Ahimsa: When does it go too far?

lotus blossom

Yesterday I visited the Jain Bird Hospital. I went to go see the Digambara Temple, but apparently it’s closed to foreigners from noon til 5:30. But they insisted that I see where they house sick and injured birds, asking you for a donation afterwards to help support their efforts. But, I’m not sure how far we should go to keep a being alive just so that we can claim that we are non-violent.

Some of the birds, including a couple of peacocks, were on the mend and would be released soon. Others, stuck in a (approx.) 12x12 metal cage, were not going to be flying free again. I’m referring to a few of caged birds that lay on their side, shriveled, feathers matted, looking every bit as lifeless as a taxidermy specimen. When I peered in at a couple of them, I detected no signs of life; their vital force gone, into the ethers.

The guide told me that people (presumably Jains) bring the injured birds to them. I’m guessing there were close to a few hundred, most of them pigeons. While many of them (the stronger, healthier ones) are housed together in one large cage, those who are more vulnerable and sickly are alone in their own cage. One pigeon seemed to have a broken neck; it was standing upright but was looking at me with its head completely turned upside down. I was told that many of the pigeons have some sort of paralysis.

I practice ahimsa (but swat mosquitoes before they attack me and try and erradicate the fleas on my dogs), but I don’t think to the same degree since I seriously question how compassionate it is to keep beings alive just for the sake of it. In fact, the heroic efforts that are used in the U.S. to bring someone back to life, or to keep someone alive on life support machines, does not feel an act of compassion, but more a moral, obligatory duty.

My 11-year-old nephew, who is one of the most delightful boys I know, was brought back to life by paramedics after, at the age of two, he died from having his father’s dumbbell strike the temporal area of his head. Of course, we were all relieved, even though today he has some paralysis on his left side, dragging his leg when he walks and having little use of his hand despite multiple surgeries. Our family would be so much less without him; I’m happy that he was pulled back from death.

One of my first boyfriends died in a motorcycle accident a few years ago. He was rounding a corner and collided with a truck that was on the wrong side of the road. Pronounced dead at the scene, he was heroically revived, sans one of his legs. The massive hospital and doctor bills will probably haunt him for life; I think that he’d just as soon they left him for dead.

I made the acquaintance of a Chinese woman while in Dharamsala. She and I discussed our views on the sickly street animals in India, debating whether or not they’d be better off dead. We both agreed that in some cases, yes, they would be. But maybe that’s because we don’t like the suffering that witnessing suffering causes us, especially if we feel helpless in doing anything to alleviate it.

Though, I suppose, if a cow is roaming the street in search of food, her belly a receptacle for plastic bags and bisleri cardboard boxes, we could say that it’s her karma. And if dogs are being beaten and in turn bite back, this too is karma.

How far do we carry the practice of ahimsa, and how much is (erroneously) attributed to karma? I say erroneously, because i think that it's too easy to use the "karma" excuse when we fall short of actually taking responsibility for our actions.

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New-South-Welshman

I think carrying a broom, in case you might step on insects is a bit extreme.

But yes, I think keeping a bird with a broken neck, alive, is cruel.

But then this all really brings us back to euthanasia, right?

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Mr. Burns "Non-violence never solved anything!"

himadventures

This is strange as a Indian it shocks me also. But this is what India is all about. Complicated !
COWS AND ANIMALS ON ROADS: You can not afford to take all stray animlas to butchery or have some captivity for them. If you kill-religious point is THAT IS OUR MOTHER-SYMBOL OF INDIA. And if you put them in captivity-who is going to provide funds. I think LAW has to do something....but again this effects polliticians as they care only for their vote banks.

I feel bad for life lost by wrongside truck...this is how drive on indian roads is.But I think we can not help in this case...traffic system is hanky panky....again one of the most negligant in INDIA.

IndeGuru

And thats what i have been thinking of late: 'Karma excuse' We just seem to attribute anything that is beyond our sphere of influence to karma, dont know if the ancient sages devised this as an answer to everything happening which sans logical reasoning but sure this seems to answer for most people.

sirensongs

One problem with the Jain bird hospital is that (reportedly) they insist on keeping the birds on a vegetarian diet - which is just not possible for a bird of prey! I don't think the birds hve the choice we humans do of eating veg...therefore they will not do well nutritionally.

