Monica- Thanks for clarifying your stance about the language. Those words are healing. I hope what I say here comes out correctly as my intentions are not to hurt but heal only...
You may be surprised to know that I am a vegetarian (OK, may be not a 100% and purist in that sense but a close 95%). My entire family is vegetarian, they are pure 100% text book vegetarian (well some of them eat eggs occasionally). We don't cook meat at home. We never have, even at my parent's home. And I grew up respecting life in all forms. I remember my father telling me a story about how we should not disturb the plants in the evening as they are sleeping. So we never plucked anything from our garden in the evening or we tried to avoid it. The stories about the tribal people bowing to the trees and plants before they harness them have made deep impression on me. I grew up respecting animals and even insects the same way. Even now if a see an occasional spider in the house, I try to rescue it on a piece of paper and drop it in the garden outside. Of course we have to use weed killer and even bug sprays to maintain a modern day living. But we don't do it in a nonchalant way.
Hope fully this helps you understand where I am coming from. Respect for all life forms including animals. And I completely understand your point about animals being more human like, I guess that is because we use this 2D shell of a body that came from their group.
I got engaged in this conversation when I noticed the hyper tone and some graphic language. That alarmed me as I sensed it might be creating guilt in some people's mind. It is easy to feel guilty and our lives are full of guilt. We don't need another reason to feel guilty or even look down upon from someone else. I can now understand that was not your intention but it was my perception. Personally I did not feel guilty as I know my heart and it has respect and love for all beings humans, animals and plants alike. They all have that spark of one infinite creator.
I also noticed to my chagrin that our engagement was very debate like which I was trying to avoid. Debate is not my style. I take a topic in and explore my heart and express whatever comes out. I am not into rebuttals or counter points. I also want to experience other person's expression from the heart not a mental back and forth. But that is just me and it does not have to be that way. Just helps you to understand where I am coming from. Personally I could care less what people eat. I think and believe that a predominantly vegetarian diet is healthy and healing. But I would never want to force it upon others. Let it be a choice. I am totally supportive of education of benefits of vegetarian diet that does not create a sense of guilt in people's mind.
The other day during my meditation, I realize that all strength comes from the heart, that was a new revelation to me. I think this whole process of discussing, disagreeing, falling apart and now coming together has its own rhythm and its own beauty. I cherish all of us here and what we are becoming together. We are not perfect and get drawn into drama and I am as guilty of that as anybody else. But we all strive to be our higher self and be as much loving as we can be, however imperfect we are. we come back and try to fix it. I have seen this in you Monica to come back and extend your arms and be open and loving with humility and integrity...
I sincerely think that all of us have taken this opportunity/catalyst and used it not as a roadblock but as a stepping stone to soar higher in understanding and love... And I thank all of you for that
You may be surprised to know that I am a vegetarian (OK, may be not a 100% and purist in that sense but a close 95%). My entire family is vegetarian, they are pure 100% text book vegetarian (well some of them eat eggs occasionally). We don't cook meat at home. We never have, even at my parent's home. And I grew up respecting life in all forms. I remember my father telling me a story about how we should not disturb the plants in the evening as they are sleeping. So we never plucked anything from our garden in the evening or we tried to avoid it. The stories about the tribal people bowing to the trees and plants before they harness them have made deep impression on me. I grew up respecting animals and even insects the same way. Even now if a see an occasional spider in the house, I try to rescue it on a piece of paper and drop it in the garden outside. Of course we have to use weed killer and even bug sprays to maintain a modern day living. But we don't do it in a nonchalant way.
Hope fully this helps you understand where I am coming from. Respect for all life forms including animals. And I completely understand your point about animals being more human like, I guess that is because we use this 2D shell of a body that came from their group.
I got engaged in this conversation when I noticed the hyper tone and some graphic language. That alarmed me as I sensed it might be creating guilt in some people's mind. It is easy to feel guilty and our lives are full of guilt. We don't need another reason to feel guilty or even look down upon from someone else. I can now understand that was not your intention but it was my perception. Personally I did not feel guilty as I know my heart and it has respect and love for all beings humans, animals and plants alike. They all have that spark of one infinite creator.
I also noticed to my chagrin that our engagement was very debate like which I was trying to avoid. Debate is not my style. I take a topic in and explore my heart and express whatever comes out. I am not into rebuttals or counter points. I also want to experience other person's expression from the heart not a mental back and forth. But that is just me and it does not have to be that way. Just helps you to understand where I am coming from. Personally I could care less what people eat. I think and believe that a predominantly vegetarian diet is healthy and healing. But I would never want to force it upon others. Let it be a choice. I am totally supportive of education of benefits of vegetarian diet that does not create a sense of guilt in people's mind.
The other day during my meditation, I realize that all strength comes from the heart, that was a new revelation to me. I think this whole process of discussing, disagreeing, falling apart and now coming together has its own rhythm and its own beauty. I cherish all of us here and what we are becoming together. We are not perfect and get drawn into drama and I am as guilty of that as anybody else. But we all strive to be our higher self and be as much loving as we can be, however imperfect we are. we come back and try to fix it. I have seen this in you Monica to come back and extend your arms and be open and loving with humility and integrity...
I sincerely think that all of us have taken this opportunity/catalyst and used it not as a roadblock but as a stepping stone to soar higher in understanding and love... And I thank all of you for that
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