California's Proposition 2
I grew up in a small town surrounded by family farms, and back home the sight of cattle grazing in pastures is still common. When I was a child I sometimes visited a farm owned by an uncle and aunt, and I remember gathering eggs in the hen house while the hens scratched and pecked outside. I wasn't allowed into the pasture because one of the free-roaming milk cows had a bad temper.
The uncle and aunt were not sentimental about the animals. A hen scratching in the sunshine one day might be fried for dinner the next. But while they lived the animals engaged in the pecking, grazing, rooting and wallowing behaviors of their species without interference.
If only this were true for most farm animals today. Millions of laying hens spend their lives in cages so small they cannot spread their wings. Brood sows are tightly confined so they cannot turn around. The animals cannot roll in the grass or feel the sun. Inhumane treatment of animals is not exclusively a Buddhist issue, but surely it is an issue about which all Buddhists are concerned.
Further, confining many animals together increases risks of diseases like salmonella and bird flu while creating hazardous concentrations of animal waste. Opponents of humane treatment of animals argue that limiting "factory" farms will increase food costs, but there are other costs to consider.
On Tuesday, California voters will vote on Proposition 2, which provides for better treatment of farm animals. Reasonable people have come out for and against the proposition, and I understand concerns that California's agriculture business might be harmed if the proposition passes. Still, I'll be hoping for the best for the animals.
Photo Credit: © Braendan Yong | Dreamstime.com
Comments
I’ve seen some of the discovery channel and TLC shows that show these farm factories and how the animals are treated and it’s rather disturbing. I’m already a vegetarian and after watching those shows it makes eating animals less tempting. I don’t want everyone to become a vegetarian or anything, but a lot of these farm conditions could be a whole lot better, which I think would improve the food that comes from these animals as well.
Unlike Kendall, I WOULD like everyone to become a vegetarian! Unrealistic though this may sound at the moment, if no one ate meat, there would be no cause to kill animals for food. Humans have really created a Hell Realm for ‘domestic’ animals - their life is nothing less than life imprisonment, torture & execution. These creatures may well be suffering for past karma, but as long as factory farming & mass slaughter persist, so do such horrors create causes for similar in the future. One Buddhist Master claims this is the cause of all the wars in our so-called civilised society.
Annie — it’s not that simple, I don’t think. It’s not possible to completely avoid dead-animal products. The historical Buddha was not a vegetarian, btw. I’d rather focus on getting humane treatment for farm animals than try to persuade the rest of the world to be vegetarian.
I disagree. It IS that simple. Animals are not commodities;they are sentient beings. For humans to be considered a civilized and compassionate species, they must end the subjication of those less powerful. It may not be easy, but it is simple. GO VEGAN!!
I respect vegetarianism, but IMO veganism can veer into the extreme in ways that are not in keeping with the Buddhist teachings of the middle way. It’s OK with me if you’re vegan, note, but it’s important not to attach to it.
From the “Buddhism and Vegetarianism” article:
The problem with some extreme practices like veganism is that it seems to be an easy path to moral superiority, but that’s a delusion. I have more respect for a meat-eater who is sincerely working toward more humane treatment of farm animals than a vegan who buys vegan shoes made by forced labor in China.
And the fact remains that you’re not going to get a majority of the population to stop eating meat, like it or not. That’s reality.
If you want to discuss this further, you are welcome to do so in the forum.
I remember hearing a story once of a west African tribe, who consumed animal-flesh as part of their diet. The way this happened, however, was quite unique: the hunters would approach a herd of, say, gazelles. Some distance away from the herd they would stop, and enter into a prayerful communication with the spirit of the herd, expressing their need for food. As they then continued walking, the herd would run away, except for one animal - whose spirit had “consented” to offer its body.
This struck me as such a beautiful example of entering together into a space in which separate “bodies” do not exist, in order for the appearance of “killing-for-food” to happen in a way that is essentially non-violent.
I must say, I absolutely love that this conversation is taking place on this blog.
I go back an forth on this issue. I will sometimes go months at a time without eating meat, and then go back to it (usually for perceived health reasons). No matter how I look at it, I always feel a bad when I eat meat. What I’ve found to be important to my Buddhist practice is my ability to be mindful of the feelings, urges, and hungers that go along with my dietary choices. I know that sounds vague, but I feel that it is a wise approach to dealing with a complex issue - at least for me. The more that I pay attention to these things, the more I am able to discover a middle-way in regards to the food I choose to eat. For me, it’s not about ideals and absolutes. It’s about receiving food with an open heart, regardless of its source.
If I were a California resident, I would most certainly be supporting Prop 2!
Feeling anger seems to be very helpful in facing and understanding it as it is. Feeling the moment always helps in stopping the compulsive thoughts of any nature and thus it is helpful in the management of any emotion.