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 [Thomas Taylor], A Vindication of the Rights of Brutes
(London, 1792; Gainesville, Florida: Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, 1966; Online at Animal Rights History, 2003).
Chap. V
The same Abstinence exemplified
in the History of the Persionas and Indians.
"AGAIN, says Porphyry, among the Persians, those who are wise in divine concerns and priests of divinity, are called Magi. For such is the signification of the word according to the Persian dialect. But so august and venerable is this class of men among the Persians, that Darius, the son of Hystaspis, ordered this, among other things, to be inscribed on his tomb, that he was the master of magic. These Magi, according to Eubulus, who composed the History of Mithras, in many books, are divided into three kind; the first and most learned of which sects, neither eat nor destroy animals, but adhere to the ancient abstinence from animal food. But the Magi of the second order, destroy animals indeed, but not such as are tame. Nor do those of the third order equally feed on all kinds. The first and greatest dogma of all these tribes is, the doctrine of the metempsychosis of Mithras; insinuating the agreement of our nature with that of other animals , by calling themselves by their names. Thus they denominate the male Mistics, who participate of their orgies or sacred rites, lions, but the female lionesses, and the servants of the priest, ravens. And the same custom obtains in preserving the remembrance of their fathers, for the denominate these hawks and eagles, but he who is initiated in those rites, of which a lion is the symbol, is invested with all the various kinds of animal forms. This custom Pallas, in the books which he composed concerning Mithras, accounts for, by saying, that common people thought it respected the circle of the zodiac, but that the true and accurate opinion is, that they insinuated by this custom, the transmigration of human souls into all the different orders of bodies. He adds, the Romans call some men by the names of boars, goats, and black-birds, and denominate in a similar manner, the gods, the artificers of these. Thus they call Diana, lupa, or a she-wolf, but to the sun, they give the appellations of a bull, a lion, a dragon, and a hawk; and to Hecate, the names of a horse, a bull, a lioness and a dog. But the Greek name of Proserpine, Greek omitted,], according to many theologists, is derived from Greek omitted,], or nourishing wood-pigeons. For this bird is sacred to Hecate. Hence a wood-pigeon is dedicated to the goddess Maia by her priests; and Maia is the same with Proserpine, because she is both a mother and a nurse. For the terrestrial goddess and Ceres are one and the same, to whom they consecrate a cock: and hence, those who are initiated in the mysteries of this goddess, abstain from domestic birds. For it is ordered in the Elusinian rites, that the initiated refrain from cooped-up birds, from fish, beans, and pomegranates; for they reckon it equally as defiling, to touch the truck of this fruit-tree as a dead body. But he who knows the nature of appearances, knows likewise, why it is requisite to abstain from all birds; especially for him who hastens to be freed from terrestrial concerns, and to swell with the celestial gods. But improbity, as we have often observed, is powerful in defending itself, and especially when it addresses the ignorant. Hence it is, that they who keep the middle rank among the base part of mankind, esteem this exhortation from animal food, as vain and empty, and similar as it is said, to the trifling of an old woman's discourse; while others, who are something father advanced in improbity, are not only prepared to rail bitterly at those who recommend and excite mankind to such and abstemious life, but also to calumniate such a conduct, as imposture and arrogant presumption. However, men of this kind will suffer the just punishment of their crimes both from gods and men; and prior to this, will sufficiently punish themselves by such material affections.
But we shall now proceed to another instance of a foreign nation, highly celebrated, just and religious in divine concerns, which abstained from animals food : and this is the republic of the Indians.
