[Buddha-l] Re: Buddhist pacifism

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Mon, 2005-10-17 at 20:18 +0100, Mike Austin wrote:

> I don't eat very much meat, but when I do, I don't think my actions of
> body, speech and mind are bad.

It is not a matter of seeing anything as good or bad. Rather, it is a
matter of noting that there is suffering in the world and that one is
doing one's part in contributing to it and then being willing to
consider trying to act in ways that reduce the contribution one is
making to the unnecessary suffering that sentient beings suffer. Clarity
of mind, honest and mindfulness do not require feeling guilty; indeed,
feelings of guilt may cloud the mind more than clarifying it.

As long as we are disclosing our personal habits, nowadays I eat fish
and chicken from time to time. I don't, however, try to justify it. I
see it as about the same as when I used to smoke tobacco, even though I
also firmly believed it was causing myself and others quite a lot of
avoidable suffering. 

There is such a thing as weakness of will. When one has it, one causes
suffering. There is no need to see that as morally blameworthy, but it
does not hurt to recognize that it's too bad that things work out this
way. Far more productive that blaming oneself and others who have
weakness of character, I think, is rejoicing that there are people
around us who are strong in ways in which we are weak and that we may,
in time, cultivate more strength in ourselves by seeing those who are
around us.

-- 
Richard Hayes