Page 38 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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32 Mystic pathways through the bible
people recognize the vanity of war as well as the complete uselessness of killing those who are labeled as enemies in the name of political balance and harmony.
Most people in the world consider Thou shalt not kill as a commandment against the killing of human beings, but society does not think that this should apply to the killing of animals. From a more advanced spiritual perspective, however, the ideal of nonviolence extends to the killing of animals as well—particularly in those situations in which human survival does not depend upon the consumption of animals.
Insight into Nonviolence
There are an in nite number of situations in which people hurt one another, intentionally or unintentionally. Therefore, a true understanding of nonviolence requires deep re ection and great philosophical insight. Sometimes we hurt others as an expression of ill-conceived righteousness. Suppose, for example, that we want someone to do something that we consider to be right, so we raise a whip to force the person to do it. And sometimes when a person has done something wrong, we adopt the practice of punishment. Adopting cruelty to teach and punish others is the law of the masses, but it should not be the law of aspirants. As an aspirant, it is possible to see things from a higher perspective. Understand that what seems hateful or crude in