Reflections for the Soul: Pearls of Vedic Wisdom Reflections for the Soul: Pearls of Vedic Wisdom | Page 99

Nonviolence (Cont’d)
Nonviolence is generally taken to mean not killing or destroying
the body, but actually nonviolence means not to put others into
distress. People in general are trapped by ignorance in the mate-
rial concept of life, and they perpetually suffer material pains. So
unless one elevates people to spiritual knowledge, one is practis-
ing violence. One should try his best to distribute real knowledge
to the people, so that they may become enlightened and leave
this material entanglement. That is nonviolence.
- BG 13:8-12, purport -
The Vedic injunction is mä hiàsyät sarvä bhütäni: never commit
violence to anyone. Nor does understanding that the living entity
is not killed encourage animal slaughter. Killing the body of any-
one without authority is abominable and is punishable by the law
of the state as well as by the law of the Lord. - BG 2:19, purport -
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