Buddha hopes that
all living beings will cherish life. Killing is a very cruel
act and there is a lot of hatred involved in killing. When you
kill, you kill the compassionate seed in your heart. When you
preserve life, you nature your compassionate heart. The Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas advise us to refrain from killing.
All living beings want to live. Human beings want to live and
are afraid to die. All animals, creatures up to the tiniest
insects also want to live and are afraid to die. They have the
same feelings as us. The only difference is that we have
wisdom.
When
we have a feast, a lot of lives are sacrificed. We eat the
flesh of all sorts of creatures and animals without thought for
the lives that we kill.
We
human beings are afraid of pain. We cry out in pain even when
pick on a needle or get scalded by hot water. When we are sick,
we quickly seek a aid of doctor. We cherish our bodies dearly.
Yet when we swallow the flesh of the animals and creatures we
do not realize the pain and suffering they undergo. We create
bad karma and will have to repay back debts. The Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas exhort us not to kill because the karma of killing
will go in life after life. If we put ourselves in the place of
the animals and creatures we would then realize the pain and
suffering they undergo when they are slaughtered.
We
should not kill espeacially during the following occasions:-
- During
birthdays. We should keep the precepts, liberate lives and
perform all good deeds.
- During
childbirth. It is wrong to kill during this period because
we have just given birth to a new life.
Animals also give birth to live and love their
offspring.
- At
Death and Praying to Ancestors. When you kill during such
times you decrease their merits and blessings. In fact
increase their karma.
- During
marriage. Marriage is a happy occasion. We hope to
procreate so why should we take lives at such times?
- When
we seek blessings. We should be performed good deeds to
increase our blessings. Killing will decrease our
blessings.
- During celebrations.
These are happy occasions. We celebrate in joy, so we want
everyone to be happy. We should not cause any living being
to suffer in order to be happy.
- We
should not have livelihoods that take life. We do not want
to create bad retributions in future lives.
- When
giving presents. We should not give presents that involves
the taking of lives.
May
all living beings abstain from all evils and may they practice
wholesome deeds. May they protect and treat all beings just as
they would as their relatives and friends. By doing so, they
will indeed be acting in accord with kind wishes of the
virtuous sages and worthies of the past.
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