Posted by SpiritualAnarchist (209.206.24.227) on July 13, 2000 at 17:25:57:
In Reply to: Re: Feeling guilty for killing mice and insects posted by J.Smith on July 01, 2000 at 06:52:14:
Eating meat is not wrong.Killing is. This is a little like saying
stealing a car is wrong but driving a stolen car is not wrong.The truth
is there is not right or wrong.Tao says that right and wrong is the sickness
of the mind. On the other hand buddhism teaches right action, right speach,
and so on. We all have our karma. I ate meat 90% of my life. I di not stop
because I thought it was wrong as in the sense I could say I lived the wrong way
but now I am superior and live the right way.It was not morality that led me to
a more vegetarian lifestyle but mindfulness.As I developed more and more mindfulness
I noticed when I'm falling a sleep I see every stage never losing total awareness.
In the same respect I could not eat chicken for example without being mindful of it being pieces
of an animal.Some could say I developed an aversion to meat. This is not true. It was the same
meat I had eaten before.It even continued to taste good. At times I was in fact disgusted by it but
I used the same arguements that others used. I told myself things like, It is already dead so I am causing
no pain,Other animals eat meat so I might as well, I breathe in tiny microbes in air that are alive and
sometimes thereby die so Im a murderer anyway and so on.My mindfulness became to much for my ego however.
My heart and soul said one step at a time and least amount of suffering possible. I can not give up breathing
and remain alive to benifit others but I an give up meat.I know that animals are no longer killed like the
native americans did but are treated as meat producing MACHINES.It is not killing that disgust me as much as
the torture.I am not perfect. I eat cheese. Many would point out that poor cows are tortured for milk by painful
machines.The truth is I can not have sugar or plain pasta because of hypoglycemia. I do not eat meat. I eat little fruit
because of sugar.If I cut out dairy there may be nothing left.If I eat bread I am eating dairy and eggs.So I am a lacto-ovo
vegetarian.Milk Eggs and Cheese.Least amount of suffering possible. If I could live on light alone I would gladly do so.
Perhaps complete enlightenment will allow me to do so.So my advice is practice mindfulness and do wht your heart says.
Many buddhist like anyother person may have problems with anger.If a person goes from having a major problem with anger
to a slight problem with anger by the end of thier life we would not call them hypocrites.Why I thought you said you got
rid of anger yet I see you still have slight anger so you are a liar. OR since you still have anger you might as well just
cultivate as much anger as anyone.No use fooling yourself.We do what we can. Some eat meat but won't wear fur or leather because
we must eat but there are other sources of clothing.We do what we can.Mindfulness shows the way.If you develope too much compassion
for the cow to eat hamburger but have no compassion for the fish you are not a bad person.This is a step by step process. When I lost attachment
to eating meat I noticed that I liked the taste of seasonings on fried chicken or the a1 sauce on steak.I learned it was not the taste ofmeat I loved
but well seasoned food.I hope this helps all that read it.May you all achieve enlightenment soon. :)