Passages in this section prescribe the ethic proper to reverence for life. Taoist and Buddhist texts remark on the artificiality of the human world and call us to return to the innocence and purity of nature.
Living in nature is purifying and conducive to the spiritual life, in contrast to the dark and dirty environment of the city. For anyone who spends time in nature, reverence for the natural world and respect for all its creatures is not something forced, but flows naturally from a loving heart.
Then there is the doctrine of ahimsa, non-violence towards all living beings, which arose on the Indian subcontinent. Vegetarianism is often motivated by this ethic.
Moreover, among nature’s creatures, none gives more completely and without complaint than the cow, which is rightly revered by Hindus and many native peoples.
Father Moon’s teachings touch on many of these points, but especially emphasize love of nature, which he regards as the starting point for environmental ethics.
However, he offers an interesting dissent from vegetarianism, based upon the concept that creatures of the lower order seek to come closer to God’s love through being eaten and absorbed by creatures of the higher order.
Ideally, they would strive to be nourishment for humans, who stand at the summit of creation because they embody God’s love. Nevertheless, people who do not practice true love are unworthy to consume their food.
1. Care and Reverence for All Living Things
As a mother with her own life guards the life of her own child, let all-embracing thoughts for all that lives be thine. Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta (Buddhism)
The mode of living that is founded upon total harmlessness towards all creatures, or upon a minimum of such harm, is the highest morality. Mahabharata, Shantiparva 262.5-6 (Hinduism)
The Prophet said, “There is neither harm nor cause for harm in Islam.” Majma’ al-Zawa’d 4.6536 (Islam)
One should not injure, subjugate, enslave, torture, or kill any animal, living being, organism, or sentient being. This doctrine of nonviolence is immaculate, immutable, and eternal. Just as suffering is painful to you, in the same way, it is painful, disquieting, and terrifying to all animals, living beings, organisms, and sentient beings. Acarangasutra 4.25-26 (Jainism)
A certain priest had been killed by the bite of a snake, and when they announced the matter to the Blessed One, he said, “Surely now, O priests, that priest never suffused the four royal families of snakes with his friendliness. For if that priest had suffused the four royal families of the snakes with his friendliness, that priest would not have been killed by the bite of a snake… Creatures without feet have my love, And likewise those that have two feet, And those that have four feet I love, And those, too, that have many feet. Vinaya Pitaka, Cullavagga 5.6 (Buddhism)
The moral person accepts as being good: to preserve life, to promote life, to raise to its highest value life which is capable of development; and as being evil: to destroy life, to injure life, to repress life which is capable of development. This is the absolute fundamental principle of the moral. A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred… that of plants and animals as well as that of his fellow man, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help.
Albert Schweitzer
Rear them, but do not lay claim to them; Control them, but never lean upon them, Be their steward, but do not manage them. This is called the Mysterious Power. Tao Te Ching 51 (Taoism)
A horse or a cow has four feet: that is Nature. Put a halter around the horse’s head or put a rope through the cow’s nose: that is man. Therefore, it is said, “Do not let man destroy Nature. Do not let cleverness destroy destiny [the natural order].” Chuang Tzu 17 (Taoism)
In the land of Yamato there are many mountains; ascending to the heaven of Mount Kagu, I gaze down on the country, and see smoke rising here and there over the land, sea gulls floating here and there over the sea. A fine country is this, the island of dragonflies, this province of Yamato.1 Man’yoshu I (Shinto)
On the eastern side of this Himalaya, the king of mountains, are green-flowing streams, hav- ing their source in slight and gentle mountain slopes; blue, white, and the hundred-leafed, the white lily and the tree of paradise, in a region overrun and beautified with all manner of trees and flowing shrubs and creepers, resounding with the cries of swans, ducks, and geese, inhab- ited by troops of monks and ascetics.2 Jataka (Buddhism)
Come back, O Tigers, to the woods again, and let it not be leveled with the plain. For without you, the axe will lay it low. You, without it, forever homeless go. Khuddaka Patha (Buddhism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Unless you love nature and human beings, you cannot love God. (70:182, February 9, 1974)
Those who cannot love nature cannot love human beings, the owners of nature. We should love nature and other people more than ourselves. (375:20, April 13, 2002)
You love your wife, but do you love the air, sun, light, water and vegetation from which your wife is benefiting?… Unless you love nature, you cannot love yourself. If you eat the things of nature while mistreating nature, you may get sick. (385:200-01, July 11, 2002)
Nature is the closest thing to our body. We should fulfill the desire of nature, which languishes in lamentation… If you love the natural environment of your hometown, you can know how to love your body.
