View source for Man-made law and animal-killing

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[[Category:Man-made|2]]
[[Category:Law|2]]
[[Category:Killing Animals|2]]
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
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<div id="SB_Canto_6" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 6"><h3>SB Canto 6</h3>
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<div id="SB61642_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_6" book="SB" index="620" link="SB 6.16.42" link_text="SB 6.16.42">
<div class="heading">If one transgresses the laws of a man-made government, he may escape being killed by the state, but one cannot escape the laws of God. A killer of any animal must be killed in his next life by the same animal. This is the law of nature.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 6.16.42|SB 6.16.42, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">"Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demon becomes envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in his own body and in the bodies of others, and blasphemes against the real religion. Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life." (Bg. 16.18-19) These persons are condemned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as indicated by the words tava kopaḥ. A person who commits murder is envious of himself and also the person he has killed, for the result of committing murder is that he will be arrested and hanged. If one transgresses the laws of a man-made government, he may escape being killed by the state, but one cannot escape the laws of God. A killer of any animal must be killed in his next life by the same animal. This is the law of nature. One must follow the instructions of the Supreme Lord: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). If one follows any other system of religion, he is subject to punishment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in many different ways. Therefore if one follows a concocted system of religion, he is envious not only of others but also of himself. Consequently his system of religion is useless.</p>
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<div id="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" class="section" sec_index="3" parent="compilation" text="Other Books by Srila Prabhupada"><h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
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<div id="Renunciation_Through_Wisdom" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Renunciation Through Wisdom"><h3>Renunciation Through Wisdom</h3>
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<div id="RTW16_0" class="quote" parent="Renunciation_Through_Wisdom" book="OB" index="8" link="RTW 1.6" link_text="Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.6">
<div class="heading">According to man-made laws, if one person murders another he is condemned to the gallows, but no action is taken against a man for killing animals. Such is not the law of providence. The law of God is such that it punishes the killers of both man and animals; both acts of murder are penalized.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:RTW 1.6|Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.6]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">It is impossible to be exempted from the adversities caused by mentally concocted beliefs. According to man-made laws, if one person murders another he is condemned to the gallows, but no action is taken against a man for killing animals. Such is not the law of providence. The law of God is such that it punishes the killers of both man and animals; both acts of murder are penalized. The atheists deny the existence of God because in this way they think they can commit sins unhindered. But all the revealed, authorized scriptures say that by killing innocent creatures, the householders commit many sins willingly or unwillingly while performing their normal daily activities. To get release from these sins, the householders are enjoined to perform certain sacrifices. Foremost of these is to eat and honor the remnants of food offered to Lord Viṣṇu. As for those selfish householders who cook food only for their own sensual pleasure and not for the service of Lord Viṣṇu, they have to suffer all the sinful reactions incurred while cooking and eating. This is the law of providence. Therefore, to get rid of these sins, the followers of the Vedic religion dedicate their household activities to Lord Viṣṇu's service.</p>
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG3813NewYorkMay201966_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="117" link="Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966">
<div class="heading">Just like here you have to pay by your life if you kill one man. If you commit a murder, you have to repay this murdering sin by your own life. That is, of course, imperfect law, man-made law. Similarly, in God's law also, if you kill any living entity, you have to suffer for that, because in the God's eye there is no question of man or animal or ant or fly or something like that. Every living entity is the son of God.