Ahimsa Dharma > Ahimsa 's Quotes

“Someone who believes in violence and continues causing injury to others can never be peaceful himself.”
― Swami Satchidananda

“Refrain from killing knowingly even the trifling insects like a louse, a bug or a mosquito. Use no violence even to gain possession of a woman, wealth or kingdom. Never kill any animals even for the purpose of sacrifice. Non-violence is the greatest of all religions.”
― Swaminarayan

“It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.”
― Albert Einstein

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
― Einstein

“It is humankind's duty to respect all life, not only animals have feelings but even also trees and plants.”
― Albert Einstein

“If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals.”
― Albert Einstein

“As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.”
― Pythagoras

“I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry and unhappy like we do. I feel very deeply about vegetarianism and the animal kingdom. It was my dog Boycott who led me to question the right of humans to eat other sentient beings.”
― Cesar Chavez

“We know we cannot be kind to animals until we stop exploiting them -- exploiting animals in the name of science, exploiting animals in the name of sport, exploiting animals in the name of fashion, and yes, exploiting animals in the name of food.”
― Cesar Chavez

“Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people. ”
― Cesar Chavez

“Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well with others.”
― Cesar Chavez

“Non-injury to all living beings is the only religion.” (first truth of Jainism) “In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self, and should therefore refrain from inflicting upon others such injury as would appear undesirable to us if inflicted upon ourselves.” “This is the quintessence of wisdom; not to kill anything. All breathing, existing, living sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away. This is the pure unchangeable Law. Therefore, cease to injure living things.” “All living things love their life, desire pleasure and do not like pain; they dislike any injury to themselves; everybody is desirous of life and to every being, his life is very dear.”
Yogashastra (Jain Scripture) (c. 500 BCE)”
― Anonymous

“Love and compassion for all sentient beings, (human and non human alike) are a necessity. They are the true drivers that make us human. Without them we cannot extend our humanity, our moral progress, to make our world a better place for ALL.”
― Angie karan

“My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an inconveniency, and I was frequently chided for my singularity, but, with this lighter repast, I made the greater progress, for greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension. Flesh eating is unprovoked murder.”
― Benjamin Franklin

“As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap the joy of love.”
― Pythagoras

“When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others. Why should man then expect mercy from God? It's unfair to expect something that you are not willing to give. It is inconsistent. I can never accept inconsistency or injustice. Even if it comes from God. If there would come a voice from God saying, "I'm against vegetarianism!" I would say, "Well, I am for it!" This is how strongly I feel in this regard.”
― Isaac Bashevis Singer

“I made the choice to be vegan because I will not eat (or wear, or use) anything that could have an emotional response to its death or captivity. I can well imagine what that must feel like for our non-human friends - the fear, the terror, the pain - and I will not cause such suffering to a fellow living being.”
― Rai Aren

“I'm a vegetarian because I love myself, I love life and I love planet Earth.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“Animals are my friends and I don’t eat my friends.”
― George Bernard Shaw

“the basis of my vegetarianism is not physical, but moral. If anybody said that I should die if I did not take beef tea or mutton, even on medical advice, I would prefer death.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“The heart of vegetarians is healed sooner than those of flesh-eaters.”
― Virchand Raghavji Gandhi

“Humanity's true moral test, its fundamental test, consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect humankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.”
― Milan Kundera

“When you stop eating meat, you feel light from inside. When you abstain from inflicting cruelty on animals, you will no longer be an agent of pain.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava

“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
― Charles Darwin

“Becoming vegan is the most important and direct change we can immediately make to save the planet and its species.”
― Chris Hedges

“We are, quite literally, gambling with the future of our planet- for the sake of hamburgers”
― Peter Singer, Animal Liberation

“The Buddhists believe that we can be reincarnated as animals-it depends on where we are on the path toward enlightenment. And, of course, both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in karma-if you suffer misfortune, you are paying for sins you did in a previous life.”
― Jane Goodall

“A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.”
― Leo Tolstoy

“Animals are my friends...and I don't eat my friends.”
― George Bernard Shaw

“Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”
― Albert Schweitzer