We human beings and other creatures belong to the one brotherhood of life, and we all have claims to the gifts of God—the Indwelling Spirit of nature and history.
Men have their rights: have not animals, too, their rights?
If indeed, we are to achieve a higher civilisation, a new civilisation, there must be a new understanding of the place of animals in social evolution and a new relationship of men and birds and animals based on sympathy and love. I would press, too, for the setting up, in every state, of a Ministry for Animal Welfare.
To my sisters and brothers in India, I have just one word of appeal: “Ye sons and daughters of the Sages of the East! Would you not do your duty to the animals? Would you disturb their silent joy in creation?”
“When may I hope to come to Thee, my God?” asked a servant of the Lord. And the answer came in the words: “This very moment you can meet Me, but only as you come in the company of the lowly and the lost!” True it is, that birds and beasts are our brothers and sisters in the one great family of creation—the family of God.
I have loved to look again and again at a picture in which Krishna is painted as a cowherd, Krishna with the cows in the Forest of Brindaban.
Sometimes, looking at birds and the mild-eyed cow and the faithful dog, I have said to myself: “Does not God Himself shine in their eyes?” And man may come to the Lord of love and life not in separation from, but only in fellowship with the lowly and the lost.
I have loved to look again and again at a picture in which Krishna is painted as a cowherd, Krishna with the cows in the Forest of Brindaban. Around Him is an atmosphere of simplicity, compassion and love. In yet another picture we see Krishna garlanding a cow with a necklace of pearls. In Krishna’s heart was love immense for animals and birds. From Krishna’s eyes, there flowed a smile that blessed all creation.
To my heart that has dwelt in love on the sufferings of birds and beasts, no less than those of the poor and toiling multitudes among the anguished children of humanity, there is consolation in the thought that a diviner day, however distant, is yet to come in God’s good time, in God’s gracious plan, when they who travail today, in anguish and pain, will be seen to be beneath the arms of Him who loveth all and is their Brother and Servant and Burden bearer.
November 25th, Sadhu Vaswani’s birthday is commonly observed as Meatless Day.