- Published on
Reincarnation removes the rush to judge the soul and send it to hell or heaven after only one lifetime. - Jeffrey Armstrong
- Published on
A book titled Karma, by Jeffrey Armstrong, has a concluding chapter of questions and answers. This question caught my attention because the answer is so insightful: “Do we receive karma for killing the food we eat, and and is there much difference in the karma from our various choices?” Armstrong’s answer comes in three parts:
1. Humans, unlike animals, have the option of food choice. He notes: “We humans are the only species that does not have it’s food choices controlled by instinct.”
2. Therefore, the food choices we make definitely create karma, either positive or negative. “Food choices are some of the most critical and potentially damaging we can make both for ourselves and the planet,” he says.
3. By consuming meat, negative karma is created on both the personal and impersonal level. Here’s how Armstrong explains this: “According to the yogic theory, the higher we eat on the food chain, the more disturbance is caused in our environment. This is the main reason for adopting a vegetarian or mostly vegetarian diet.” He cites the environmental impact of flesh consumption on the planet: “To raise one bull for slaughter as food for humans requires thousands of gallons of water, creates large amounts of waste, needs acres of grazing land, and produces only a relatively small amount of food protein. It is a terribly inefficient means of producing food for humans, not to speak of the violence to the animal and toxins produced by its slaughter. If the same resources were used for producing vegetariain foo, thousands more people could be fed.”
1. Humans, unlike animals, have the option of food choice. He notes: “We humans are the only species that does not have it’s food choices controlled by instinct.”
2. Therefore, the food choices we make definitely create karma, either positive or negative. “Food choices are some of the most critical and potentially damaging we can make both for ourselves and the planet,” he says.
3. By consuming meat, negative karma is created on both the personal and impersonal level. Here’s how Armstrong explains this: “According to the yogic theory, the higher we eat on the food chain, the more disturbance is caused in our environment. This is the main reason for adopting a vegetarian or mostly vegetarian diet.” He cites the environmental impact of flesh consumption on the planet: “To raise one bull for slaughter as food for humans requires thousands of gallons of water, creates large amounts of waste, needs acres of grazing land, and produces only a relatively small amount of food protein. It is a terribly inefficient means of producing food for humans, not to speak of the violence to the animal and toxins produced by its slaughter. If the same resources were used for producing vegetariain foo, thousands more people could be fed.”
- Published on
Whatever we frequently think and ponder upon, that will become the inclination of our mind. - Buddha
- Published on
The king of the monkeys was wandering through a forest one evening when he came to the edge of a cliff. Looking down far below he saw the bright moon reflected on the river waters. “That is a magnificent jewel,” he said to himself adding “and I must have it.”
He brought his desire to other monkeys, all of whom objected saying it would be nearly impossible to get down that far from the cliff and retrieve the jewel. The monkey king overruled them saying: “I have a plan. One monkey can hold onto a tree and all other monkeys will form a line with each one holding tightly to the tail of the monkey in front. Then we can lower our monkey chain down to the water and the last monkey will be able to reach the jewel retrieving it for me.” The group thought it could be done so 500 monkeys dangled down to the water but the weight was too much for the one holding the tree and all five hundred monkeys fell into the water and drowned.
That popular Eastern story is a lesson about the mind. Too often we have “monkey minds” which do not consider carefully enough the consequences of an action before it is taken. While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. That is the law of Karma which operates through the universe. People have experienced tremendous sadness because of careless thinking and acting saying “I didn't mean for it to turn out like this.”
The way to avoid such troubles and tragedies lies in mind management. It is important to think things through, consider all options, and take the most skillful action. Only then are the odds in our favor that the consequences will be positive rather than negative and disappointing.
He brought his desire to other monkeys, all of whom objected saying it would be nearly impossible to get down that far from the cliff and retrieve the jewel. The monkey king overruled them saying: “I have a plan. One monkey can hold onto a tree and all other monkeys will form a line with each one holding tightly to the tail of the monkey in front. Then we can lower our monkey chain down to the water and the last monkey will be able to reach the jewel retrieving it for me.” The group thought it could be done so 500 monkeys dangled down to the water but the weight was too much for the one holding the tree and all five hundred monkeys fell into the water and drowned.
That popular Eastern story is a lesson about the mind. Too often we have “monkey minds” which do not consider carefully enough the consequences of an action before it is taken. While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. That is the law of Karma which operates through the universe. People have experienced tremendous sadness because of careless thinking and acting saying “I didn't mean for it to turn out like this.”
The way to avoid such troubles and tragedies lies in mind management. It is important to think things through, consider all options, and take the most skillful action. Only then are the odds in our favor that the consequences will be positive rather than negative and disappointing.
- Published on
One should receive success and failure equally, without elation or depression. - Ernest Wood
- Published on
Buddhists are encouraged to love all living beings and not to restrict their love only to human beings. They should practice loving kindness towards every living being. The Buddha’s advice is that it is not right for us to take the life of any living being, since every living being has a right to exist. Animals also have fear and pain as do human beings. It is wrong to take their lives.
—Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
There is a common belief in some Buddhist countries that one may eat flesh provided he does not kill the animal with his own hands; but it is not so, because eating is the cause of slaughter. If we become vegetarians, all the butchers will have to close their shops and turn to a better profession. By eating flesh we keep a class of people in a miserable profession. It is not fair that we should force the butchers to go to hell for our sake. If we became vegetarians, then the whole world would be at peace.
—Ven. U Lokanatha
—Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
There is a common belief in some Buddhist countries that one may eat flesh provided he does not kill the animal with his own hands; but it is not so, because eating is the cause of slaughter. If we become vegetarians, all the butchers will have to close their shops and turn to a better profession. By eating flesh we keep a class of people in a miserable profession. It is not fair that we should force the butchers to go to hell for our sake. If we became vegetarians, then the whole world would be at peace.
—Ven. U Lokanatha
- Published on
All methods of Yoga have ethical training and moral perfection as their basis. The eradication of vices and the development of certain virtues form the first step in the ladder of Yoga. - Swami Sivananda
- Published on
Unlike all other exercise systems, yoga is unique in offering regular inversion postures such as headstand, handstand, shoulder stand, legs up the wall, etc. In his book, A Handbook Of Yoga, Eugene Rawls outlines these benefits of inversions:
"Gravity is constantly pulling on us every second of the day, and most of the day we are on our feet. The average person certainly does not have the occasion to have his feet above his head in the course of his usual daily life. The heart has to push blood quite forcefully to circulate it back up to the legs to the upper body. This, plus the force of gravity, plus the customary use of our legs, causes great pressure upon the walls of the blood vessels of the legs. In time, in a certain percentage of people, this pressure distends the walls of the veins, causing a painful and pathological condition which can eventually develop into varicose veins...yoga inversions have a positive effect on that condition."
"Gravity is constantly pulling on us every second of the day, and most of the day we are on our feet. The average person certainly does not have the occasion to have his feet above his head in the course of his usual daily life. The heart has to push blood quite forcefully to circulate it back up to the legs to the upper body. This, plus the force of gravity, plus the customary use of our legs, causes great pressure upon the walls of the blood vessels of the legs. In time, in a certain percentage of people, this pressure distends the walls of the veins, causing a painful and pathological condition which can eventually develop into varicose veins...yoga inversions have a positive effect on that condition."
- Published on
The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence. - Rabindranath Tagore
- Published on
Compassion was so much stressed by Buddha that many regard it as a prerequisite for enlightenment. - Ernest Wood