sri_lion said:
No probs, I work too
This is where I like Buddhism most... always open for discussions!
Yes I think I get your point, and I think this is the most common way of thinking about this issue!
You are wrong here bro, this is not the most common way of thinking. Instead its just the opposite. The most common way of thinking is 'ok since this animal is not killed for me its ok to eat it.' Most buddhist I meet think like that. So I think that is the most common way of thinking. But maybe most people you meet think the other way around...
Anyway thats not our discussion.
sri_lion said:
Ok! lets take this scenario... lets say... all humans on earth are vegetarians.. so one fine day I kill a chicken and decide to eat... and after consuming the meat..I get the thought, “Hey! This could be good business, if this tastes good for me then it should taste good for others too” So ASSUMING that others will buy.. I kill more chicken and sell, So the SIN already has come full circle for me by the time the product reached my customer! Isn't this what might have happened? and still happening?
I cannot agree with this, There's nothing to assume here, whether he assume or not, he will kill for others,
Only if others are willing to buy that from himAnd he will continue to kill as long as there is the demand.
And clearly this is not what might have happened. what happend was that man always knew meat was something good to eat. Early man was a hunter. But it came to a time where killing is not neccessary. Buddha saw that killing is bad, and discouraged any activity related to it. To survive man does not need meat.
Buddha pointed this with one of his simplest teachings, pansil.
But to the man, or buddhist who could not understand this and who has eaten meat and just couldnt get himself to get rid of that habit of eating dead animals(probably because they are tasty) had to justify his actions. So that's why people bring up all this things about "buddha never said eating meet was bad " " Buddha ate some sort of a food made from meat(Sukara Maggawa) before he died" and all.
Let me point out some facts.
(1) In pansil first sil is "I will not kill others"
(2) In 'Arya ashtangika margaya' If we think about 'Samma Ajeewa'
buddha points out,
5 jobs that should not be done, and in this
1. Do not sell meat.
2. Do not sell animals/slaves ( I cant remember exaclty bro)
(3) Buddha always says wish others well ( 'Mithree')
And I may bring up some other points later when I remember... Anyway my point is buddha being wise and all saying all this never excpeted a buddhist will ever think that he said eating meet is ok.
How can you wish 'mithree' to all the animals and then eat it? What is the logic in that. Machan I have thought these things over and over through many years.I have raise my questions discussed with many wise poeple. I have come to the logical conclusion that, budhhist just try to justify whatever bad thing they do. Thinking logically I cannot think that buddha would ever encourage a killing in anyway. But people who want to justify what they do just make reasons. such as something illogical as eating meat is ok.
just foget buddhism, or what buddha said, just think out of box. If anyone had ever watched "Faces of Death" he would never eat meat again. Religion or no religion, how can one bear a poor animal being killed, taken the right to live away as if we have the right. Who are we? If eating meat is essential for us to live, I would be the first one to say its ok. But its not. And its wrong.
That's why I asked you where, those five conditions are from, To me either its a contradiction in buddha said or I did not understand what it is.
sri_lion said:
And it is undeniable that it is more easier to stop it from the source than the end point... are we going to stop millions Sri Lankans and billions of world population eating chicken or we just begin from where the killing starts? which are much lesser in numbers than that?
Again I disagree, In fact this is a point with no logic at all in my opinion. But if I'm wrong forgive me. Are you suggesting that people who do the killing should just stop? That's never gonna happen. The easiest way is that people who eat meat if they understand its wrong stopping it. Or if they dont understand thats also ok. What you do is for you, not for anyone else. But dont just justify your selves in front of the alter of buddhism. Coz its nothing in buddhism, its just you.
What do you think bro? Maybe I'm wrong but that's why I' m here for. To learn what I dont know and be a better person.