In Buddhism, belief in God is not seen as necessary in order to obtain liberation or Nirvana. Followers of the Abrahamic Faiths, who see all rights as stemming from the decrees of God, may thus argue that Buddhism has little to say about animals; but this could not be further from the truth.
Buddha-Nature
Buddhists believe that all beings possess Buddha-Nature, which is the potential to become enlightened and lead a true Buddhist lifestyle.
Buddhists believe that all beings possess Buddha-Nature, which is the potential to become enlightened and lead a true Buddhist lifestyle.
This idea and the belief in reincarnation combine to create a powerful principle, whereby Buddhists state that all animals have once been our mothers, fathers, brothers and friends.
This principle has been utilised by many societies to promote Veganism, as this video shows:
Karma
Buddhists must exercise compassion towards animals so that the Karma in their acts will benefit them in the future. To harm animals, is to harm the self, as the bad karma inherent in such acts will hinder the prospect of enlightenment.
Thus, Buddhists abstain from any act that will hurt animals; subsequently many Buddhists advocate vegetarianism. However, not all Buddhists are vegetarian and there is a disagreement over whether Buddha prescribed vegetarianism for his followers.
Some Buddhists argue that meat is allowed, as long as the animal was not intentionally killed for providing food; however, others state that vegetarianism is the only option available in Buddhism, and cite quotes such as the one above to support their stance, along with many others:
However, the notion of Karma can also be used against animals. If a human leads a bad life, there is a chance that they will be reborn as an animal. This is important, as in Buddhism; an animal cannot improve the status of their souls but must wait for all of the bad Karma to end, before they can become human and continue searching for Nirvana.
Releasing Life
Releasing Life refers to the Buddhist practice of saving the lives of endangered animals, usually by releasing them back into the wild.
This is not only a demonstration of Buddhist piety but also expresses the special relationship that exists between humans and animals in Buddhism. The following is a video on Releasing Life:
Additionally, there also many Buddhist prayers for the liberation of animals from all harm: (Please note, the following video contains upsetting images.)
Conclusion
It is clear that Buddhism has a unique place for non-human animals; they possess souls but also have an in-built Buddha Nature to realise the Ultimate Goal of Nirvana. Harming other beings is thus incredibly foolish; it is tantamount to harming your own parents and even your own self! For this reason, Buddhists are always at the forefront for championing animal rights.
However, just like Hinduism, Buddhism places the human being on the higher pedestal; liberation can only be obtained when the soul is clothed in the human body; no matter how hard any animal tries. And I think this is probably the same conclusion that all other religions reach.
