By Juliana Di Leonardo Mahavira taught that all worldly things are temporary. However, the rate at which extinction is occurring today is greater than that which killed the dinosaurs. Ecologists estimate that the present extinction rate is 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural background extinction rate, bringing forth an event that is known as the...
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj Once upon a time, there was a man who lived alone. He kept his money in a special jar so that no one could steal it. One day, while the man was out farming his land, a thief broke into his house. Looking for something to steal, he came...
By John Di Leonardo The venerable Mahavira preached, "do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being." With this in mind, I testified in favor of IR 1777 to restrict traveling wild and exotic animal acts in Suffolk County, New York last week, urging the legislature to pass...
By Amrutvijaydas Swami BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Man's quest for eternal joy has seen extraordinary strides in science and technology, giving birth to countless amenities that simplify and enrich life. From the wheel to luxury cars, horse-drawn carriages to aircraft, swords to missiles, carrier pigeons to smartphones - human innovation knows no bounds. Yet, despite all these...
By John Di Leonardo Every year, my organization Humane Long Island answers calls to rescue roosters. Sometimes, they’ve saved themselves from slaughter, escaping a live slaughter market or a slaughterhouse-bound truck. Other times, they’re tied with ribbons, signifying that they were intended to be sacrificed. But most often, they’ve simply been abandoned to the wild for the crime of being born male. Most people may...
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj There is a story of God sending two angels to earth to listen to the prayers of humanity. One angel was asked to collect the prayers asking God for something. The other angel was asked to collect the prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude. The two angels were given large baskets to collect...
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj The Light and Sound is a stream of love. When we meditate, the divine love of God touches our soul. It permeates our being and fills us with love and bliss. Contact with this rapturous power transmutes us into itself. As a result, we become more loving. We develop...
By Keara O’Bryen One cannot deny the interconnectedness of all that is - whether this is a manifestation of oppression and violence or liberation and kindness. Our social and economic systems are a pandemic of violent and exploitative practices that lack reciprocity and promote inequity - sustainable for those that refuse to see the continuation...
By John Di Leonardo After hearing from Humane Long Island and its international Duck Defenders project, St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School has pledged to end its 40-year tradition of hatching baby ducklings in classrooms. The last eleven ducklings hatched last week are being cared for at Humane Long Island's Riverhead aviary while awaiting...
