Kailasa’s Humanitarian Response to the Ethical Treatment of Animals
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States envisages “in which humanity lives in harmony with nature and other living species are protected.” Although the relationship between animal welfare, environmental harmony and human development is increasingly scrutinized, there remains very little acknowledgement of the relationship and the consequential role animal rights plays in sustainable development for people and planet Earth, particularly for SDG Sustainable Consumption and Production, which links to all other SDGs.
It is about time that this was remedied, and animal welfare embraced. Human beings need to know planet earth does not belong only to human beings. In that we have no right to eliminate life, to kill animals for any purpose or reason; no right to kill any life.
Consequently KAILASA’s Department of Human Services in collaboration with KAILASA’s ShriKailasa Uniting Nations for Animal Rights have been devoted to strengthening the multifarious efforts of recognising the urgency of animal rights and welfare for a relevant aspect of sustainable development in the world under an international humanitarian agency named – BLUE OM.
OBJECTIVES
- Advocate, promote and voice strongly for ethical treatment of all beings. Animal rights is the idea in which animals are entitled to the possession of their own existence and that their most basic interests—such as the need to avoid suffering—should be afforded the same consideration as similar interests of human beings. The respect for animal rights in Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism derives from the doctrine of ahimsa. In Hinduism, animals contain a soul just like humans; when sentient beings die, they can either be reincarnated as a human or as an animal. Hinduism teaches that God resides in all living things, which forms the atman. In Hinduism, many animals are venerated, including the tiger, the elephant, the mouse, and especially, the cow(Gaumata)
- The International Humanitarian Agency BLUE OM is taking the responsibility to restore the reverence and cultural importance of cows as Gaumatha. To further our commitments, we have inaugurated Goshalas (cow shelters), raised its status of Mandir (temple) and the bedrock of religious legitimacy and established KAILASA’s Nithyananda Gaumandir around the world.
- Ensuring and promoting the ritual of Gau Puja in every Gaumandir in the morning. Enabling the spiritual experience of motherliness in a cow and highlighting the lifestyle of ‘ahimsa’ – Non violence.
- Reviving the ancient sampradaya centred on animals, the Nandi Sarvajnapeetam served to house, facilitate, protect and provide shelter to all animals in need not just limited to cows and bulls.
- Initiation to sacred initiation of ‘Shiva Deeksha’ as per the Agamas; causing a breakthrough in human consciousness and peaceful existence; all living beings including animals are blessed to be initiated, allowing their evolutionary ascend to higher consciousness.
- Enforcing the directive measures instructed in Kamika Agama, purva Pada, patala 30 verse 17-19.
- Promoting a complete vegetarian lifestyle, contributing to the ethical treatment of animals at its entirety.
- Provide practical advice on how to involve stakeholders, donors and the general community in programmes aimed at improving animal welfare through the initiative of Nandi Sarvajnapeetam.
PREVALENCE AND RELEVANCE
Animal welfare is the physical and mental state of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies. An animal experiences good ethical treatment if the animal is healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, and ensures they are not suffering from unpleasant states such as abuse, pain, fear, and distress, and is able to express behaviors that are important for its physical and mental state. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and appropriate veterinary care, shelter, management and nutrition, a stimulating and safe environment, humane handling, humane slaughter or killing and handling endangered animals.
Establishment of international agency BLUE OM. The BLUE OM will work to enforce ethical treatment to animals across the globe and to promote the core belief of Sanatan Hindu Dharma that the divine exists in all living beings, both human and non-human, and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the whole world is one family.
प्राणम्मे पाह्यपानम्मे पाहि व्यानम्मे पाहि चक्षुर्मऽउर्व्या विभाहि श्रोत्रम्मे श्लोकय।
अपः पिन्वौषधीर्जिन्व द्विपादव चतुष्पात् पाहि दिवो वृष्टिमेरय ॥८ ॥14.8॥
prāṇamme pāhyapānamme pāhi vyānamme pāhi cakṣurma’urvyā vibhāhi śrotramme ślokaya।
apaḥ pinvauṣadhīrjinva dvipādava catuṣpāt pāhi divo vṛṣṭimeraya ॥8 ॥14.8॥
With the earth and the environment, protect and strengthen my pranic energy, protect and strengthen the apana air going down and out, protect and strengthen my vyana air circulating in the body-system. Give the divine light to my eye, the divine voice to my ear. Protect and promote the waters. Refresh and promote the greenery. Protect the bipeds (humans and birds). Protect the four-footed (animals). Bring the showers of rain from heaven.