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Sensi

I think it is the difference between ‘superstition’ vs ‘religion’ or yoga. We you talk about stepping on an ant or killing a fly, or even an extreme view of vegetarianism sirensong mentioned it is superstition. People offen dislike religion becasue it seems too superstitious, and ignorant, that can be more dangerous.
The other way is to see how ahimsa can be applied to everyday life and understand violence in a broader sense. For example if someone is angry all the time they are transmitting a negative vibe to the people around. This is a sort of violence, a way of attacking the world.
People can consume too much, over eat, over work, over spend this too can be a violence against your self and world around you.
Ahimsa is a very nice philosophy but should to be misunderstood and become a superstition.

x2bate

amyl

haa.....am a Jain...and sometimes I give a laugh at their extremities of "Ahimsa". Am a Digambar Jain and there are loads of DOs n DONTs regarding non-violence..never read a book on it tho....but the other sect of Jain go a step further by putting a mask on their nose and mouth. I heard they beleive they would be killing the bacteria in the air they breathe or enters their mouth.

Jains....may be even in other beliefs....have a concept called Sallegna. My grandmom did it when all hopes were gone for her cancer, and my dad's uncle too did the same last year. Oh damn!.....I hate to even think of them when they were in that state. Its very depressing to know someone doing that infront of you - Giving Up!. They stop eating, taking medicines and all the other aids. Simply wait.

And to a certain extent thats the best decision one would take given the circumstances but its really really painful for their loved ones. And this is the time when we have to give up infront of DEATH.

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x2bate

Amyl,

Sorry you had to go through that.

Lotus Blossom,

I wonder if we are more caught up in seeing ourselves as a caregiver and loose sight of the best interest of those in our care? Be it animal, or person.

lotus blossom

i have done some volunteer hospice work, and certainly in that there can be no attachement.

but yes, you're assessment is perhaps correct. if we expect heroic efforts from medicine, those in the field feel obligated to deliver.

sirensongs

Well, Buddhists and Jains don't consider it superstition. It is in keeping with the teaching Do Not Kill.

Most Buddhists I know including myself don't even kill mosquitos (it's very tempting!). At a recent Buddhist prayer festival here people could be seen picking up ants and moving them out of harm's way.

The reason it's wrong to keep the birds (of prey) on the diet is because their systems simply cannot function that way - they require meat. Falcons, eagles, and hawks need live animals (I think); crows can eat carrion and songbirds can probably make do with insects and worms - but not chapatti all day every day! in other words, if they want to save the birds they must feed the bird what it requires.

amyl

say it animal care/love or Ahimsa....Maneka Gandhi does not clean the corners in her house.....cobwebs...she does not want to harm/disturb her spider friends.
Yes! We should not interfere with the Basic Laws of Nature. The nature will sustain if it's let the way it has been running. If one goes to Africa and try saving all the antelopes and deers from the attacks of the mighty Lions and those beautiful Cheetahs there and make them follow elephants diet, I would say he/she has an overdose of "Ahimsa Parmo Dharma" pills.

While near a lake in the hills near my hometown we saw a snake swallowing a frog at the shores. I was just observing it while my friend all of a sudden picked up a stone and at the snake....to let free the frog. Another case of overdose, I would say!

thirdreel

Ahimsa is a spiritual practice, and as such, I think it's good. I'm glad that there are people whose spiritual practice includes treating birds with the loving-kindness you'd treat your son or daughter with. Does it "go too far"? Well, it's not what I would do in my spiritual practice, but I wouldn't judge someone else for doing it.

Why would you decide whether another person's spiritual practice goes too far? Do you look at someone who meditates more than you do and say, "They meditate too much"? Do you look at someone who chants more than you do and say, "They chant too much"?

Now, it is possible for spiritual practices to be harmful when they hurt others. But I'd say in those cases, it's not that the spiritual practice goes too far; it's that it doesn't go far enough. If you neglect your own child because you're too busy caring for ants, then you really don't understand the nature of loving-kindness. You haven't taken ahimsa far enough.

But it's good to look at other people doing their spiritual work, and even if it's different from your own spiritual work, say, "It's good that you're doing that."

bijapuri

I wish all "religions" had this problem of their extreme factions being too kind!

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Nick-H

Well Said!!!!

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