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You think that to kill an animal is no sin?

Expressions researched:
"you think that to kill an animal is no sin"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

You think that to kill an animal is no sin? But I think that it is interpretation. Jesus Christ says generally: "Thou shalt not kill." How can you support that animal killing is not sin?
Room Conversation with Cardinal Danielou -- August 9, 1973, Paris:

Cardinal Danielou: It is forbidden in Christianity to kill. Surely. But chiefly we think that there is a difference between the life of man and the life the beasts. N'est ce pas? And that the life of man is sacred because man is the image of God. But we have not the same respect relating to the beasts, to the animals, and we think that the animals are at the service of man, and that it is legitime to man. For us, each life is not the same. What is really important is the life of man, and the human person is really sacred and it is forbidden to kill a human person...

Prabhupāda: No, but Jesus does not says "human being". He just said generally: "Thou shalt not kill."

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Cardinal Danielou: (French) In the Bible we have many example of, by example, we have many sacrifice in the sacrifice of animals. You know. Many sacrifice of animals in the Bible. Alors. This is not forbidden. It is sure that it is a great sin to kill a man, alors. There is surely the great question of the war, the war, the national war. And is, it is...

Prabhupāda: You, you, you think that to kill an animal is no sin?

Cardinal Danielou: No, no, no. No sin. No sin. No sin. Because we think that the simple biologic life is not sacred. That is, what is sacred is the human life, the human life. But not the life, ass.

Prabhupāda: But I think that it is interpretation. Jesus Christ says generally: "Thou shalt not kill."

Cardinal Danielou: Yes. Jesus said, but this phrase is not, the text is not a text of Jesus. It is a text of the Old Testament, and it is a text...

Prabhupāda: No, it is New Testament also.

Cardinal Danielou: Old Testament! Old Testament.

Prabhupāda: No, is it not in the New Testament?

Cardinal Danielou: It is in the Levitic, in the Levitic, in the book of the Levitic.

Prabhupāda: Ahhh.

Cardinal Danielou: It is not a word of Jesus. It is a word of the Levitic, and it is a part of the decalogue of the Ten Commandments what God gave to Moses.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But Ten Commandments, one of the Commandments is that: "Thou shalt no kill."

Yogeśvara: (French)

Cardinal Danielou: (French) Mais, it is surely, I think, it is surely the killing of the man. I think, I have a great difficulty to understand why in Indian religion... Because it is impossible... By example, it is necessary, pour la nourriture?

Yogeśvara: For food.

Cardinal Danielou: Oui. For the food of man to eat, to eat, and...

Prabhupāda: Man can eat grains, food grains, fruits, milk, sugar, wheat...

Cardinal Danielou: Not, not, (French)?

Yogeśvara: No flesh?

Cardinal Danielou: No flesh?

Prabhupāda: No. Why? Just like the fruits. The fruits are meant for human being. The tiger does not come to eat your fruits. So tiger's food is another animal. Man's food is fruit, food grains, milk products. Just like fruit...

Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes. I understand. It is why because grain and plants are also living beings.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, that's all right.

Cardinal Danielou: Living beings.

Prabhupāda: That, that we also understand. But if, if you cannot live... Just like, generally, if I can live on fruits and grains and milk, why should I kill another animal?

Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes...

Prabhupāda: Another thing is that how can you support that animal killing is not sin?

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Cardinal Danielou: (French)

Bhagavān: How do you justify it?

Cardinal Danielou: Yes, because we, we thought that there is a difference of nature between life of man, life of spirit, and biological, biological life. And we say... (break) ...not really exists, and we think so. We think that animals, plant are not real beings, are world of appearance and that you human person only is real being. And that in this sense, the material world is without importance.

Prabhupāda: Now..., I follow. Suppose you are living in this house. So you are not this house, that's a fact.

Cardinal Danielou: Yes. Yes.

Prabhupāda: But if I come and break your house, is it not inconvenience for you?

Cardinal Danielou: Yes, surely. Surely it is inconvenient.

Prabhupāda: So if I cause inconvenience unto you, is it not criminal?

Cardinal Danielou: It is inconvenient to me, but is...

Prabhupāda: No. If I cause some inconvenience to you, is it not criminal? Is it not sinful?

Cardinal Danielou: I think if there is a serious reason, it is not the destruction of the spiritual man itself. By example, it is perfectly possible to use of the reality of the material world, of the natural world to the valuable finality of human vocation. We think that the question is a question of motivation. It could exist bad reason to kill an animal. But if the killing of animal is to give food to children, men, women, we ont faim. Qui...?

Devotee: Hungry.

Cardinal Danielou: Hungry, we are hungry, it is legitimate, legitimate... We have... It is difficult to admit that in India, comment dit-on les vaches?

Yogeśvara: The cows.

Cardinal Danielou: Oui, the cows.

Prabhupāda: One thing is...

Danielou: It is not permitted to kill a...?

Yogeśvara: Cow.

Cardinal Danielou: ...a cow to give him to children who are hungry and the...

Prabhupāda: No, no, from any other consideration, cows' milk we drink. Therefore she's mother. Is it not?

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Cardinal Danielou: Oui.

Yogeśvara: N'est ce pas?

Cardinal Danielou: Oui, yes, surely, surely, but the...

Prabhupāda: According to Vedic conversion, we have got seven mothers. Ātma-mātā, the original mother, guroḥ patnī, wife of the master, spiritual master...

Cardinal Danielou: Yes.

Bhagavān: Can you understand?

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Prabhupāda: Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī, the wife of the priest.

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Cardinal Danielou:

Prabhupāda: Rāja-patnikā, the wife of king, the queen.

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Prabhupāda: Four. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, dhenur. Dhenu means cow. Dhenur dhātrī. Dhātrī means nurse. Tathā pṛthvī. Pṛthvī means earth. These are seven mothers. So cow is mother because we drink milk, cow's milk.

Cardinal Danielou: Yes.

Prabhupāda: How can I deny that she's not mother? So how we can support killing of mother?

Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes, it is a motive. But we think that...

Prabhupāda: Therefore, in India, those who are meat-eaters, they are advised... That is also under restriction. Advised to kill some lower animals like goats, even up to buffaloes. But cow killing is the greatest sin.

Page Title:You think that to kill an animal is no sin?
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:25 of Mar, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1