If you love your body, you can know how to love your own heart and mind. If you love your own heart and mind, you can know how to love God. Do so and you will not perish. (14:102, June 20, 1964)
We should love the ocean. Yet how can we, when dangers abound and so much about the ocean is unknown? By searching it out and learning its secrets, our love for the ocean will grow and grow.
Likewise, there are many dangers lurking in the mountains. Yet we want to explore the mountains and brave their challenges. Then our hearts will grow deeper and wider. (391:218, August 26, 2002)
Only those who love the mountains can worship what is high. Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and all the prophets loved the mountains. Indeed, many people treading the path of God's providence received comfort from nature. (14:102, June 20, 1964)
New York City and the Washington D.C. metropolitan areas are truly dark, living hells. It is better to live on an island where you have to travel three miles3 before meeting another soul, and if you walk all day, you might see ten people at most. If you live in such a place, perhaps the eye of your original mind will open.
Even in a rural area where you are with nature for 80 percent of your day and with people only 20 percent of the time, it is not easy to keep a balance. I recommend that city dwellers spend time in the wilderness. We must resolve the problems of air and water pollution; otherwise, how can humanity survive even 300 more years?
Today we can enjoy a civilized life even in a rural area. With the Internet and the telephone, even if you were to live on top of a 7000-meter-high peak in the Rocky Mountains, you could still reach everywhere in the world. I am going to the jungles of South America.
Although there are many mosquitoes, there is clear air, clean water and bright sunshine. Sometimes I go to an island in the Pacific Ocean, where the air is good and the water is clear.
I go where the environment is good and there is no pollution, so I can converse with nature. When I am with nature, I am close to God.
(339:164, December 10, 2000)
2. The Sacred Cow
The cows have come and brought us good fortune, may they stay in the stall and be pleased with us; may they live here, mothers of calves, many-colored, and yield milk for Indra on many dawns… They are not lost, nor do robbers injure them, nor the unfriendly frighten, nor wish to assail them; the master of cattle lives together long with these, and worships the gods and offers gifts.
The charger, whirling up dust, does not reach them, they never take their way to the slaughtering stool, the cows of the worshipping man roam about over the widespread pastures, free from all danger.
To me the cows are Bhaga, they are Indra, they [their milk] are a portion of the first-poured Soma. These that are cows are Indra, O people! the Indra I long for with heart and spirit. Ye cows, you fatten the emaciated, and you make the unlovely look beautiful, make our house happy, you with pleasant lowings, your power is glorified in our assemblies.4 Rig Veda 6.28 (Hinduism)
Behold this buffalo, O Grandfather, which You have given us. He is the chief of all four-leggeds upon our Sacred Mother. From him the people live and with him they walk the sacred path. Sioux Prayer (Native American Religion)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
When I was a boy living in the country, I used to hate to feed the cows. The cows know when it is lunchtime. But I didn’t want to stop playing, so I said to myself, “Cows, wait 30 minutes,” and then continued playing for another hour or two. The cows waited for me, wondering, “Where is our master, the one who was supposed to bring us in?”
If I had been a cow whose master came very late, I would have gotten angry and become violent. Yet when I arrived, the cows just looked at me without saying a word. Then I thought, “Oh cows, you are great! I’m sorry.”
That happened many times. I then realized, “Cows are better than me,” and I said to them, “Now that I know that you have an aspect greater than me, I will feed you a great deal and atone for my shortcomings.” I kept feeding them until after sunset. The cows continued to eat because their master was feeding them. Like this, I learned many things from cows.
Cows sometimes appear great and kingly as they lie in the burning sunlight on a midsummer’s day, shedding sweat and looking over the remote mountains, meditating calmly. This is why people all over the world like to eat cow meat, not the meat of dogs or tigers.
