Shouldn't love and compassion be extended to all sentient beings...
 

**Alert for sensitive people, esp regarding Animals** Esp. first 2 sentences! -Miss Hepburn


On last month (January 22), as I was arriving from the market after buying a pair of slippers, I stopped at a scenic place full of greenery and with young buffalo calves tied to trees. As I was enjoying the scene I found that there was a slaughterhouse in a nearby building and the animals were actually meant for slaughter. :icon_eek:

Having seen a few youtube videos recently on the brutality of animal slaughter in slaughterhouses, I sympathized with the young calves and felt sorry for them. One of the calves was bleating a lot repeatedly indicating stress, and I went forward to it hoping to comfort it a bit.

Interestingly, the calf, seeing me coming near, itself came near to me indicating interest in sociability and companionship.

I stroked his head and face lovingly for some time, at which he visibly relaxed. He poked his face at me for some more strokes which I obliged. The continuous bleating stopped, and he started eating the grass around staying next to me, peacefully.

While stroking, I was surprised to see a clear dark line of tear streams from his eyes to the lower part of his face. I wondered whether this was actually tears of emotion, or tears associated with eye infection or hormonal biochemical changes or something.

(Checking the internet the next day, I found that there had been an instance of a calf visibly crying after its mother was knocked down dead by a truck while crossing a road.There were similar articles and videos in this regard.

https://sg.tv.yahoo.com/newsflare/bu...120000441.html )

Later reflecting on this experience, I remembered a orphaned girl I met a decade back, and whose head I stroked affectionately. She had similarly and very tangibly relaxed after a single friendly stroke on the head.

Imo, based on these experiences, children, whether human or animal, are quite sensitive and insecure when without their family, and suffer from high stress levels.

I think, in terms of animal rights, young calves or infant animals should be exempt from slaughter at least till they had matured or grown up.

Returning back I was glad that I had turned to vegetarianism and was not contributing to animal slaughter in this regard.

Just be careful you get B12 supplementation, and all the essential amino-acids.

Also, be careful not to be angry, nor hate those that disagree with your views, as that will bring into your life more of the same. Be careful not to wallow in compassion either, better flip to feeling and thinking in terms of the present, and of positive outcomes, no matter the chances.

Yes, ime animals have the same feelings as us (humans).

Spirit is in everything and everyone, including our animal brethren.

Thanks for your post. I'm very sorry, I have eaten meat and the industry stinks.

On crying animals, my grandmother told me that when animals would be taken away to be killed, that they would cry.

I haven't given a Hindu answer in awhile. Let me indulge.

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To certain levels of life forms, gods that are apart of what I label as Krishna or survival based realities, human's are seen as the same way as we see cattle, we are batteries to them to be used to serve the greater planes of existence within reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IojqOMWTgv8

A good mental model is thinking of these as Predators that you know of here on planet earth. Predators love Herbivores and hate plants.

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To other certain levels of life forms, gods that are apart of what I label as Brahma, human's are cherished and love and taken cared of as apart of everything. They believe in all forms of sentience, even the rights of a ant, and believe in unconditional love for all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjuQRCG_sUw

A good mental model is thinking of these as plants that you know of here on planet earth. Plants love Predators and hate Herbivores.

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To other levels of life form, gods that are apart of what I label as vishnu, humans are seen in the same way as we may see pets or animals that are apart of our very existence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNQ7MizG1l0

A good mental model is thinking of these as herbivores that you know of here on planet earth. Herbivores love plants but hate Predators.

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I personally know that there are more than three principal ideologies built around life, and to any real spiritualist, we know that all of these are true and we exist within all of these possibilities, and so much more, as all of this life lives within Gaia here on planet Earth, but it seems this level of answer will suit your viewpoint. Pick your 3D path if you want. Enjoy the ride.

Hi Inavalan,

Thank you for the nutritional information regarding vitamin B12. :smile:

Vitamin B12 and mineral Iron are two of the nutritional ingredients missing in vegan foods.

I do stress that those who opt for a vegan or vegetarian diet, should consult with their dietitians or doctors to ensure a balanced vegan/vegetarian diet with all the necessary nutrients needed.

It is possible that many non-vegetarians become vegetarian due to consideration of ethical reasons of nonviolence and compassion, but fail to adhere to a proper vegan/vegetarian diet with all the necessary nutrients required for proper health carelessly. This should be avoided and there is no excuse for doing one's due diligence in this regard. This can also potentially harm the noble cause that one is advocating for as well.

Vegetarian diet tend to be lower than non-vegetarian foods in iron, and this can lead to fatigue. By ensuring foods rich in iron and vitamin c ( that felicitates absorption of iron) vegans/vegetarians can easily overcome any potential issues in this regard.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition...ron-absorption

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition...ch-plant-foods


Similarly, Vitamin B12 can be obtained from vegetarian food described in these links...

https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/...-b12-foods.php

https://www.healthline.com/health/vi...refixedContent

Fortifified cereals and suppplements can also easily cover up iron and vitamin B12 requirements.

Just remember that although it can never hurt not eating meat, there is a lot of other animal products in the foods we eat, and in our medication( they have all been tested on animals, most of them anyways). When taking B12 it is not recommended to take a high dose everyday, but a smaller amount because most leaves our bodies. You can also decide to eat less meat. Be careful not to go extreme. Moderation is the key here. As much as I agree with your views, you also have to think about yourself and what is healthy for you.

I am totally vegetarian and content with it. :smile:

I come from a nonvegetarian family, and became vegetarian out of choice many years ago.

I have noticed that my nonvegetarian family members and cousins have suffered from painful kidney stones and had to take surgery to get them removed. I never suffered from the same.

A cousin with this issue of kidney stones told me that his physician advised him to cut down on meat products.



Similarly nonvegetarian diet has been associated with higher incidence of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which extracts the highest death toll in the western world and globally as well.

https://www.wcrf.org/int/research-we...ur-risk-cancer

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...r/art-20457590



People who often eat non-veg often are more prone to get heart disease. Due to high cholesterol accumulation in blood capillary this results in atherosclerosis.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/255644#1

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321992


That is why I have stated one must do one's due diligence in determining all vegetarian products that make up for a balanced diet and supplies all necessary nutrition to the body.

Boost, horlicks and other nutrition drinks can also help in this regard to ensure balanced nutrition. Counseling a dietitian or a physician can also help to gain necessary information.

There is also a self-suggesting / self-healing factor when we adopt a behavior change that we believe to be good for us.

"Having seen a few youtube videos recently on the brutality of animal slaughter in slaughterhouses, I sympathized with the young calves and felt sorry for them. One of the calves was bleating a lot repeatedly indicating stress, and I went forward to it hoping to comfort it a bit."

Yes. If only people had to go out, hunt, kill and dress the meat they eat, you bet consumption would go down a great deal.

It probably takes a particular mentality to kill animals on a production line but there are those willing to do so so that others can buy chunks of dead body in supermarkets and provisions shops without getting near the more messy side.

However, it is part of the food chain thing. Is it so different from a bird on my lawn grubbing around for insects?
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Agreed.

Humans have been so arrogant - rarely acknowledging that animals a) have intelligence, b) communicate with each other as well as with the environment, c) are capable of emotions (shows well with dogs but probably applies to all animate life) and d) are capable of planning and strategy and in some respects have superior abilities than humans.

It's also possible that some of the species recognised to have social organisation also have politics, so much worse for them!

I often look to the ants - have mentioned that before here: for singlemindedness, strategy, project planning over credibly long periods, and working together they exceed humans by miles given the size of their brains.
If only humans could do the same the world would be a hugely different place.
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