Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term that basically means "no harm." We name this section "fauna" ahimsa to emphasize that we're talking about not harming our brethren in the animal kingdom. The spiritual concept of ahimsa has, in our opinion, no limits. More on Ahimsa, and its roots in Jainism and Buddhism.

The Ahimsa Foundation - 1982 to present  - which supports humane societies, wildlife sanctuaries and shelters for pets, farm animals, and primates. This is Elsie Mitchell's passion. Elsie on cuke.

1-05-09 - HFA - the Humane Farming Association - founded by Brad Miller who many of us know from the SFZC founded

July 4, 2001 Radio Project Interview with Brad Miller - On the Kill Floor: U.S. Slaughterhouse Conditions

HFA on YouTube

The Satya Interview: Gail Eisnitz of the Humane Farming Association

First Giving raises money for HFA online

Guidestar info on HFA

Vanja Palmers and Brad Miller founded Buddhists Concerned for Animals years ago at Tassajara. Vanja has been involved with animal rights issues in Switzerland and Austria

Shambkar.org profile of Vanja Palmers

11-16-08 One reason why Barak Obama was the first presidential candidate to be endorsed by the American Humane Association. The first entry in a new Fauna Ahimsa section emphasizing doing as little harm as possible to our fellow-species.

See the comic Mutts' for the week of Dec.8-13 which deals with this theme.

On Ahimsa, Buddhism and Jainism

Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term that basically means "no harm." We name this section "fauna" ahimsa to emphasize that we're talking about not harming our brethren in the animal kingdom. The spiritual concept of ahimsa has, in our opinion, no limits. On the other hand, Shakyamuni Buddha did argue, in a formal debate with Vardhamana, the founder (or oldest known proponent) of the Jain religion, that only members of the animal kingdom were sentient beings. Vardhamana argued that plants were also sentient beings. (source - memory, maybe Bob Thurman).

On Jainism and Ahimsa - from Wikipedia

The Hindu scholar, Lokmanya Tilak credited Jainism with influencing Hinduism and thus leading to the cessation of animal sacrifice in Vedic rituals. Bal Gangadhar Tilak has described Jainism as the originator of Ahimsa and wrote in a letter printed in Bombay Samachar, Mumbai:10 Dec, 1904: "In ancient times, innumerable animals were butchered in sacrifices. Evidence in support of this is found in various poetic compositions such as the Meghaduta. Swami Vivekananda^[61] also credited Jainism as influencing force behind the Indian culture.

"What could have saved Indian society from the ponderous burden of omnifarious ritualistic ceremonialism, with its animal and other sacrifices, which all but crushed the very life of it, except the Jain revolution which took its strong stand exclusively on chaste morals and philosophical truths? Jains were the first great ascetics. "Don't injure any, do good to all that you can and that is all the morality and ethics, and that is all the work there is, and the rest is all nonsense... Throw it away." And then they went to work and elaborated this one principle, and it is a most wonderful ideal: how all that we call ethics they simply bring out from one great principle of non-injury and doing good."

See Jains and Buddhists

Answers.com on ahimsa