Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Thou shalt not kill means

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: You know the ten commandments for example, there is a heavy emphasis in the ten commandments on the relationships between one human being and another. "Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not steal." That sort of thing.

Prabhupāda: But I say that Jesus Christ never said, he never meant, "Thou shall not kill," means only human being. Where is that evidence? Jesus Christ never said "Thou shall not kill means it means only human being." Thou shall not kill any animal.

Interviewer: Any life.

Prabhupāda: Any life. That is religion.

Interviewer: It has never been interpreted that way.

Prabhupāda: But you have interpreted different way, but he said "Thou shall not kill." He never said "Thou shall not kill amongst human being." Why do you interpret in that way?

Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: You know the ten commandments for example.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Interviewer: There is a heavy emphasis in the ten commandments on the relationships between one human being and another, you know. "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not steal," you know, that sort of thing.

Prabhupāda: But I said that Jesus Christ never said..., he never meant "Thou shalt not kill" means only human beings. Where is that evidence? Jesus Christ never said "Thou shalt not kill" means, it means only human beings. Thou shalt not kill any animals.

Interviewer: Any life.

Prabhupāda: Any life. That is religion.

Interviewer: It has never been interpreted that way.

Prabhupāda: But you have interpreted the wrong way. But he said "Thou shalt not kill." He never said "Thou shalt not kill among human beings." Why do you interpret in that way?
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1971, Delhi:

Viṣala: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the Bible it says, "Thou shalt not kill", and the Christians say, "Yes, thou shalt not kill but you can kill animals." (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: That is rascaldom. Where it is written that thou shalt not kill animals? "Thou shalt not kill." "Thou shalt not kill," means you shall not kill anything.
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1971, Delhi:

Devotee (7): Would it be better if we gave up eating vegetables?

Prabhupāda: You cannot eat anything accept Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Even if we eat vegetables, that is also sin. Bhagavad-gītā clearly says, bhuñjate te tv agham pāpā, ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt [Bg. 3.13]. If you prepare very nice pure foodstuff for eating yourself, then still you are eating sins. You have to prepare anything very nicely, offer it to Kṛṣṇa, then you take, then you will be free from all sin. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo. Even there is sin... Sin there must be. Just like you are cooking, you are taking water from the jug, there are so many germs you are killing. The killing responsibility is there. In the higher sense, "Thou shalt not kill", means you have to take the prasādam of Kṛṣṇa.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prof. Wolfe: It is a question whether this "Thou shalt not kill" does not also include all our animal brothers and sisters.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Prof. Wolfe: I think it should also include that. Because "Thou shalt not kill" is just not kill creatures, not only men. But apart from that, they do not even follow it where men come in. They kill. They do.

Prabhupāda: I do not follow.

Sudāmā: He's saying...

Hṛdayānanda: He's agreeing.

Sudāmā: He's agreeing that "Thou shalt not kill" should also include all animals.

Prof. Wolfe: It should.

Prabhupāda: Yes, "Thou shalt not kill" means everything.

Karandhara: They say that it does not include animals.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Karandhara: They say, "That does not include animals."

Prabhupāda: Why? Why they say?

Karandhara: The animals have no soul.

Prabhupāda: Why they say? This is rascaldom. Therefore they are rascals. They do not know.

Sudāmā: But they say, "We are more superior than the animals. So therefore the animal's business is just to give us food."

Prabhupāda: That, then, then, the superior nation can kill inferior nation. Why you have made the United Nations?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: ...they should know the others also will feel. If my throat is cut, I feel, and "Why shall I cut the throat of another, poor animal?" This is learned man. And this rascal, maintaining slaughterhouse, and learned man? And they cannot understand. And big, big priests, they'll defend: "Oh, this 'Thou shalt not kill' means it is meant for the men, not for the ani..." They'll put arguments. Christ says clearly, "Thou shall not kill" and they will defend.

Trivikrama: Even abortion they are defending.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Trivikrama: Even abortion.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And this is going on as education, as saintly person, priest. These things are going on in the name of religion, in the name of education. How much fallen this world is, just try to understand. As soon as they are caught up, they'll defend only by arguments, counter-arguments.
Page Title:Thou shalt not kill means
Compiler:Aparajita Radhika, Labangalatika
Created:03 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=6, Let=0
No. of Quotes:6