Paving the way for peace

The living philosophies of Bishnois and Jains

Foreword of the book

Have you ever wondered when you are walking in forests you almost never meet deer, wild boar or squirrels? This is not because they are extinct in our regions. The very popular explanation that these animals are shy and genetically obliged to flee from humans is nothing but a soothing excuse. All explanations seem welcome to explain why we are not to blame.

We have adopted the idea of, first of all, not being part of nature and, secondly, of having to squeeze out of nature what we can get. Whenever we wish to observe "wild" animals more closely, we do not go out into natural surroundings but visit a zoo, a circus or a reserve where animals have no chance of escape. Or we make do with the so-called domestic animals that, according to present laws, can be treated as property and are at the entire mercy of people who consider themselves to be their "owners".

But is there really no other way? Do we really have to resign ourselves to these substitutes when trying to achieve more harmony with our animal brothers? Indeed, our experience does not seem to indicate other possibilities because throughout known history it always has been a fact that wild animals were encountered only when they could be captured, locked up or killed.

However, it is the intention of this book to prove that this state of affairs is by no means a fixed law of nature and that, on the contrary, even the shyest of animals, like wild gazelles, show an interest to approach us and play with our children.

In describing the following examples we would like to invite people to re-think their deep-rooted pre-conceptions and consider abandoning our deadly ways with nature. If we continue upsetting the ecological balance by the insidious killing of peaceful animals (called hunting), we are in the long run not only harming them but, at the same time, our humans souls. No wonder that under present conditions hardly any animal dares getting close to us because they experience each and every day that they have in fact been excluded when we boast about charity and nonviolence.

Certainly, a lot of water will pass under the bridge before humans overcome the trinity-partition of their animal world, namely pets, domesticated and wild animals. Many an old custom will have to be reconsidered and changed. Not only the most direct form of humiliation, which is to consider our fellow-beings as nothing but food-resources (expressed by the consumption of meat) or test-objects in animal experiments, but also our hobbies (horse or dog-races, bullfights) need a general new orientation. The animals are ready for a peaceful co-existence that would bring blessings to both sides: what about us?

Renato Pichler
President of the Swiss Union for Vegetarianism

Source: Order this book
Author: Herma Caelen, Renato Pichler

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