~YajurVeda 14.8
Animals and plants are equally embodied with the existence of the Divine and fully deserve mutual respect and human compassion. The International Humanitarian Agency BLUE OM is dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of all animals. Like humans, other animals are capable of suffering and have interests in leading their own lives; therefore, they are not ours to use – for experimentation, food, clothing, entertainment or any other reason. PETA and our affiliates around the world educate policymakers and the public about cruelty to animals and promote an understanding of the right of all animals to be treated with respect.
Working through public education, research, legislation, special events, all actions are centred in the belief of non-violence. BLUE OM is a charitable organisation that works to promote the Knowledge to the public about the horrors of cruelty to animals, the factors contributing to rapid extinction of species through peaceful means.
Animal welfare science has become a well-established discipline in its own right, greatly extending the core cognition and understanding of positive and negative animal physiological and psychological states and the tailored means to appropriately respond to them within the practices of animal production and of human/animal interactions in general.
Depending on the context of non-violence highlights the collective responsibility that should be taken towards the protection of the animals. Improving the awareness of the development targets and threats towards multifarious species. With this vision to overcome these silent hardships of each animal comes great responsibility to ensure Animals future in the world. Every year, as threats increase, we aim to make our vision — for a world where animals can peacefully survive and thrive.In today’s world it requires to be laser focused on the wellbeing of our animals. Guiding conservation action plans for each new species affected and structuring an execution plan for the preservation of animals and endangered species.
- His Divine Holiness through KAILASA promotes the core belief of Sanatan Hindu Dharma that the divine exists in all living beings, both human and non-human, and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the whole world is one family. Hinduism considers that animals and plants are equally embodied with the existence of the Divine and fully deserve mutual respect and human compassion. Despite differences in intelligence and ability amongst varying life forms, the existence of the soul in all forms binds all of existence and demands peaceful, respectful coexistence amongst humans, animals, and other elements of nature.
- On Sunday, June 4, 2017, World Environment day, His Divine Holiness initiated KAILASA’s Nithyananda Yogis in a powerful spiritual process that brought rain to 108 cities across more than 30 countries simultaneously in a matter of few hours. This spiritual process was repeated to heal the environment during the 2019-2020 Australian Bushfires. In the year 2020, Pralaya (deluge), the occurrence of natural calamities increased worldwide with the maximum number of forest fires and earthquakes happening in recent human history, along with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2020, His Divine Holiness restructured the efforts of KAILASA in protecting the environment across the globe as an international agency called GREEN OM, and also restructured the efforts of KAILASA in enforcing the ethical treatment of animals across the globe as an international agency called BLUE OM.
In the area of disaster relief, the SPH has provided emergency relief to thousands who face natural events such as tsunami, earthquakes, floods, etc. through Nithyananda Global Initiative and the RED OM global services. Volunteers have provided thousands of food packets, clothes, and blankets to affected areas in India, such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, and built shelters for those who have lost their housing during these events. Under the BLUE OM initiative, Kailasa is working for animal rights and prevention of cruelty towards animals, and under the GREEN OM program, it is working for protecting the environment.
POLICY
Thousands of ancient and modern studies, researchers and observations prove that living, caring and working with animals is the best cure and healing for many mental illnesses, disorders and illnesses. Just like humans, animals are part of the Cosmos and are eligible to raise their consciousness. The ability to express emotions and experience a superconscious breakthrough can only be experienced in the skin of a human or animal in Bhu-Loka. This clear distinction is what makes animals and humans truly unique from the rest of creation.
BLUE OM will enforce ethical treatment to animals across the globe, promoting the core belief of Hinduism that the divine exists in all living beings. The core principles of love, compassion, blissful living and coexistence have opened the doors and hearts of all citizens of KAILASA to gleefully welcome all species and beings. Despite differences in intelligence and ability amongst varying life forms, consciousness in all forms demands peaceful, respectful coexistence amongst humans, animals and other elements of nature to reclaim conscious sovereignty and manifest the state, space, powers, being, superconsciousness of Paramashiva.