In those days toothbrushes were made of cow bone. Every part of the cow was utilized. Nothing was discarded; even their manure was used as fertilizer. Therefore, everything about a cow is good. (109:40-41, October 26, 1980)
3. Vegetarianism
This is the quintessence of wisdom: not to kill anything. Know this to be the legitimate conclusion from the principle of reciprocity with regard to non-killing. He should cease to injure living beings whether they move or not, on high, below, and on earth.
For this has been called the Nirvana, which consists in peace… A true monk should not accept such food and drink as has been especially prepared for him, involving the slaughter of living beings.
He should not partake of a meal which contains but a particle of forbidden food: this is the Law of him who is rich in control. Whatever he suspects, he may not eat. A man who guards his soul and subdues his senses, should never assent to anybody killing living beings. Sutrakritanga 1.11.10-16 (Jainism)
Without doing injury to living beings, meat can- not be had anywhere; and the killing of living beings is not conducive to heaven; hence eating of meat should be avoided. Laws of Manu 5.48 (Hinduism)
If one is trying to practice meditation and is still eating meat, he would be like a man closing his ears and shouting loudly and then asserting that he heard nothing… Pure and earnest monks, when walking a narrow path, never so much as tread on the growing grass beside the path.
How can a monk, who hopes to become a deliverer of others, himself be living on the flesh of other sentient beings? Pure and earnest monks never wear clothing made of silk, nor boots made of leather, for it involves the taking of life.
Neither do they indulge in eating milk or cheese, because thereby they are depriving the young animals of what rightfully belongs to them. Surangama Sutra (Buddhism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Animals and vegetables are like an orchestra of love, feeding the universe. When human beings eat them, they are eating the fruits of love. If at mealtime you eat them with tearful eyes and a loving heart, they will say, “Thank you. Because you eat me and assimilate me into your flesh and blood, I am being transformed into elements with which to love God.
Please eat me. It is my honor.” When you are eating beef, you should think, “This piece of meat has come to me as the fruit of love, from a cow that was raised from a calf by a loving, caring mother.” Eat it with gratitude, making sure that you are aligned with God’s essential love. Then, you will not get sick. (217:307-08, June 12, 1991)
Where do the animals and plants come from that comprise your meals? Someone had to ruthlessly cut down various plants. Then you chew them up with your teeth and swallow them.
The vegetables in your salad bowl will not protest, however, because they know the universal law and think that they are there to serve a greater purpose. With that attitude, they can thank you for eating them so that you can serve the public purpose. There is a harmony of purpose here.
The food on your plate has a certain appreciation of what you live for and is willing to serve your body. That is the only way there can be harmony between you and your food. Otherwise, your food would hate you for eating it and resent it when you laugh in enjoyment.
The key point is that your food accepts you only because it knows you are living for the public's purpose. Food will resent the laughter of a greedy person who wants to eat it. If you are not living for a public purpose, then sometimes your food will stage a demonstration against you inside your stomach. Then you get sick, and in some cases even die. (105:94-95, September 30, 1979)
The theory that lower beings sacrifice themselves in striving to unite with a higher existence seems to correspond to the law of the jungle that the strong devour the weak. Then, is it a sin for people to slaughter cows and pigs and eat them?
It can be, unless they eat those animals to live for the sake of God and His love. In that case, it is certainly following the law of existence. Everything will condone their actions, even the animals they slaughter. (124:320, March 1, 1983)
Plants absorb minerals, and animals eat plants. When a lower creature is eaten by a higher creature, it is elevated to a higher realm of existence. Then, by providing nourishment to human beings, plants and animals can reach the very nerve cells that can love God.
That is the highest ideal for a plant or animal. All things are seeking God’s love. By the same token, human beings should be willing and able to sacrifice themselves for the sake of God. The power of love strives to sacrifice. If the love continues to grow, it eventually reaches God’s love.
A couple loving each other with such a concept is the universe’s treasure. The entire universe protects them, heaven and earth protect them, and all things protect them. Therefore, we human beings should also learn how to protect the universe. (201:123, March 27, 1990)