A Tit for a Tat (27)
Tit: Hey, you’re eating meat?
Tat: Well, it’s ‘pure meat’.
Tit: What do you mean?
Tat: Meat that is permissible by the Buddha’s guidelines, that I didn’t see, hear or suspect to be from animals killed for me.
Tit: Where did you get it from? Random alms food?
Tat: The fast food restaurant.
Tit: Okay, you definitely didn’t see or hear any animal killed for you.
Tat: Of course I didn’t!
Tit: But don’t you suspect some animals were killed for you?
Tat: Well, I didn’t ask for any animals to be killed for me.
Tit: Who were they killed for then? Not me for sure – because I’m vegan.
Tat: Er… they were killed for meat-buyers.
Tit: Doesn’t that include you?
Tat: Er… yes, but I really didn’t ask for any animals to be killed for me.
Tit: Who asked? Not me for sure – because I’m vegan.
Tat: Er…
Tit: Someone has to demand them to be killed.
Tat: Er… meat-buyers I guess… collectively, by their buying.
Tit: If so, you can’t say you don’t suspect animals to be killed for you, even if it’s indirectly!
Tat: Gasp!
Tit: Your impure meat was defiled by denying the truth that you support the demand of killing!
Tat: Argh!
Related Article:
The Invisible Conveyor Belt of Meat & Murder: http://4ui.com/eart/214eart1.htm
Next aT4aT: https://moonpointer.com/new/2009/07/pain-of-vanity
Previous aT4aT: https://moonpointer.com/new/2009/06/we-are-abnormal
We only read or heard Buddhist talking about the observing/taking the 5 precepts, what helping forces are given to help the lay people to be able to observe the 5 precepts?
And of all the precepts, – Respect for live and Not to Kill, is the one of easiest to create many helping forces /encouragement/right understanding.
There are many ways, it can even be simplified until when Buddhist meet Buddhist (besides saying Amitofu) instead of saying “Have you eaten?†to “Have you eaten a Vegetarian meal today?†(One need not be a full vegetarian yet, if not ready put taking baby steps) … where lay people can be open to talk about Vegetarianism in a positive way whether they are vegetarian or not …
Compassionate can be cultivated in many ways, please don’t miss out any possible ways. Going vegetarianism SHOULD NOT benefit ONLY me.
It will benefit OTHERS, ANIMALS, the PLANET etc. If I recall correct, that I read somewhere about the Founder of Kampong Sengang, she went veg*n because what she saw – slaughtering of dog (I think) in China, and going vegetarianism make her move closer to Buddhism Teaching (something like that). Better verify with her.
Lots of Lay people are struggling to generate faith in Buddhism Teaching and dare not voice out (fear being view as no good karma, no progress, losing face etc).
It is not they don’t want and or are lousy, it is because they lack the many ways that can help them to create that and connect to it. One of the reasons is that we haven’t put teaching into practice, cultivate the compassionate enough to see the effects it brings and be connected to.
Having a compassionate heart is so powerful, it can solved many hurdles and problems in this life, it can stop one for falling into hell, besides the karma effects and the requirement to go Pureland.
And why do we have the mindset, “THEY ARE NOT READY? ONLY THOSE WHO ARE READY†?
In this society, one of parenting skill is to inject POSTIVE not negative thinking. That explained, Buddhists could have indirectly being ‘psycho’ to think that they are not ready and therefore conveniently used that as an excuse or become a “stopping forceâ€.
Here is the collection of teachings and quotes of varies Buddhist masters / laypeople on vegetarianism : http://www.moonpointer.com/bvf.php