Indian belief: why shouldn't we hurt animals?

 

According to an ancient Indian belief, animals should not be harmed.

The Indians believed that diseases appeared precisely like this: people began to treat animals cruelly, killing them not for food, but for wealth - for their skins. Or for fun.

And then the Great Spirit allowed the animals to defend themselves from humans by sending them diseases. This was the only way the beasts could protect themselves.

The spirits of the killed animals caused diseases in people. Therefore, after a hunt, it was mandatory to appease the spirit of the animal and explain to it that the hunt was necessary. This is how the world works and people must eat. Forgive us, Bear and Deer, we will not hunt without need.

Special rituals and protective ceremonies were performed. There was also a strict taboo against killing animals unnecessarily.

Why we shouldn't hurt animals

There are diseases caused by evil forces, by bad people, by magic. They could be treated by the shaman, who replaced the doctor. Modern language would call them psychosomatic diseases.

But there were also diseases that the shaman could hardly cure. These were diseases brought by white people. Or those that arose as a result of violating a strict taboo - for example, the cruel killing of animals.

To be cured, a person had to stop doing what was forbidden. Ask for forgiveness from the spirits. Then the illness could go away.

This is what the ancient Indian understanding of disease looked like. Look at how they treat animals in China, where an outbreak of the disease occurred in 2019. They treat them cruelly, to put it mildly. And the disease, according to some scientists, spread because someone ate a rodent. The infection started from an animal.

Animals have been mistreated all over the world. Animals have been tortured, displayed in circuses, killed unnecessarily, their habitats have been poisoned, they have been hunted for pleasure...

People who were warm and well-dressed were hurting the animals, as the Indian shamans would say. And the spirits of the animals began to defend themselves by sending diseases. And what else did they have to do when the killings continued? Without any need? Just for fun?

How to reduce the risk of disease

To reduce the risk of disease, animals must be helped. Their spirits must be appeased.

• If you have a pet, take care of it. Today, even walks outside are often possible thanks to our dog, for example. And if you have an animal at home, the risk of getting sick is lower.

• You can make a donation to a shelter or a veterinary clinic. This is a sacrifice that a Native American shaman would approve of. And from a psychological point of view, charity increases resistance to disease.

• Sign a petition against animal cruelty. Sincerely, willingly, consciously. This will make your position clear — that you are not an enemy of living beings, but their friend.

• Make a vow to never buy fur coats again, for example. And not to be entertained by watching animals suffer in the circus. This is now a matter of personal choice and formulation.

• Feed birds and stray animals whenever you can. Despite the hatred and aggression of cruel, self-satisfied egoists. You are not just sharing your food—you are making an alliance with the spirits of the animals.

There is a point in ancient belief. Diseases often appear out of nowhere. But shamans knew the answer: mass diseases are sent out of desperation by animal spirits. To protect those beasts that are still alive.

And that is why we must stop violating the taboo — the prohibition of cruelty to our smaller brothers. Then the disease will go away — so the wise Indian shaman would say…