Most people who follow a religion never read its holy books. They simply follow social customs that pretend to be part of the religion. For instance, the Prophet Mohammeds eating habits were very frugal and he espoused vegetarianism by his actions and teachings, but every Muslim will swear that eating meat is part of his/her religion. The Sikhs do the same with eating meat even though all their Gurus are vegetarian. So do the Buddhists. The Tamilians grow up thinking they know the teachings of Thiruvalluvar, the poet who wrote one of the world's finest treatises on practical morality, Thirukkural. But, like all proponents of religions and philosophies, they take selectively and out of context what they need to bolster a way of life that suits them – whether drinking, gambling, eating meat or bigamy, whether beating women, stealing or whoring. During the recent mob violence in Tamil Nadu, that pushed the local government into a frontal attack on the Supreme Court, many people quoted Thirukkural as giving the sanctions for the annual assault on bulls that leaves many dead and maimed.

There any many savageries on animals in India and this is one of the worst. Unfortunately, since the mob got away with it, many other states are now demanding that the Supreme Court allow their people to be equally savage – cockfighting, bullfighting, cow racing, bulbul fighting, all this is now being pushed along with the appropriate Hindu scriptures. How sad to see the descendants of Thiruvalluvar pushing for permissions to be cruel to bulls and quoting his immortal Thirukkural as a reason. Give alcohol to a bull so that his liver is permanently damaged, tear out bits of his skin so that he is in agony, cut of his tail, put lime juice in his eyes and chillies on his genitals and then jump all over him till he falls and dies. This is not the sport that the poet advocated – it has become a furious, mad violence unleashed on an animal victim. The Thirukkural is composed of 1,330 couplets in Old Tamil. Each kural, or couplet, contains exactly seven words, known as cirs, with four cirs on the first line and three on the second. Each one teaches you how to live life at its purest level in a way that makes you enjoy being alive.

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What does the Thirukkural say about compassion?

Wicked men do not fear, but worthy men dread : The arrogance of sinful deeds.

201

Only the forgetful plot another's ruin; others remember : That virtue itself devises a plotter's downfall. 204 Let him who wishes to be free from afflictions' pain:Avoid inflicting harm on others.

206

One can escape from hate-filled enemies : But one's own hateful acts will relentlessly pursue and destroy him.

207

Among the wealthy, compassionate men claim the richest wealth : For material wealth is possessed by even contemptible men.

241

Find and follow the good path and be ruled by compassion : For if the various ways are examined, compassion will prove the means to liberation.

242

Those whose hearts are drawn toward compassion : Will never be drawn into the woeful world of darkness.

243

Evil deeds dreaded by the soul will not afflict : The compassionate who foster and protect all life.

244

This wide and wind-swept fertile earth is witness to the truth : That misery is not for men who keep compassion.

245

They say those who act cruelly by forsaking compassion : Must have forgotten what it means to forsake morality.

246

As this world is not for the penniless : So is that world not for the pitiless!

247

Those without wealth may one day prosper : but those without Kindness are utterly forever doomed.

248

Practicing charity without compassion is as inconceivable : As realizing Truth without clarity of mind.

249

Before advancing against those weaker than yourself : Ponder when you stood before those more powerful.

250

The face's smile and the heart's joy are slain by anger : Does there exist a greater enemy than one's own anger?

304

If a man would be his own guard, let him guard against anger : Left unguarded, his own wrath will slay him.

305

Drawing near it, men are engulfed in fury's fire : Which burns even rescuing friends and family.

306

If hurting others would bring princely riches : The pure in heart would still refuse.

311

It is the principle of the pure in heart never to injure others : Even when they themselves have been hatefully injured.

312

 To harm even those who antagonize us unprovoked:Will bring boundless suffering.

313

What good is a man's knowledge unless it prompts him to : Prevent the pain of others as if it were his own pain?

315

Any actions which a man knows would harm himself:He should not inflict on others.

316

The supreme principle is this : Never knowingly Harm anyone at any time in any way.

317

Why does one hurt other lives : Doing what he knows can hurt oneself?

318

If a man inflicts sorrow on another in the morning : Sorrow will come to him unbidden in the afternoon.

319

Harm descends on those who harm others : Hence, those who wish not to be harmed, do no harm.

320

What is virtuous conduct? It is never destroying life : For killing leads to every other sin.

321

Of all the virtues summed by ancient sages the foremost are these : To partake of food one has shared and to protect all living creatures.

322

Not killing is the first and foremost good : The virtue of not lying comes next.

323

What is the good way? It is the path that reflects on : How it may avoid killing any living creature.

324

Among all who disown the world out of dismay, the foremost are : They who, dismayed with death-dealing, embrace non-killing.

325

Life-devouring death will not assail the living days : Of one whose code of conduct is to never kill.

326

Refrain from taking precious life from any living being: Even to save your own life.

327

By sacrifice of life some gain great wealth and benefits : But wise men scorn such gains.

328

The savages whose trade is killing creatures are defiled : Wise men know the defiling nature of being mean.

329

The beggar who suffers a sore ridden body and destitute life must have : Once deprived another's body of life.

330

All of you who believe that an animal, or even a human being, who has less power than you, is simply a being to be hurt and used, read these immortal verses and think about the quality of your own mind and life. Are you happy? Did you get any happier when you were hurting someone weaker than you?