[Buddha-l] Re: on eating meat and pets

[Hugo]

Hola Laura,

On 10/25/05, Laura Castell <laura.castell at jcu.edu.au> wrote:
> >I see it as a difference between the actions of non-human animals and
> >humans that we can think and control our insticts a bit more, ideally for
> >the good.

Some humans...........just think of some drug addicts that kill for
money because they feel the need to consume more drugs...........or
rapists.


> >When I was a teenager I went on a trip to a
> >very isolated place and met indians that were not often in contact with
> >'white fellows from the city'. I found greed and selfishness and at that
> >time it made me very sad because I had naively thought it was the
> >opposite, we are basically good and turn ugly as we grow. I see it
> >differently now, we have the basic instincts to be the ones who win the
> >best piece of food and provide the best for our family, etc etc.

The root of all that is the sense of "I" and "mine".

For most people if they see two men fighting on the street they won't
stop to do something, but if one of the men is their father, their
son, their brother, etc. they will stop.


> Yes, of course I think the unhappy, angry person deserves compassion. What
> I am trying to understand is why a happy cat that just had a nice meal
> needs compassion.

Compassion is something that "comes from within", thus if the
conditions are proper compassion will arise, it doesn't matter if the
"target" "deserves" it or not.

If you "evaluate" and determine that the "target" does need
"compassion" then I think that whatever you are feeling is not true
compassion but something else.


> Otherwise we would
> need to learn to feel compassion for everything good as well as for
> everything bad. Is that the aim?

Compassion (Pali: Karuna) is related to when suffering arises,
sympathetic joy (Pali: Mudita) is related to when something good
happens. (search for 4 Brahmaviharas for more details)

Greetings,
--
Hugo