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966|Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">There are recommendation in these Vedas, pañca-yajña. Pañca-yajña means that unknowingly we are killing many living entities. Suppose we are... When we are walking on the street there are many ants who are being killed on the pressure of our shoes. So that is also counted as sin. In God's kingdom, in God's, I mean to say, state. Just like here you have to pay by your life if you kill one man. If you commit a murder, you have to repay this murdering sin by your own life. That is, of course, imperfect law, man-made law. Similarly, in God's law also, if you kill any living entity, you have to suffer for that, because in the God's eye there is no question of man or animal or ant or fly or something like that. Every living entity is the son of God. Now, suppose your father has got five sons. One of them is worthless, is doing nothing. And if the other son says, "My dear father, this son, your youngest son, or this son, is worthless. He is doing nothing. Let us kill him," will your father agree? Because he is worthless, will your father agree? No, he will say, "No, no, no. You have nothing to do. He is not harming you. He is eating my, my subsistence. I am paying for his subsistence. Why you should kill him?" So similarly, in this material nature, all these living entities in different forms, they have come for material enjoyment and everything is being supplied by the Supreme Lord. We have no right to kill them. We have no right. According to God's law, if one is conscious... The same thing: Just like the father will never agree to kill a worthless child by the competent boy... No.</p>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB1168LosAngelesJanuary51974_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="325" link="Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974">
<div class="heading">The law punishes. If you kill someone, if you commit murder, then you will be punished. This is punishable. But because it is man-made law, therefore it is defective. A man is a living entity, and a cow is also a living entity. Why this discrimination, that if a man is murdered or killed, that murderer must be punished? But that law is not permissible in God's law. In God's law, either you kill a man or you kill an ant, you are punishable.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">We may create so many artificial laws, "This is good, and this is bad." Just like in your country, drinking is good. And in some other country, drinking is bad. In your country, meat-eating is no offense. But in the Vedic civilization, meat-eating is one of the foremost sinful activities. So here the so-called "good" and "bad," they are all mental creation. Otherwise, everything is bad, nothing good. Here, only goodness is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise, everything is bad. So-called ethics, morality and law, good and bad, they are all rascaldom. It has no meaning. Because they are punishable. They can avoid the punishment of the law of the state. Just like in the government in every state, there is some punishment if one kills another living entity. Another man, not living entity. There is punishment. The law punishes. If you kill someone, if you commit murder, then you will be punished. This is punishable. But because it is man-made law, therefore it is defective. A man is a living entity, and a cow is also a living entity. Why this discrimination, that if a man is murdered or killed, that murderer must be punished? But that law is not permissible in God's law. In God's law, either you kill a man or you kill an ant, you are punishable. You are punishable. You cannot avoid this. Because in the eyes of God, the Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, and a small ant, they are all sons of God.</p>
:sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
:mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
:tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
:ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
:([[Vanisource:BG 14.4 (1972)|BG 14.4]])
<p>Kṛṣṇa says like this, "I am their father." To whom? Sarva-yoniṣu: "In all species of life, beginning from Brahmā down to the ant." So if you kill your brother, say, who is not important, will your father approve, "Oh, you have done nice. You are very nice son. You are earning millions of dollars, and this man is useless, this, this boy. So you have killed. It is very nice"? No, father will never tolerate. To the father, the useless son and the earning son, both are equal in affection.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB5512StockholmSeptember71973_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="521" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973">
<div class="heading">According to Manu-saṁhitā when an animal is killed, eight persons become condemned with murdering charges. Eight persons. One who kills, one who orders, one who purchases, one who cooks, one who eats—so many. That is the law. As we have got law here, here we can escape man-made laws, but you cannot escape God-made laws. That is not possible.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973|Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes, and the tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Not only you directly make all these thing then you are condemned to go to the hellish condition; if you associate with such person, then also you'll be liable. If you associate. Just like some rascals they say, "Yes, we are eating meat, but we are not directly killing. We purchase." They think that "Let me enjoy meat-eating. Those who are killing in the slaughterhouse, they will be responsible. I am free." No. Because you are associating with such persons, according to Manu-saṁhitā when an animal is killed, eight persons become condemned with murdering charges. Eight persons. One who kills, one who orders, one who purchases, one who cooks, one who eats—so many. That is the law. Just like one man is murdered. That murdering is committed by one man, but if has got many associates who has induced him, who has supplied him the weapon, or giving, so many assisted—all of them are arrested. This is the law. As we have got law here, here we can escape man-made laws, but you cannot escape God-made laws. That is not possible. Man-made laws sometimes we escape because everything made by man, that is insufficient, imperfect. So you can escape sometimes. That is not escaping. But you cannot escape God's law. