Why I am not a vegan

[Diana]

I guess you could say I apply as above, so below, the holographic principle. Within every slight suffering is the greatest suffering and in the most subtle compassion is the most radiant compassion. So, for me, it is hard not to view others equally through the eyes of compassion. I am not intending to counter your experience, only to offer you some experience had by another self for your contemplation.

No need to apologize for countering my arguments. I invite counterpoints—it's mind expanding.

As to your above supposition, well said. It is a good theory. But in practical terms is it useful, beyond intellectually, here in 3D?

Making choices while under the veil is what we are doing here. So to know the above intellectually, in my opinion, is less useful than having a discernment system within which to make choices based on higher principals such as compassion (as opposed to personal gain at the expense of others).

Regarding humans, I have always been of the opinion that everyone's pain, whether they're stuck in a slum or in a privileged situation, is relative and to each just as intense and challenging. So I get the idea. Let me say that yes, intellectually, compassion is compassion, pain is pain. But in the case of the suffering of a factory-farmed animal and a human waking up to the horrors of it, let me break it down.

The factory-farmed animal, and I am going to be general here as I don't want to be too graphic about specific circumstances, is kept penned all it's life—some in crazy-small places where they can barely move, force fed unnatural food, unable to enjoy walking around in the sun, unable to keep warm in their herd by huddling together, it's babies torn away from them, is jabbed with antibiotics and growth hormones and some are branded, beaks are cut off, they are tortured and treated without compassion their whole lives, then they are taken to slaughter. Every sort of meat animal tries to flee and is in terror. The slaughter is not kind, Some are bled. There ends a life of suffering every day, lived only to be cheap food for humans.

Compare this to a person. The person is living his or her life in blissful ignorance of where their meat comes from. She sees a show on TV that enlightens her about the situation. She loves her family and is a compassionate person. She is appalled at the conditions. She may even be sobbing and heartbroken at the plight of the animals. She then is forced to confront some choices and other emotions that arise, perhaps guilt or anger. This person also has a life. She may have a job. Her life is full of happy, sad, challenging, enjoyable etc. experiences. She is free to choose them each as they arise. If she wants to get married and have children that is a possibility; if she wants to sit in the sun and drink lemonade on a Sunday afternoon, she can. So she becomes aware of the plight of meat animals. It causes her pain, and now a choice is before her: what does she do about it? She can choose to do nothing or something. If she makes the choice that is in her heart, she will feel good about it.

Would you feel the same compassion for both? It's not about being conditional. It's discernment. The meat animal is in more need. Would Ra have come to us without the call—our need for them? The animals are calling to us. We as humans can make our own decisions and we are sometimes in pain. The animals in question live their whole lives in some sort of pain. Is there no difference between the two?