162 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 3
the Supreme Lord. The whole theme of Vedic literature is to know the
Supreme Lord, the individual soul, the cosmic situation and the relations
between all these items. When the relation is known, the relative function
begins, and as a result of such a function the ultimate goal of life or going
back to Godhead takes place in the easiest manner. Unfortunately, un-
authorized scholars of the Vedas become captivated by the purificatory
ceremonies only, and natural progress is checked thereby.

To such bewildered persons of atheistic propensity, Lord Buddha is the
emblem of theism. He therefore first of all wanted to check the habit of
animal killing. The animal killers are dangerous elements on the path of
going back to Godhead. There are two types of animal killers. The soul is
also sometimes called the “animal” or the living being. Therefore, both
the slaughterer of animals as well as those who have lost their identity of
soul are animal killers.

Maharaja Pariksit said that only the animal killer cannot relish the
transcendental message of the Supreme Lord. Therefore if people are to
be educated to the path of Godhead they must be taught first and foremost
to stop the process of animal killing as above mentioned. Jt is nonsensical
to say that animal killing has nothing to do with spiritual realization. By
this dangerous theory many so-called sannydsis have sprung up by the
grace of Kali-yuga who preach animal killing under the garb of the Vedas.
The subject matter has already been discussed in the conversation between
Lord Caitanya and Maulana Chand Kazi Shaheb. The animal sacrifice as
stated in the Vedas is different from the unrestricted animal killing in the
slaughterhouse. Because the asuras or the so-called scholars of Vedic
literatures put forward the evidence of animal killing in the Vedas, Lord
Buddha superficially denied the authority of the Vedas. This rejection of
the Vedas by Lord Buddha was adopted in order to save people from the
vice of animal killing as well as to save the poor animals from the
slaughtering process of their big brothers who clamor for universal brother-
hood, peace, justice and equity. There is no justice when there is animal
killing. Lord Buddha wanted to stop it completely, and therefore his cult
of ahirmsa was propagated not only in India but also outside the country.

Technically Lord Buddha’s philosophy is called atheistic because there
is no acceptance of the Supreme Lord and because that system of philoso-
phy denied the authority of the Vedas. But that is an act of camouflage
by the Lord. Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Godhead. As such, he is
the original propounder of Vedic knowledge. He therefore cannot reject
Vedic philosophy. But he rejected it outwardly because the sura-dvisa, or
the demons who are always envious of the devotees of Godhead, try to
