or non-vegetarian dishes
The underlying rationale of this commandment are two pronged
--To protect the animals/birds from being slaughtered by creating a market barrier!
--To protect the man, the best creation of the nature, from stooping to such low standards as eating meat of dead animals/birds. Scientifically also the structure of man’s teeth, jaws etc. is of not a carnivorous animal but is that of a herbivorous creature...


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Important note: All who are interested in the Bishnoi community can find more information about their unique, compassionate and ecological way of life in the book "Paving the way for peace - The living philosophies of Bishnois and Jains"

- The electronic-version of the book is available for free download . However, the authors would be grateful for donations in support of a cow-shelter run by the Bishnoi community in which already 1335 sick and abandoned cows were rescued from slaughter. More animals in need are expected to arrive because of the drought in the desert so all financial assistance is urgently needed.

Details of the shelter:
Name: Shri Jagad Guru Jambheswar Gaushala,
Location: Mukam-Samrathal road, tehsil- Nokha, District- Bikaner, Rajasthan
President: Mr. Sultan Dharnia, Mobile 00919414637229
Bank-details for donations:

Account number = 51086865477,
Account name = Shri Jagad Guru Jambheshwar Gaushala Sanstha
Bank name = State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ) ;
Branch = Nokha, District- Bikaner, Rajasthan
Branch code = 10171

-A printed copy of "Paving the way for peace - The living philosophies of Bishnois and Jains" can also be ordered at this website.

Source: Bishnoi, Religion with a difference

Link: 29 Rules or Commandments of Bishnoi Community
Link: 5 Steps Of Tree Plantation


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