I want more... I think..

[doogie]

Re: I want more... I think..

I've been reading the Gates of Chan, and there is a section in it where Bodhidharma gives four instructions to his two disciples, Hui Ke and Dao Yu.

1. Act in such a way as to pacify the mind.
2. Act in such a way as to behave properly.
3. Act in such a way as to be congenial to others.
4. Act in such a way as to be natural.

Some of the interpretations given to these simple instructions don't make a whole lot of sense. For instance, number 3 is interpreted as meaning 'don't cause doubt in others,' and "natural" in 4 has been interpreted to mean 'free of all attachments.' These instructions were probably taoist instructions originally, and were adapted to Buddhism. But really, all you need is right there.

1. Shikantaza.
2. Precepts.
3. Treat others with respect (and not just human others).
4. Act according to your own true nature.
a. Is hunting for sport in your true nature (if you're hunting for sport).

[Omoi Otoshi]

Re: I want more... I think..

I've been hunting all my life. In all times, humans have hunted animals for their meat and skins. Our eyes are not set on either side of our head as they are on prey animals, to watch out for predators. Instead they're set more to the front so they can see in the same direction and better judge distance, like on a hunting animal. There's a lot of other biological evidence that evolution meant us to be hunters.

It's true that we as humans have a choice. We can choose not not eat meat. And maybe more of us should be vegetarians, for several reasons. But most of us still eat meat and feel we can be good Buddhists anyway. Not many Zen masters that I've heard of are vegetarians. In my opinion, if you are going to eat meat with as clear a conscience as possible, you should kill the animal yourself. That way you know the truth of what the meat is and where it comes from, without the risk of deluding yourself by buying it sliced and neatly covered in plastic from the super market and not thinking about what it is you're buying. You know where that deer lived, what it fed on, how long it had lived there and that it died without any fear, mistreatment and prolonged pain. I don't feel like a killer and a criminal when I pull that trigger. Instead I feel like I'm part of nature, part of the food chain, part of the circle of life, part of the reality of life. I can enjoy the beauty of the animal, see its buddha nature, feel a strong connection with it, respect it. Does the wolf feel he might get bad karma because he killed that hare? No, of course not. It's in his nature to kill and eat it. Should we kill even a worm for fun? No, I don't think so. Should we kill for food? As long as we don't go against our nature and our heart, I don't see why not.

One day I hope I can again find the time to hunt all the meat I need for myself and my family. I know that if I could, I would feel more peaceful of mind, more properly behaved, more congenial to others and more natural, as Bodhidharma puts it.

[Omoi Otoshi]

Re: I want more... I think..

I think Nishijima Roshi says it well:

"This precept of ‘Do not destroy life’ is not a precept forbidding the taking of all life whatsoever, but rather is a precept asking us to seek to avoid the taking of life wastefully, without reason. This is the precept of our being mindful and reverential of all life, of our seeking not to be violent nor to kill as best we can."