Vegan activists, and all who care about justice, this post is for you. And, for those who are not yet vegan, you may remember these words one day after you’ve gone vegan and the evolution of your vegan journey compels you to become some sort of activist.
In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation, Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh (whose practice centers went vegan in 2007), wrote:
“It is true that the Buddha taught the truth of suffering, but he also taught the truth of “dwelling happily in things as they are”…”
For those of us whose eyes have opened to really see the suffering of the non-human animals, the sadness and despair can get overwhelming. We so desperately want to stop the annual killing of billions of land animals and trillions of fish and marine life.
Later in the book, Thich Nhat Hanh wrote:
“Yes, there is tremendous suffering all over the world, but knowing this need not paralyze us…. we try our best to help, and we can have peace in our heart…. your anxiety will only make things worse. Even though things are not as we would like, we can still be content, knowing we are trying our best and will continue to do so…. Without happiness we cannot be a refuge for others.”
So, somehow we each find our way of “dwelling happily in things as they are” — which does not mean that we approve of things like animal agriculture, but rather we cultivate our own happiness and peace while simultaneously speaking out against the slaughter of living beings.
Prayers for more human beings to open their eyes to really see the suffering of the non-human animals. May humankind truly become kind and show mercy to the innocent defenseless animals, including the cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, fish, lambs, and all feeling beings.
♥️♥️🐂♥️🐂♥️♥️
Calf, numbered 29: Teagan Turner on Unsplash.
