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Book
Reviews
OUT OF THE JUNGLE by H. Jay Dinshah
Reviewed by Gabriel Figueroa
 Out
of the Jungle is one of the most often quoted books in the vegan
movement. This is with good reason. If you read only one book by
Jay Dinshah, make it Out of the Jungle. This book is an excellent
introduction, guide, and comprehensive information source on Ahimsa
and veganism. It is insightful and thought provoking and beautifully
describes the vegan perspective for those both familiar and unfamiliar
with it. As much as I love all of Jay's books, this may well be
his best.
In Out of the Jungle, Jay gently shows us the way to making the
universe a better place for all. He does this by introducing us
to a concept that is timeless and found in all major faiths. We
may know this concept as the Golden Rule. Many of us are familiar
with the Golden Rule, but how many of us truly practice it? Jay
talks about how often we think of life in terms of jungle law, i.e.
Survival of the Fittest. But, is this truly appropriate? Albert
Schweitzer's idea of Reverence for Life is introduced as a corollary
to the Golden Rule that allows us to measure how it can be applied
to our daily lives.
Reverence for Life leads to the principle of Ahimsa. Jay lucidly
explains how we can look at Ahimsa in a positive way by viewing
it as Dynamic Harmlessness rather than only from the negative perspective
that focuses on what we should not do. Both the positive aspect
and negative aspect of Ahimsa allow us to be able to make decisions
when we are faced with a dilemma. Jungle law is not something that
we can continue to live by if we are to put the principle of Ahimsa
to work in our lives.
Jay wastes no time in this book. He immediately gets to the point
and talks about how veganism is one of the most practical ways to
begin practicing Ahimsa. He talks about the problems of different
animal products from a moral and health perspective. We learn how
easy it is to substitute vegan items for all types of animal products.
Perhaps the most beautiful part of the Dynamic Harmlessness version
of Ahimsa is how Jay took the word and used each letter to form
what truly are the pillars of Ahimsa. Those who are familiar with
the work of AVS have surely seen these pillars before. In the book,
each pillar is explained in real depth. We learn what is behind
each pillar and how we can begin practicing these today. Jay never
says or implies that Ahimsa ends with veganism. On the contrary,
veganism is only a part of the path to Ahimsa.
The book ends with a chapter called "Into the Sunshine."
This chapter is poetic and seems to be the part of the book that
is most quoted. The ideas are not just summed up here, but they
are also shown as part of a larger picture. Practical tips show
us how to progress on the path. I love this chapter, so rather than
tell you what it says I will allow you to enjoy it for yourself.
The book has three very important appendixes that further make
this an invaluable resource to those on the path of Ahimsa. The
first is "Transition to Veganism," which shows potential
vegans how to take the steps to make veganism a part of their life.
Appendix II is "Positive and Negative Harmlessness" and
exposes us to a workshop and discussion where we hear more about
the two sides of Ahimsa and their practical applications. The third
appendix "Of Figs and Thistles" is from a short talk discussing
how we should lovingly try to make a difference in the world rather
than be bitter at those who feel differently than we do.
This book was revised and added to in 1995 to bring additional
information born from years of experience. Yet, its basic text and
message have remained the same. This is a timeless work even though
our society has seen many changes in the time since its original
publication. Consider that in today's world, vegan items are much
more available than they were thirty-three years ago. In many parts
of the country, one can readily order vegan meals at restaurants
without too much explanation. It is important to realize that veganism
has come a long way since this book was published thanks in large
part to the work of committed vegans such as the Dinshahs and the
practical information found in books such as Out of the Jungle.
However, there is still a much longer way to go.
I consider this book to be a true gem. Out of the Jungle is a primer
on how to practice Dynamic Harmlessness in our daily lives. This
book helps us to get straight on the path whether we have been vegans
for a long time or we are just now contemplating veganism. Even
more important, it helps us to realize that Ahimsa is an active
principle rather than a passive one. Applying its principles will
be one of the surest ways to gain inner and outer peace.
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