Pigs are social animals, with complex emotions and individual personalities, just like humans. In fact, all animals with backbones are sentient beings, which means that they are capable of feeling pain and pleasure through their senses. Thus, they suffer intensely when humans kill them for their flesh and enslave them for their fluids (dairy and eggs).
In the glossary of Vegan Ramayana I offer the following definition for ‘Animals’:
In this book’s dedication (“For the animals”) animals refers to the non-human mammals, along with all the birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, all of whom have a central nervous system with a brain and spinal cord. Collectively, they are classed as vertebrates (animals with backbones). They have nerves which are sensitive to pain, and thus they feel pain. And, although bees do not have backbones, they are highly intelligent sensitive beings who are included in the dedication.
The full dedication in Vegan Ramayana is:
For the animals
(And for the human animals, May we have compassion for the non-human animals, who are brothers and sisters in our earthling family.)
May all beings be free of suffering. May all beings be happy.
Pig: Joyce van Ham on Pixabay.
