In
1913, after having founded a hospital in Gabon, the religious philosopher and
polymath Albert Schweitzer took a boat ride on the Ogooue River, to contemplate
ethics and civilization. He spent two days in deep thought and, on the third,
had a moment of enlightenment, which he called “Reverence for Life.”
In
short, “Reverence for Life” is the idea that all life must be respected and
loved and that humans should enter into a personal, spiritual relationship with
the universe and all its creations. For humans such an outlook would naturally
lead to a life of service to others.
Schweitzer was born into
a well-educated family in Alsace, which was part of Germany in 1875, the year
of his birth. His father was a Lutheran pastor and Schweitzer followed his
footsteps and studied theology and philosophy. He also became an accomplished
organist, but found his lasting passion in medicine.
With
a degree in Medicine, Schweitzer and his wife Helene Bresslau, a nurse, he
moved to Gabon, Africa, where he lived for most of his days, to start a
hospital.
He
had always had a kind heart towards animals. He wrote “One thing that
especially saddened me was that the unfortunate animals had to suffer so much
pain and misery…when my mother had prayed with me and kissed me good-night, I
used to silently add a prayer that I composed myself for all living beings: ‘Oh
heavenly Father, protect and bless all things that have breath, guard them from
evil, and let them sleep in peace.’”
He
carried this understanding throughout his life. In Africa, when planting a seed
on a farm he had started, he was noticed gently scooping out a spider that had
fallen in the hole. His reverence for life, while self-manifested, was
developed and refined by Schweitzer’s reading of Indian philosophy. In his
book, Indian Thought and Its Development, he wrote the following: “The laying
down of the commandment to not kill and not to damage is one of the greatest events
in spiritual history. Starting from this principle..ancient Indian thought..reached
the tremendous discovery that ethics know no bounds.”
Ahimsa,
the principle he referred to, appears in both yoga philosophy and in the religion
of Jainism. In yoga, it is the first of the Yamas, one of the eight limbs of
yoga. The five Yamas (standards of behavior) are Ahimsa (non-violence); Satya
(truthfulness); Asteya, non-stealing; Brahmacharya (continence) and Aparigraha
(non-covetousness.) The Jain religion brought Ahimsa into daily practice.
Schweitzer’s
writings had a tremendous impact in a world that had suffered violence during
the twentieth century. He was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1952, and he
used the money to start a leprosarium in Gabon, Africa. Until his death in
1965, he worked tirelessly for peace, speaking out against nuclear weapons and
for the humane treatment of animals.
Mohan Ashtakala (www.mohanauthor.com) is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," a fantasy and "Karma Nation," a literary romance. He is published by Books We Love (www.bookswelove.com)
