A person having his being under the
influence of evil _Karma_, must always consider how he can atone for his
_Karma_, and extricate himself from an evil doom, and the evil _Karma_
may be expiated in various ways. Accordingly, O good Brahmana, I am
charitable, truthful, assiduous in attending on my superior, full of
respect towards regenerate Brahmanas, devoted to and free from pride and
(idle) excessive talk. Agriculture is considered to be a praiseworthy
occupation, but it is well-known that even there, great harm is done to
animal life; and in the operation of digging the earth with the plough,
numberless creatures lurking in the ground as also various other forms
of animal life are destroyed. Dost thou not think so? O good Brahmana,
_Vrihi_ and other seeds of rice are all living organisms. What is thy
opinion on this matter? Men, O Brahmana, hunt wild animals and kill them
and partake of their meat; they also cut up trees and herbs; but, O
Brahmana, there are numberless living organisms in trees, in fruits, as
also in water; dost thou not think so? This whole creation, O Brahmana,
is full of animal life, sustaining itself with food derived from living
organisms. Dost thou not mark that fish preys upon fish, and that
various species of animals prey upon other species, and there are
species the members of which prey upon each other? Men, O Brahmana,
while walking about hither and thither, kill numberless creatures
lurking in the ground by trampling on them, and even men of wisdom and
enlightenment destroy animal life in various ways, even while sleeping
or reposing themselves.
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