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati ([[Vanisource:BG 18.61 (1972)|BG 18.61]]). God is situated within your heart. He's seeing everything and recording. Anumantā upadraṣṭā, you cannot escape.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB617HonoluluJune151975SundayFeastLecture_2" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="591" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture">
<div class="heading">Even if we kill one mosquito, we are responsible. It is not man-made law, that "If you kill a human being, then you are punished, and if you kill another animal, you are not punished." This is man-made law, according to our convenience. "We have to eat the animal; therefore there is no punishment for animal killing." But God is for everyone the same.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture|Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So we are responsible. Even if we kill one mosquito, we are responsible. It is not man-made law, that "If you kill a human being, then you are punished, and if you kill another animal, you are not punished." This is man-made law, according to our convenience. "We have to eat the animal; therefore there is no punishment for animal killing." But God is for everyone the same. Every living entity is part and parcel of God. So they have been given an opportunity to undergo the punishment or enjoyment. You cannot disturb him. You cannot disturb him. Just like you are living in an apartment according to your position, but if I forcibly I ask you, "Go out of this apartment," then I will be punishable by the law. I have no right to get you out from that apartment. Similarly, every living entity by the laws of nature, all laws of nature, is imprisoned or allowed under certain apartment, either in the body of a tree or a human being or demigod or cat or dog. These are all ordained. So you cannot get out the living entity, soul, by force from that body. Then you will be punishable. The living entity is never killed, but you have no right to get him out from that body. That is sinful. If you argue that "What is the harm if I kill one animal, because it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: ([[Vanisource:BG 2.20 (1972)|BG 2.20]]) 'The living entity, soul, is never killed even after the annihilation of this body'?" that is all right. But you cannot force him. Just like if you get one person, by force, get out from his apartment—he is not dying, of course, but still, it is criminal because you are forcing to go out of the apartment. So that is the law of nature. You cannot force anyone to get out of the body. Then you are punishable.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB61813NewYorkJuly241971_3" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="599" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971">
<div class="heading">Man-made law, they're taking consideration of the man being killed. Another, the killer, must be killed. Why not an animal? The animal also a living entity.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971|Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The other day I was explaining. Just like the state law is that if you commit a murder, if you kill your fellow man, then you have to atone that sinful activity by being killed, by offering your life. That's a fact. Everyone knows it. You cannot escape. If you have killed one man... Of course, not man; if you kill even an ant, you are responsible for that, what to speak of man. Because that distinction is imperfect because this is man-made law. Man-made law, they're taking consideration of the man being killed. Another, the killer, must be killed. Why not an animal? The animal also a living entity. The man is also living entity. So if you have law that if a man kills one man he must be killed, why not if a man kills an animal he should be killed also? What is the reason? This is man-made law, defective. But there cannot be defect in God-made laws. God-made law, if you kill an animal, you are equally punishable as you kill a man. That is God's law. There is no excuse that he..., when you kill a man you are punishable, but when you kill an animal you are not punishable. This is concoction. This is not perfect law. Perfect law. Therefore Lord Jesus Christ prescribes in the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not kill." That is perfect law. Not that you shall discriminate that "I shall not kill man, but I shall kill animals." This is cheating one's self. The God laws will not excuse.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB6132HonoluluMay311976_4" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="655" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976">
