"The eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion." -Mahaparinirvana Sutra

I realize that this posting with not be a popular one. But this passage really does it for me - especially the last two lines - and since few people actually comment anyway, I decided to risk annoying meat-eaters (including my dear loved ones) everywhere. It's a small price to pay if only one soul out there is moved by the following exerpts: (Presentation by Steven J. Gelberg at the Assembly of the World's Religions, New Jersey, 15-21 Nov. 1985)

"Because he cannot really sense his own soul, the mundane religionist cannot sense it in other creatures and so thinks nothing of feasting on their slaughtered remains. Insisting that some living creatures have life but no soul, he inadvertently assumes the ideologic posture of the materialist, who reduces life to a mere biological function. Under the sway of this contradiction, he fondles one lesser creature and slaughters another, pampering one as his pet and cannibalizing the other as his dinner. Devoid of even rudimentary consciousness of spirit, he remains blissfully unaware of his sin.

"Belief in souls in animals aside, the mundane religionist lacks the moral keenness and simple compassion to be sickened by the bloody cruelty which he tacitly endorses as a human carnivore. Due to dullness, he remains unaware that the creature he blithely eates had to endure unspeakable suffering in the slaughterhouse - suffering for which he himself, as its chief beneficiary, is responsible.

"His scriptures enjoin 'Thou Shalt Not Kill,' but he kills with blind, grinding routine. 'As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren,' says Jesus, 'you did it to Me.'"

...does it warrant, at least, a thoughtful discussion over dinner?

Love you,
LMA

PS: I have the feeling that something is coming together...something important, but I'm not sure what. Stay tuned...