A few days ago when we were having a discussion session, in which a question was posted– “ What will you do when you see a butcher cut open a lamb?“. This question really hit us.
Several thoughts came to my mind as I was recollecting and pondering over the question. My first reaction was to pray for the lamb. But then I thought, is that enough? Is our responsibility over by just praying for the lamb’s soul? I wasn’t sure what else I could do. I could go up to the butcher and speak to him about Ahimsa and non violence. But would he understand, as he is doing this only to earn his livelihood?
These thoughts kept hovering in my mind as two days passed, it then struck me that the main problem are people who wish to eat meat, it is because of the selfish needs of such individuals the butchers are slaughtering animals. So if we have to make a difference and put a stop to such violence we have to talk, convince and discourage such meat eaters and not the butcher community. The butchers are only doing their job to make a living.
So this brings us to a question, how do we convince, encourage staunch meat eaters to give up this diet of theirs? We can influence them by giving them scientific facts, or by logical reasoning, or by spiritual guidance or by stating the social aspects or by explaining the ecological imbalances created or we can list out the celebrities who have turned vegetarians. The choices are many.
I would like to open this question out to you all. If your friend/family is a meat eater, which route would you pick to convince him to quit this diet of his and what will be your reasoning? What could be the possible answers your friend might give to prove that eating meat is good?
We need to be prepared for all kinds of back answers we might face when we speak to such people. So let’s use this forum to discuss and share our ideas/facts/questions so we are ready for anything that comes our way!
Let’s all join in and make a sankalpa (resolution) to try to convert as many people into Vegetarianism and, work towards the mission of “No Himsa (cruelty), become a Hamsa (enlightened one)!”
Padmini
Several thoughts came to my mind as I was recollecting and pondering over the question. My first reaction was to pray for the lamb. But then I thought, is that enough? Is our responsibility over by just praying for the lamb’s soul? I wasn’t sure what else I could do. I could go up to the butcher and speak to him about Ahimsa and non violence. But would he understand, as he is doing this only to earn his livelihood?
These thoughts kept hovering in my mind as two days passed, it then struck me that the main problem are people who wish to eat meat, it is because of the selfish needs of such individuals the butchers are slaughtering animals. So if we have to make a difference and put a stop to such violence we have to talk, convince and discourage such meat eaters and not the butcher community. The butchers are only doing their job to make a living.
So this brings us to a question, how do we convince, encourage staunch meat eaters to give up this diet of theirs? We can influence them by giving them scientific facts, or by logical reasoning, or by spiritual guidance or by stating the social aspects or by explaining the ecological imbalances created or we can list out the celebrities who have turned vegetarians. The choices are many.
I would like to open this question out to you all. If your friend/family is a meat eater, which route would you pick to convince him to quit this diet of his and what will be your reasoning? What could be the possible answers your friend might give to prove that eating meat is good?
We need to be prepared for all kinds of back answers we might face when we speak to such people. So let’s use this forum to discuss and share our ideas/facts/questions so we are ready for anything that comes our way!
Let’s all join in and make a sankalpa (resolution) to try to convert as many people into Vegetarianism and, work towards the mission of “No Himsa (cruelty), become a Hamsa (enlightened one)!”
Padmini
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