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Hinduism has always advocated Ahimsa – or non cruelty. All over the world, people are attracted to the Gandhian model of Ahimsa as an embodiment of peace and non-violence. This approach is an important component of Dharma – a life centred on good thinking and right living.

By personifying the earth as Mother Bhumi, Hindu culture has built a foundation for a relationship of respect. It is more difficult to be cruel to a person than to an object.

Step 1: Cut out Red Meat
India’s greatest epic, the Mahabharata states, ‘One should never do to another, that which one regards as injurious to one’s own self. This is the rule of Dharma.’ Bhumi – Mother Earth – provides for our needs generously, and Hindu thought has always recommended that we reciprocate with gratitude.A great concern for modern environmentalists is that methane is 25 times more harmful to the planet than CO2, with cows and sheep responsible for 37% of total methane emissions. By cutting out red meat from our diets, we could dramatically reduce our carbon footprint, doing the right thing by Bhumi- but also providing an example of good practice to others.

Step 2: Go Veg
Gandhi said, ‘I do feel that spiritual progress does demand at some stage that we should cease to kill our fellow creatures for the satisfaction of our bodily wants.’ By adopting a vegetarian diet, we can practice compassion on a greater level. Ahimsa is a development of thoughtfulness, and by abstaining from meat, fish, and eggs we can dramatically reduce the amount of resources and chemicals needed to produce our food, also reducing pollution in our environment. To go veg is to go green.

Step 3: Kind to Cows
Many of us buy milk, but are we aware of the terrible conditions in which dairy cows live? As Ranchor Prime, a Hindu environmentalist puts it ‘milk is cheap because the lives of cows are cheap.’ Cruelty-free milk is a great idea and still in its infancy. In the meantime, we can buy organic milk and dairy produce which means better welfare and conditions for animals. By continuing to buy organic dairy products, and encouraging others to do so too, we can increase the demand for cruelty-free milk.

Step 4: Buy Consciously, Buy Cruelty Free
Leather has become as common in our wardrobes as a pair of jeans, yet one billion cows are killed every year for the trade, with chemical dyes polluting rivers. You can find many good quality, non-leather alternatives on the high street and internet.  Another way we can help is by buying cruelty-free health and beauty products. Millions of animals are killed in tests every year, but in a recent survey 80% of people said that they would stop buying a product if they learned that it was tested on animals. If you are one of the 80%, you can make a difference. All it takes is a few moments looking at labels – cruelty-free companies always clearly label their products, and you’ll be surprised at the variety available.

Step 5: A Life Built on Compassion
A compassionate and thoughtful lifestyle goes beyond what we eat and the clothes we wear. It relies on an understanding of the relationship of respect between ourselves andBhumi – Mother Earth. Hindu culture encourages us to think before we act, and remain thoughtful of the impact we have on our world and others. Our actions have consequences and we all want these consequences to make a positive contribution to the world in which we live.