Find Compassion For All Beings

Thich Nhat Hanh makes some wonderful points in this video that I hadn’t put much thought into.

1. He encourages compassion towards those unable to practice veganism. There are demonstrable examples of both animals and humans for which veganism may not be possible. We harm living beings to our own detriment, so this opportunity to practice the first precept without the greed or delusion inherent in the craving for meat is meaningful. Not all beings have this opportunity.

2. While animals hunt out of necessity, humans hunt beyond necessity. A tiger only hunts when it is hungry and stops eating when it is full. It does not horde the remainder of its meal, instead leaving it for other animals. When humans hunt, especially for wealth, we often keep the excess.

By practicing veganism, and only eating what we need, and eating without causing intentional harm to other living beings, we are able to more easily practice generosity, which benefits both others and ourselves.

I thought was a short, enjoyable clip worth sharing.