philosophy

Chidambaram Ramalinga Swamikal referred generally by the Tamils with reverence as 'Vallalar' attained a glorified liberation on Thaipusam ^*. He preached that everyone should follow the principles enunciated by him known as "Sutta Sanmarga Neri", so that everyone may enjoy blissful joy and lead a life of great prosperity and peace. In "Sutta Sanmargam" the first step is the practice of benevolence to all living creatures. From his long essay on the "Virtue of Benevolent Compassion to all Living Beings", one may learn the following:

Benevolence to all living beings is soul stirring compassion. When one sees, hears or learns that a living being is suffering from hunger, thirst, disease, desire, weakness, fear or slaying one feels soul felt compassion. Those who develop such a feeling are the ones who really lead a humane life. In a country where people possess the virtue of benevolence and reverence to all living beings, love and knowledge will flourish. As love flourishes among the people, they will lead a mutually helpful life. As knowledge grows in that country, all the citizens will be benefited by the advancement in knowledge. In a country where people do not believe in benevolence to all living beings, love and knowledge will not flourish but diminish and may ultimately perish. Consequently, people will not help one another; and vices, sins and wickedness will grow.

Zoological Experiments

According to the existing syllabi, every student studying zoology in the undergraduate class is required to do experiments every week on animals by dissecting and killing them. When such experiments are performed, how much will these animals suffer? How much fear will they experience? One should think about the sufferings and experiences of fear of these animals being experimented upon every week by hundreds of students in the various colleges of the State.

Tiruvalluvar, the great sage and seer of Tamil Culture and tradition said: when a man is about to rush upon those who are weaker than himself, let him remember how he has stood trembling before those who are stronger than himself (Kural 250).

When a student is about to kill a hapless animal in connection with an experiment in a zoology laboratory, he should think how he will feel if some other living being either terrestrial or from after worlds who is more powerful than human beings, comes down to this earth and makes experiments on him.

Several years ago, in the whole of Tamilnadu state only a hundred or two hundred students might have been studying B.Sc., (Zoology). At that time this curriculum was introduced in which every undergraduate student pursuing zoology was required to conduct experiments on animals in the laboratory. Today with several thousand students in zoology courses or zoology related courses, is it necessary that every student be required to conduct experiments on animals?

This question requires deep consideration by the academics.

Tiruvalluvar has said: One may attain by penance whatever one desires and penance consists in the endurance of the sufferings which penance brings on him and in abstaining from inflicting pain on others (Kurals 265 and 261). From these, one may learn the truth that one may not be able to acquire knowledge or skills or power by inflicting pain on other living beings.

Further, Tiruvalluvar provides the following reply to the question what is the use of acquiring knowledge? One who has acquired knowledge and become wise will consider the sufferings of others as his own. In other words, is it wise to try to acquire knowledge by inflicting pain on other living beings?

Tiruvalluvar also observes: Good people will not give sorrow to others even if they could obtain by such action wealth and greatness (Kural 311).

One who is to practice surgery on animals or human beings will have to get trained in doing experiments requiring dessection of living beings. Those who are involved in research in medical sciences may have to perform some experiments requiring cutting open the bodies of living beings. But is there a necessity for every student of the undergraduate course to kill animals every week for doing experiments in the laboratory in order to acquire knowledge in zoology?

Alternatives

As a consequence of the advances in technology, there are several techniques to learn about the various parts of the body and their functions without resort to cutting living beings. Computer software researchers have developed several softwares for this purpose and also several text books are available today in virtual learning.

Due to the advances made in the field of computer science and engineering without the need to have an aeroplane one can learn piloting a plane. Similarly without the need to operate on an animal, one can learn about the various living beings of the animal kingdom. A number of CD-ROMS and books have been published on the technology and equipments for teaching the skills of laboratory work on animals without the need to inflict suffering on animals.

Vallalar's Venerable path

Vallalar was emphatic that one may not be able to acquire even an iota knowledge by inflicting pain or killing other living beings. If there is no growth in knowledge, one will not be able to attain his full competence or one will suffer from incompetence.

Incompetence leads to corruption. If there is corruption in the country one must realize that the root cause is the absence of the virtue of benevolence to all living beings, among most of the people which has reduced acquisition of knowledge and competence. If we realize this, we will foster the virtue of benevolence to all living beings; we will not think of killing other living beings for the sake of acquiring knowledge; to acquire knowledge in zoology we will find alternative methods; we will follow the path of

Vallalar and develop an education system that throbs with sympathy and compassion, and enjoy abundance.

Prof.S.Muthukumaran.
Former Vice Chancellor,
Bharathidasan University.

Note
^* The day on which the Moon is seen in the Sky near the Star Pusam is referred to as Thaipusam.