<div class="heading">In the God's law there is no such thing that if you kill a human being you'll be killed, and if you kill an animal you won't be killed. That is imperfect law, man-made law.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976|Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Nature's law means a system, a machine. Just like in this government there is system. You cannot violate. "Keep to the right!" "Stop here, red light!" You must have to stop. "I'm governor." "Never mind, you stop." This is law. You cannot say that "I am governor," "I am Mr. Ford" or "Mr. Rockefeller," "Why shall I stop my car?" No, it is government law. You must stop. So this is practical going on. How you can violate the nature's law? It is not possible. Nature's law is so strict, a little deviation will put you into suffering. This is going on. That is Yamarāja. And if you violate more and more and more, then you suffer more and more and more. This is the law. You cannot escape. So that is fixed up. But as there is some exceptional cases... Just like one has committed murder, so by law he must be hanged. By law. That is the general law everywhere, all over the world: life for life. So similarly, in the God's law there is no such thing that if you kill a human being you'll be killed, and if you kill an animal you won't be killed. That is imperfect law, man-made law. Therefore Jesus Christ said, "Thou shall not kill." No question of... They have modified, "This killing means murdering." Christ does not say. What is your proof that if you committed mistake, a mistake, instead of writing "Thou shall not commit murder," here is written, "Thou shall not kill," general. Otherwise Christ has no intelligence. He cannot use the proper word. But you are misusing the order of Lord Christ.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB7530MauritiusOctober21975_5" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="731" link="Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975">
<div class="heading">You cannot say that "This man was useless; it has no utility for the society. Therefore I have killed him." No. That is consideration of the human being. That is man-made law. But God-made laws, any living being, if you kill, the same punishment.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975|Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The so-called civilization means to allow the senses to enjoy as far as possible. This is advancement of civilization. The same example: Just we can be very happy by eating the food grains which must we have to produce either for me or for the animal. Without producing food grain you cannot even eat the meat. Because they want food grains, they want vegetables, so you have to produce. But because we have uncontrolled senses, instead of eating the grains, we are eating the animals. So this is called adānta-gobhiḥ. We do not consider that "The life which I am killing for my subsistence, it is eating grain, and I can also eat grain. So why shall I commit this sinful life by killing another living being?" So you cannot do that. You are not allowed to kill even an ant. Just like in any state suppose one man is useless; he is not doing anything. So you cannot kill. The state will take step. You will have to be hanged. You cannot say that "This man was useless; it has no utility for the society. Therefore I have killed him." No. That is consideration of the human being. That is man-made law. But God-made laws, any living being, if you kill, the same punishment. But that we do not know on account of our uncontrolled senses. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. We do not know that by killing innocent animals we are going to the darkest region of hellish life. Actually that is happening now, hellish life. The child is in the womb of the mother; it is hellish condition, with stool, urine, it is floating. And there also the life is not safe because at the modern advanced civilization the child is being killed even by the mother. This is going on.</p>
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1973 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1973 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationwithDavidWynneSculptorJuly91973London_0" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="35" link="Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London" link_text="Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London">
<div class="heading">You can avoid man-made law, but you cannot avoid God-made law. That you cannot do. You must be responsible. If you kill an ant even without knowledge, you are responsible.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London|Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: What is this culture? A human being is killing so many animals, innocent animals, is that culture? They are less than animals. Who kills? The tiger kills, ferocious. A human being killing innocent animals... In Christian religion, therefore: "Thou shall not kill." But they are killing only. Where is the culture? Killing culture. That is not culture. What do you think?</p>
<p>David Wynne: It must be so. Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. How a human being can kill another human being or another animal unnecessarily? And if you kill, there is law, life for life. But they have made laws for human beings. When an animal is killed, he's not criminal. But in the God laws you cannot avoid that. If you have killed an ant, you must be shot. That is God's law. You can avoid man-made law, but you cannot avoid God-made law. That you cannot do. You must be responsible. If you kill an ant even without knowledge, you are responsible. Such subtle laws are there. So we must know our responsibility. Without knowledge, if we kill, we are responsible. And with knowledge, there is no question. Where is that culture? They advertise, "Live and let live." What is that? Do they do that? Actually? They want to live at the expense of others. Why not let live others? Where is that culture?</p>
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