This republic then, says Porphyry, is distributed into many parts; one of which comprehends that kind of theologists, denominated by the Greeks, gymnosophists. But of these there are two sects, on call Bramins, the other Samanenas. The family of the Bramins succeed as regularly in the profession of this divine wisdom, as to the office of the priesthood. But the Samaneans are chosen for this institution; and their number supplied from among those who desire to apply themselves to theology. The institutes of these men are as follows, according to the writings of Bardesanes, the Babylonian, who lived in the times of our fathers, and in India became acquainted with the associates of Damadamis, who were sent to Cæsar. All the Bramins, says he, originate from the same stock as they all descend from the same father and mother. But the Samaneans are not of the same kind, but as we have already observed, are collected from every tribe of Indians. A Bramin is subject to no command, and is free from the exaction of tribute. But among these philosophers, some inhabit mountains, while other reside on the banks of the river Ganges : and they subsist on mountainous autumnal fruits, and on certain herbs, formed into a concretion with milk. Those who dwell near the Ganges, live on the fruits which are produced in great abundance about that river; but the earth bears almost continually recent fruit, and besides this, much rice, spontaneously produced, which they use when there is any deficiency of fruit; and they esteem it extremely impure and impious, to subsist on any other kind of nutriment, or even to touch animal food. This opinion subsists among those who worship divinity, and exercise piety. Hence they devote the day, and the greatest part of the night, to the sacred employment of singing hymns, and praying to the gods, each of them possessing a small cottage, as much as possible buried in the depths of solitude; for the Bramins cannot endure to dwell together, nor to speak much; but whenever this congress and discourse with each other happens, returning afterwards to their accustomed retirement, they entirely refrain for many days together from all discourse; they likewise often fast; but the Samaneans, as we have observed, are chosen from other tribes; and when any person desires to be enrolled in that order, he goes to the master of the city, and immediately abdicates the city or street in which he resided, and relinquishes whatever wealth and abundance he possesses. In the next place, purifying his body from all defilements, and being invested with a robe, he departs to the Samaneans, who afterwards returning to his wife or children, (if he happens to be connected with either of these) nor concerning himself about them, nor considering them as any longer pertaining to him; but the King takes care of the children, and procures them necessary instruction; and the support of his wife devolves on her relations. Their manner of living too is as follows; they dwell without the city, exercising themselves throughout the day in discourse concerning the Deity; and they are furnished with groves and temples, raised by royal bounty, in which there are domestic stewards paid by the King, for the purpose of supplying those with food who assemble in these places; but the apparatus of their nutriment consists of rice, bread, apples and olives. When they enter into their houses, on the ringing of a small bell, those who are not of their sect depart, and the Samaneans begin to pray: afterwards, a signal being again given by the bell, they distribute to every one a dish or pan,(for two are not permitted to eat out of the same vessel ) and feed them from rice. If any one desires variety of food , he has some pot-herbs added, or some autumnal fruits; but as soon as the wants of nature are supplied, they depart without delay to the same divine exercise. They all live without wives, and without possessing any external abundance; and other Indians regard this sect, and that of the Bramins, with such high veneration, that the King himself visits them;, and begs that they will pray to and supplicate the gods, (when enemies assault the kingdom) or give him such counsel as the situation of his affairs requires.
These philosophers are so affected towards death, that they bear with reluctance the whole of the present life, as a certain necessary service of nature; and hasten with the greatest eagerness to a liberation of their souls from the bondage of body. Hence, when they perceive their corporeal part in a flourishing condition, and are free from the incursions of evil, they are spontaneously depart from the present life; and though they previously declare their intention to others, yet no one prevents them in its execution; but the Gymnosophists pronounce all those who are dead happy, and deliver certain instructions to the familiars of the deceased. So that the vulgar as well as those philosophers, from their mode of education, are firmly persuaded that souls converse with each other after death. But the friends of the deceased, after the charge given by the Gymnosophists, commit the body to fire, that the soul may be separated with the greatest possible purity from its connections with the body, and conclude the service by signing a hymn. For indeed these men commit their dearest friends to the embraces of death with far greater cheerfulness, than others endure the departure of their fellow-citizens to some distance country. At the same time they lament their own situation, as yet abiding in morality; and proclaim the happiness of the deceased, who have now obtained an immortal condition of being."
Thus far the excellent Porphyry, from all which it evidently follows, that abstinence from animal nutriment, which is the natural consequence of our sublime theory, is by no means a novelty, but may be justified by the practice of the wisest and best of men, in the earliest periods of time. But it may perhaps be objected, that according to my system, vegetables likewise ought not to be destroyed, and eaten, on account of their perfect equality with the nature of brutes and men. To this I answer, that the life of a plant is in itself so inconsiderable, (thought this deficiency is amply recompensed by the beautiful organization of its corporeal frame) that it cannot be supposed to suffer any pain in its decerption; and consequently is not in reality injured, by being made subservient to the nourishment of man and beast. Indeed it is much to be wished, that we could abstain from a vegetable aliment, without any inconvenience to our composition; and that like Homer's deities, we are superiour to the want of meat and drink, that we might become truly immortal: or that we could procure for our nature, what is celebrated in fables, a remedy against hunger and thirst; and that stopping the flowing condition of our body, which, like an ever-running stream, is continually rolling into the dark sea of matter, as into the abyss of non-entity, we could immediately be present with the best and most exalted natures, and rise to that condition of being, in which he, who is conjoined by an ineffable union with the deity, is himself a god. But this indeed, is one of Porphyry's extacies, who being a Platonist, was of course subject to uncommon flights.
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