I was at a group dinner last weekend, during which the conversation centered mostly around food. That seen as ‘great food’ for most is but burnt carcasses to me, no matter how well masked the meat is with herbs and spices. I can no longer comprehend why anyone can be fascinated by meat, isn’t it obvious that it’s the seasoning that renders it tasty? I was wondering, do I really need to spell out the truth to everyone?
It was no surprise that I was the only vegan at the table. What was appalling was the amount of meat ordered. So much there was that a few plates were left untouched. Ordering animal flesh is already unthinkable, but to waste animals’ lives by not finishing the meat asked for is atrocious!
Is it really that hard to go for a kinder diet? Or does the word ‘compassion’ simply not exist when it comes to filling one’s stomach? Why would any sensible person want their stomach to be a mortuary? Have so many human hearts grown as cold as a mortuary’s freezer? Please, during this season of giving, at least reduce the demand for animal lives. Give the helpless animals a break. Go vegan! If not, go vegetarian!
I recently sat down to diner with a colleague. When I told him I was a vegetarian he immediately looked under the table and said “you’re wearing leather shoes. What’s that about?”
I admitted that this was an inconsistency, but that it was better to do some good than to do nothing at the risk of being inconsistent.
I’ve noticed this as a pattern with some meat eaters. They immediately go on the offensive when discussing vegetarianism and try to find the flaw in the action. Perhaps because the feel that vegetarians are judging them.
Lobsang Nima
I understand the problem. My shoes are made of nubuck. I didn’t know it was a form of leather when I bought them. I have been wearing them for more than 5 years. When I bought those shoes, I had just converted from vegetarianism to veganism (the non-usage and non-eating of any animal products). But I was stuck with the shoes that I felt I should use, or they would go to waste. The problem comes in when I say I’m vegan… I have to justify the shoes! 😮
That said, yes, it’s better to be vegan than vegetarian; better to be vegetarian than not. Indeed, some meat-eaters try to ‘prove’ to vegetarians that they are somewhat ‘hypocritical’. However, even if the circle of compassion is not completely open to all beings yet, at least vegetarians are more sincere to animals than they who do not give a second thought to devouring them. 🙁
How do we help non-veg*n to see this point? Hmmm… …
I wish to let non-vegetarian know that Vegetarian Food is delectable but don’t have the resources to give free food to all … Do hope that there are more other workarounds …
I wish Vegetarian if they are giving a treat to a single person or a big group, please try not to offer non-vegetarian choices. Having one meal without meat would not kill anyone but one meal with meat is creating animals’ suffering … BTW will vegetarians be creating bad karma too?
I also wish that if non-vegetarian can’t totally go vegetarian, please eat less meat. They are many ways we can do this …
31 Dec 2006, Mani Retreat at KMSPKS (Part timer hall), there was one pile of VSS Why Vegetarian? flyer. In the past even if I see this flyer I won’t be bother at all but I took one that day, strange.
1 Jan 07, I visited their forum and that leads to me to start vegetarian recipes blog. I must thank the person who left those flyers there, because for 2007 I didn’t see any.
For this year’s Mani Retreat (not at KMSPKS), I wonder whether can such flyers or free books – ‘The Stories of Refraining From Killing and Liberating Lives†can be made available. So participants can also ponder on this subject (to develop compassion for animals as well) …
Giving out those already available English & Chinese VSS flyer out on the first day, might be able start those attending to think about it, hopefully …
That’s good idea, Crystal,
from their web: http://maniretreat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=58
you can request Vegn society to contact them via email: enquiry[at]ManiRetreat.org. or speak to them via 6400 2072.
At a recent talk, a Venerable suggested a good answer to non-vegetarians who ask vegetarians why they switch to vegetarians could be replied by vegetarians: “What? You are not a vegetarian? It’s a new trend for the new era, you are behind time if you have not practised vegetarianism. It’s a way of loving the Earth and conserving energy… It’s time you consider…”
There was a friend who saw the slaughtering videos of one type of animal, and refuse to eat that animal for sometime. But after a while, it dimmed and eventually she got back to eating meat. I used to do that b4 I eat veg, I blank my mind out and refuse to think of that issue. But it kept coming back and the guilt was really bad. So I went veg, it was a tremendous relief after I made that decision! 🙂 I think most of us like to avoid thinking about things they don’t like or are afraid to think about, and if we really do have to go into the topic, we come up with excuses to keep us in our comfort zone.
There have been several ppl I knew who mention why they cannot be vegetarians – from this I understand that even if they are heavy meat eaters, they still think of vegetarianism as a positive move in life. Its humans tendency to move towards better ground, so I guess we can only be good role models, promote veg and be patient for the time to be ripe for them 😀
It’s great… answering the call of conscience bit by bit till it is heeded totally! :angel:
In promoting vegetarianism, not only go through conventional and orthodox methods, there is also unconventional and unorthodox ways to look at (as long as it is not harming anyone and anything)… In the current society and in many schools, it is now the trend to train our young generations to think like pioneer and in unconventional ways …
Social conditioning had “controlled†humans indirectly in almost everything, if it is toward the good, that is fine, unfortunately, it is not so. There is a need to ring the bell … “Hey, are we doing things in right manner or had we went out of the track already and urgent need to come back?†What I like about moonpointer, is all these articles that prompt us to think about the issue, make us think further.
Before the 1850 Industrialization, the amount of meat consumption is far far much lesser, it was only after that the World changed and became more advanced and plus social conditioning to lead to the current situation.
Maybe, there is a need to creating a good Vegetarian Environment, a need to bring out the compassionate that reside deep in every one of us, to see the destruction that meat-eating cause to our Health, our Mind, our Earth …
And must we create A Mortuary Inside? My forefathers who do not know anything about X’mas and Turkey and does that affect them? No, I think. We can have X’mas, festivals celebrations etc but it needs not be at the expense of others (animals) and still enjoy it.