By John Di Leonardo
Jai Jinendra,
This past weekend, I had the honor of speaking at the belated Mahavir Jayanti celebration at the Gathering of Light congregation in Huntington. Here is a condensed version of my remarks.
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to make the world a better place. As a child, that meant standing up to bullies. As a teenager, it escalated into confronting violent individuals and gangs. I believed I was protecting others—but over time, I came to understand a deeper truth. As Mahavir taught, “anger begets anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love.”
I realized that violence, even in the name of justice, could not create the peaceful world I sought. I turned instead to studying counseling and school psychology, hoping to help children early in life. But it wasn’t until halfway through college, when I encountered Jainism, that everything truly changed.
Until then, I had never met a vegetarian. I believed eating animals was necessary. Jainism challenged that entirely—a tradition rooted in ahimsa, or nonviolence, for thousands of years. I learned of monks so committed to nonviolence that they would wait for fruit to fall naturally rather than harm a plant. I was humbled. I had claimed to protect life, yet I was participating in harm every day.
That realization struck me in a cafeteria, staring at a plate of chicken. For the first time, I couldn’t take a bite. I pushed the plate away and never ate meat again. A year later, after learning about the dairy and egg industries, I became vegan. Though overwhelming, I knew I could no longer contribute to that suffering.
Soon after, I saw images of baby elephants abused in the Ringling Bros. circus. I made a small vow—an Anuvrat—to peacefully protest during my spring break. That experience showed me the power of nonviolent action, and I made a larger vow: to see the end of Ringling Bros.’ use of animals.
After earning a Master’s in Anthrozoology and a certificate in Jain Studies, I joined PETA and worked on campaigns to end animal exploitation. Years later, I helped organize the final protest against Ringling Bros. at Nassau Coliseum. After 146 years, the circus shut down.
Since then, I’ve worked on campaigns contributing to major victories, including the end of SeaWorld’s orca breeding program and dolphin shows. Still, I am most proud of my work with Humane Long Island.
At the heart of everything we do is the principle: Ahimsa Paramo Dharma—nonviolence is the highest moral virtue. But ahimsa is not passive; it is an active force of compassion. It calls on us not only to avoid harm, but to reduce it.
At Humane Long Island, we don’t just abstain from cruelty—we challenge it. Inspired by Mahavir, we act as peaceful warriors, guided by compassion and strategy. We have shut down abusive zoos, stopped illegal slaughter operations, and rescued animals across New York.
In the past year alone, we helped close the Holtsville Ecology Site—a roadside zoo run by a municipal highway department on top of an uncapped landfill—and Double D Bar Ranch, a pseudosanctuary that pled guilty to animal cruelty after being charged with 112 counts. We secured a 10-year animal ban for an abusive veterinarian and freed hundreds of animals from cruel situations. This work continues every day.
You don’t need to transform your entire life overnight. Start with a small vow—an Anuvrat. Perhaps it’s choosing compassion on your plate, sparing the lives of hundreds of animals each year. Perhaps it’s speaking up, educating others, or joining one of our campaigns. Or perhaps it’s volunteering at our Riverhead sanctuary.
Each step matters. Each action ripples outward.
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(Photo courtesy: John Di Leonardo)
John Di Leonardo is the founding director of Humane Long Island. He was previously the Senior Manager of Grassroots Campaigns and Animals in Entertainment Campaigns for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). He has a Master's degree in Anthrozoology from Canisius College. He also earned a graduate certificate in Jain Studies from the International School of Jain Studies (ISJS) in India. John can be reached at [email protected].
