[Buddha-l] Re: on eating meat

[Mike Austin]

In message <a1372a7913948cfc2588fbb9f0e22323 at mindspring.com>, Jim 
Peavler <jpeavler at mindspring.com> writes
>
>> If one is thinking in terms of future lives with the dedication of 
>>those lives to achieving an improved position from which to help 
>>others, it is important not to compromise those lives by 
>>ill-considered actions in the present life. In this context, one's 
>>karma vipaka is not just a personal reward or punishment, but 
>>something that has implications for others. If such a perspective is 
>>not appreciated, it could appear that concern with karma and its 
>>ripening is merely a narrow and selfish concern.
>
>I guess I am confused again. These future lives you are concerned 
>about, which make the concern about karma not a selfish concern, don't 
>they have some direct connect with some form of "you"? Are you most 
>interested in being the best person you can be right now or about 
>making sure you don't somehow, accidentally, blow your next lives?

It is because these 'future lives' have some connect with "I" that it is 
important to consider them. What is the point of being concerned with an 
"I" that exists right now?  I could be the best I can now but, should it 
be unsustainable, for what purpose would I do that?  The "I" that is now 
is already gone. It is with an "eye" to the future that one improves the 
"I" now.  What is the purpose of being the best person one can be now if 
there is no time over which this 'best' can manifest - or even be deemed 
to be a 'best'?

It seems to me this is the critical balance for any practitioner: how to 
balance how one is at present with how one will be in the future - be it 
seconds, years or lives away. It is how one behaves now and how one will 
behave in the future.  We probably all have different balances according 
to our dispositions.

-- 
Metta
Mike Austin