DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49379#0139
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the meanest of animals might attain to a
higher life through repeated births.
An ant could become an elephant and
vice-versa; even the state of ‘manhood could
be reached by the lowest animal. All living
beings possessed a common attribute,—a soul,
but it was called by a different name in the
case of the so-called irrational creatures. The
chief distinguishing feature was the quality
of the soul which reached the zenith of its
spiritual development in the case of man.
To kill a living animal was the greatest sin;
for it hindered it in its advance towards a
higher life. The animal which was thus
killed and not allowed to live all the years
of its normal life would again be born in the
same sphere of life, for it was not fit for
a higher life, being hampered in its onward
march of spiritual development.
Had it been allowed to attain to its full
age it would have completed one course of
the cycle and, being spiritually advanced,
would have rendered itself capable of being
the meanest of animals might attain to a
higher life through repeated births.
An ant could become an elephant and
vice-versa; even the state of ‘manhood could
be reached by the lowest animal. All living
beings possessed a common attribute,—a soul,
but it was called by a different name in the
case of the so-called irrational creatures. The
chief distinguishing feature was the quality
of the soul which reached the zenith of its
spiritual development in the case of man.
To kill a living animal was the greatest sin;
for it hindered it in its advance towards a
higher life. The animal which was thus
killed and not allowed to live all the years
of its normal life would again be born in the
same sphere of life, for it was not fit for
a higher life, being hampered in its onward
march of spiritual development.
Had it been allowed to attain to its full
age it would have completed one course of
the cycle and, being spiritually advanced,
would have rendered itself capable of being