{"id":106479,"date":"2020-09-10T14:28:26","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T21:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=106479"},"modified":"2020-09-10T14:28:26","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T21:28:26","slug":"justice-for-animals-and-nature-pledges-fullest-support-to-the-ban-on-cattle-slaughter-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/09\/10\/justice-for-animals-and-nature-pledges-fullest-support-to-the-ban-on-cattle-slaughter-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice for Animals and Nature pledges fullest support to the ban on Cattle slaughter in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna<\/strong> Founder Member on behalf of Justice for Animals and Nature<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

We\nwholeheartedly welcome the Government\u2019s decision to ban the slaughter of\ncattle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\nthank the President Hon. Gotabhaya Rajapakse and the Prime Minister Hon.\nMahinda Rajapakse for taking this courageous step, and the Government\nParliamentary Group for endorsing this move. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nis inspiring to note that the State is now becoming committed to not only the\nwelfare of human beings but also to the preservation of the precious lives of\nanimals. Such a policy enshrines the essence of Buddhism \u2013 to refrain from taking\nlife.  It also exhibits the flowering of\nthe most noble impulses that humans are capable of generating \u2013 that of\nsympathy and pity towards other living creatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must remember that we in Sri Lanka are the heir to a rich and\nunique pre-colonial history in respect to Animal Welfare. Historical rock\ninscriptions and ancient chronicles e.g. Mahawamsa, reveal that extensive state\nprotection was granted to animals and the slaughter of cows was strictly\nprohibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These historical sources further reveal that the ethic of Ahimsa\n(non-violence towards other sentient beings) a cardinal tenet in Buddhism and\nHinduism, was a paradigm of public administration and justice in pre-colonial\nSri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cakkavatti Sihanada Sutta<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha’s discourse in the Cakkavatti Sihanada Sutta (Digha\nNikaya of the Sutta Pitaka) spells out the duties of an ideal ruler as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

” The Cakkavatti King (Righteous King) will give protection,\nshelter and ward both to the different classes of human beings, and also to\nbirds and beasts”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The social and legal history of Sri Lanka provides innumerable\nexamples of the Buddhist attitude to animal life and the acceptance of State\nResponsibility for the well \u2013 being of animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Responsibility for Animals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our former Kings established some of the worlds’ first wild life\nsanctuaries. Five of the kings governed the country under the ‘Maghata’ rule,\nwhich banned the killing of any animal in the kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five kings were 1) Amanda Gamini (79 – 80 AD), 2) Voharika\nTissa (269 – 291 AD) 3) Silakala (524 – 537 AD) 4) Agga Bodhi IV (658 – 674 AD)\n5) Kassapa III (717 – 724 AD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Vide ‘ History of Buddhism in Ceylon ‘by Walpola Rahula, First\nEdition, p.73) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

King Silakala (524 – 537 AD) decreed the ‘preservation of life for\nall creatures’ throughout the Island. King Kassappa IV (898 -914 AD) granted\nsafety to all creatures on land and water and in doing so observed in all\nrespects the conduct of the ancient kings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several Kings established Animal Hospitals and one King i.e.\nBuddhadasa (341 AD) became a reputed medical and veterinary surgeon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Animal Sacrifice banned in pre \u2013 colonial Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ibn Batuta, the 14th Century Arab traveller refers to the sight of\na co – religionist (a Muslim) in Kurunegala whose limbs had been amputated as punishment\non the orders of the King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On inquiry Batuta had been told that the King had spared the man’s\nlife but nevertheless had his limbs amputated because he had unlawfully\nslaughtered a cow, for the purpose of animal sacrifice. This was a criminal\noffence punishable usually by death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The above examples illustrate the extent to which the former\nrulers were prepared to act to protect and enforce the legal rights that\nanimals, particularly the cow, enjoyed in the bygone era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahimsa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people, influenced by the principle of\n‘Ahimsa’ generally kept away from occupations that required the killing of\nanimals to earn a living e.g. hunting, fishing and the slaughter of animals for\nfood. Those who resorted to these activities were usually relegated to the\nmargins of the society. Cattle wealth was protected and not destroyed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was also taboo on consumption of meat. Robert Percival says,\n“They never eat meat, or anything that has had life” and Tennent\nsays, “The mass of the population were nevertheless vegetarians and so\nlittle value did they place on animal food” (quoted in Amerasinghe\n“The Legal Heritage of Sri Lanka, p.132).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The neighbouring countries called our people the\nAryavamsa (noble race) largely due to the strict adherence to abstain from\ncausing harm to living beings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon the entry of western influence to Sri Lanka commencing in the\n16th Century, the high moral value extended to non – human sentient beings\nbegan to decline and the habit of flesh consumption gradually grew among the\npeople.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, occupations that were associated with the killing of\nanimals, which fell outside the trades recommended as the means for a Right\nLivelihood by the Buddha in the Noble Eightfold Path, gained greater acceptance\nin society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anagarika Dharmapala<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these incursions, there were wake up calls by Buddhist\nleaders during the period of the Buddhist Revival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anagarika\nDharmapala\u2019s resounding call to stop eating beef with a view to preventing the\nslaughter of cattle had a great influence on our people. Anagarika Dharmapala\nwas the embodiment of the campaign to stop the slaughter of cattle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Bowatte\nIndraratana Thero <\/strong>sacrificed his precious life\non Vesak Day (May 24, 2013) in front of the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the\nTooth) in Kandy, to galvanize the public to move rapidly in the direction of\nushering in a ban on cattle slaughter. His martyrdom and the blood shed on the\nprecincts of the Dalada Maligawa was meant to be a rallying point against \u2018Gava\nGathana \u2018and cruelty to animals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right Livelihood<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, in Sri Lanka, the State gives wide encouragement to people\nin both urban and rural areas, mostly Buddhists, to indulge in inland fisheries\nand rear animals e.g. chicken, goats, pigs and cattle for slaughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This policy is far removed from the ennobling ideals that the\nBuddha proclaimed when he advised rulers that birds and beasts should be given\n“ward and protection”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State policies which violate the principle of Right Livelihood in\nthe Noble Eightfold Path too should be abandoned alongside the ban on cattle\nslaughter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nworld is paying a heavy price for abuse of animals. Isn\u2019t the Coronavirus\npandemic a form of Karmic Retribution for slaughter of animals? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nis time to draw the appropriate lessons from this tragic crisis and move\nforward on a footing of compassion and loving kindness to all living beings as\nthe Buddha taught continuously during his lifetime.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senaka Weeraratna<\/strong>
Founder Member on behalf of Justice for Animals and Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna Founder Member on behalf of Justice for Animals and Nature We wholeheartedly welcome the Government\u2019s decision to ban the slaughter of cattle. We thank the President Hon. Gotabhaya Rajapakse and the Prime Minister Hon. Mahinda Rajapakse for taking this courageous step, and the Government Parliamentary Group for endorsing this move. It is inspiring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senaka-weeraratna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106479\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}