Pondering: Meat Eaters vs Vegetarians/Vegans?

I found these interesting links (below) that I wished to share about a Buddhist food philosophy regarding eating meat and/or plant life, because I have family and friends of both persuasions: meat eaters and vegetarians. This has caused what I call the great ... "I'm right and you're not" ... debate. 

I'm not sure how we can incorporate this Buddhist belief in our current daily lives, but I felt that ultimately they believed that any food gift was to be respected and not judged. Maybe our concept of a gift has become distorted, as well as our concept of "do no harm," especially when brow beating your loved ones, over food choices, becomes a way of life. 

I also thought I'd share my philosophy based on my life's education along with my conversations with God/guidance for over twenty-five years.

For instance, I'm a minimal meat/sea life eater. I also like some veggies and fruits. I consider everything is nature and respect, as much as possible, what has been created. If mankind wants to become self-righteous and superior to God's, or Mother Nature's, design ... that's their prerogative.

However, I feel those who do this are limited in awareness. It's not a judgment but an observation, based on how much easier many in my country have it today, then say a hundred years ago, when it comes to surviving. Even if that's standing in a soup line receiving a gift from another's kindness.

 

I see what other countries do to survive. I truly feel sorry for those that have limited or no survival training if we have any crisis in our country. Could they even catch a fish, scale and gut much less cook it ... as I learned to do? Much less catch or eat anything to survive? 

Some of the things I see other countries eat makes me wonder why they do but I'm sure they never expected others to make pets out of their food sources. I am even guilty of turning my nose up on a lot of it but I'm reminded of what my dad told me when I was younger ... if you're starving, you'd eat a roach.

Ugh!! 

I, personally, wouldn't want to eat a roach must less a rodent even though many countries do eat rodents, among other things not of my taste. To each their own. Live and let live. Many people just slaughter rodents because they reproduce very rapidly and are destructive to plant life, including plant food sources. I wonder which would be less unkind to do, killing the rodents or allowing them to destroy the food sources intended for others? Besides, killing them and not eating them? Wouldn't that be considered wasteful from countries that do eat them? I would think so. Would I eat one if I had to survive? Maybe, but I hope I'm not tested to do so or judged if I do. We certainly don't judge birds, or other creatures, that eat rodents. Why should we judge people that do? 

God/guidance has helped me understand many reasons for why things happen. I like to ask these types of questions even if I don't always like the answers. 

For instance, judging people for the meat they choose to eat just because it doesn't fit in our plans. 

For instance, to have no temptation for eating meat, all land, air and sea life would have to be completely eradicated from the planet ... an unreasonable and unthinkable undertaking ... meaning no pets either. 

For instance, being realistic enough to know that rodents or small animals are inadvertently killed in plowing and harvesting large fields for plant food, among other situations that run many out of their homes, due to an ever increasing population. However we would rather ignore that root cause instead of addressing it. We whitewash it with indignation of things outside us ... instead of something we can control ... if we choose ... our libido. 

For instance, no land, air or sea creatures around to eat ... only plant life ... yet nature wreaks havoc on plant life, in a multitude of ways, leaving limited or no food available. What would be left to eat? Humans? 

Yes, I've had some serious conversations. 

Anyway, to continue, I was raised to think it was sinful to be cruel or wasteful, yet I'm a realist enough to know it happens. At seventeen, I was tested in my beliefs by helping my father kill two Easter chicks that turned into adult roosters. They were causing complaints in the neighborhood because of their early morning noise. Was I cruel to do what my mother asked me to do by helping my father? Would I have been disrespectful or disobedient by not helping? Should we have allowed them to be wasted with a large family to feed? 

I had watched a great aunt kill two hens when I was five, so I understood the value of a gift of life for another's life, but doing it myself? Yes, I did help my dad. Yes, I had remorse. Yes, I respected what God gave us that day by not wasting. There was no cruelty involved and we were grateful. Yes, I enjoyed eating them too. I didn't consider it destructive but a continuation of life ... just as consuming the life of vegetation that ends one form of life for another. 

Also, I was raised to believe everything in moderation. I was actually told that by God one day, many years ago, because I went to him about my dilemma on this topic. He had no judgments of what we as humans had to do to survive anymore than what animals had to do for the same thing. He knows the bigger picture. 

Believe what you will but many humans have sacrificed their lives and in many ways ... it's never been one sided ... ever. It's the cruelty that I sincerely feel people are objecting to and I agree completely. In fact, I felt the majority of humans were more understanding and respectful of their food sources then animals. I watch nature shows with my husband. Let's just say that meat eating animals/sea life etc., are neither kind nor respectful in how they treat their food sources. Take a walk in their territory and you could find out first hand.

I've also seen science shows on plant life. They've proven what I've known for years. There's a lot of plants that are more than just reactionary. They may not have a brain like a human, or talk like animators portray them, but they're capable of thinking in their own way ... some more so than others.

In fact, the Venus Flytrap is a meat eating plant. Should we judge a plant that eats meat (insects)?

So, I started looking around the Internet about how others feel and I've seen the gamut of lies and confusion, amongst the facts, on both ends ... including the projection of guilt being thrown around by those who don't understand the bigger picture of nature. I realized that plants, sea life, animals or insects are a big part of our existence ... without these, we as humans would cease to exist. They too could cease to exist without our intervention. So much life on this planet is sustained by other life.

This made me think of  the story of God putting Adam into the Garden of Eden to care for the animals. Yet, animals (etc.) create more animals ... just as humans create more humans ... ad infinitum.

Who protects the over population of any species? Nature!

To me, nature provides a balance. Humans are part of nature. Even though this may sound cruel, nature is kept in check by nature ... partly due to what is consumed by human, animal, sea life, and so on. Nature is also kept in check by wars (even land, air and sea life battle), pestilence, famine, and natural disasters ... among other things. Some may say it's not fair but it's still life on this planet and has been since the beginning of life here ... all created by a need to survive and/or to stop destruction by over growth in any species, including plant life. 

We think humans are smarter than Mother Nature ... smarter than God? 

Hmmm... When we want to be humbled, off our judgmental pedestal, just remember that we're not. 

Also, no one is perfect. I know that I'm trying to do what's right for myself using whatever I can to survive and so is everyone else. There is good and bad in everything. It's important to research and see both sides before making an educated decision as well as using our feelings to guide us in our purpose for being here. You may be here to be a vegetarian or vegan while another's purpose is to be a meat eater. Let your conscience be your guide. 

To say one's plan or purpose is better than another hasn't been proven and is condescending. Be human by being kind, being considerate, being thankful and being loving but unless we only want to live off of polluted air, we also have to live by being reasonable. 

Sometimes, I think God must be shaking His head at us with His hand on His face saying: I gave you all of this and you're still fighting?

Even if you don't believe in God ... it's to make you think ... because we all know you shouldn't mess with Mother Nature either. 

~~~~~~~~~~Links

What the Buddha Said About Eating Meat

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/meat.html

Buddhism and Vegetarianism

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/vegi.html