Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Deer Thay. I have been veggi person almost my whole life, and now I'm vegan because of your teachings learned from your marvelous community at the monastery, and I feel greater than before. Evangelina Cortes.
Thay is great. In talking about compassion, though, I think he missed the original question. He's 87, so we'll cut him some slack! It was "It hurts me when I hear about animal suffering. I just don't understand how to get past it." ..The question really isn't specifically about animal suffering, but rather the feelings of empathetic suffering and a sense of helplessness. I feel your pain. For the sake of both of us, we need to get beyond our attachment to suffering - our own suffering as well as the suffering of others. Now we are making a distinction between compassion for all living beings, including ourselves, and empathy. Compassion identifies the suffering of others and seeks to reduce suffering whenever possible. With empathy we take on the suffering of others, but in so doing we are increasing suffering in the world, by adding our own suffering to it. Thus, empathy accomplishes the OPPOSITE of compassion: Empathy means there is now MORE suffering in the world, because we suffer with the other sentient being. Be compassionate. Reduce suffering where you can; that means that you must be compassionate to yourself as well. If you cannot alleviate the suffering, we must not add to it. Be compassionate toward yourself. Eliminate the suffering over which you have control, recognizing that in this world there is much suffering. If you cannot alleviate it, at the very least do not add to suffering by adding your own. The TL;DR take-away: You are not helpless. Practice compassion rather than empathy. Alleviate suffering wherever you can, even if the only suffering you alleviate is only your own.
Thank you Dharma Nature. I have never heard it put that way. It makes a great deal of sense. I think this will be very very helpful to me. I do alleviate animal suffering wherever I can (I am vegan, animal right activist, rescue,etc etc) but I see now - instead of empathy (in which I have been suffering miserably over their suffering) I will focus on the compassion. Thank you. _/\_
Thank you so much Dharma Nature. I've been strugling so deep with this... Im very empathic with animal suffering and it afects me in ways sometimes I cant control. Meditation and prayer helps (Im a yoga and meditation teacher), but really all my journey had increase my sensitivenes.. i know this opens a purpose and the need of my heart to serve the best I can but sometimes is really hard... thank you (and sorry for my english)
Thank you I needed this. I just broke my heart over this. 🤮 lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yousign.org%2Fmedia-t-4753&h=AT1kgdQZ9qkMn-fuFyQnm7fosFSlvnxkQnWDagGN_14pdXyyP6B2DRn8daWtKzHg3lI6yc8_RBhBVhubsviyGPUQUIlL9R4spTqmq1mirI7X7o6L8rTypmQsK8gQdDTm&s=1
Vegetarianism also causes suffering. Ethical veganism is the only answer and are the true animal lovers, we don't discriminate all deserve to be unharmed and treated with compassion. I appreciate this man's efforts. A real guru unlike sad guru #FalseProphet
I agree with you. I am a vegan but it is hard to convince people to go the full distance from the start. If people start by being a vegetarian that's a huge step in the right direction. Once they can do that, it becomes much easier to go the full distance and become vegan.
He's speaking vegetarianism from a Vietnamese persepctive. In Vietnamese culture, vegetarian and vegan is used interchangably and is associated with Buddhism. For context, he actually means veganism because in Vietnamese Monks are forbidden to use animals or klll then. In VIetnamese, we call veganism "pure vegetarian" or thuần chay.
Animals suffer and we have compassion for them but feel helpless about what to do. Thay tells us that a place to begin is to stop EATING animals. Just about every animal is eaten by at least one culture including cats, dogs, birds, etc. Apart from that, I try to be kind to my pooch and other animals I get to know. I can't reach them all. But I still care about them all.
Stopping consumption of animal is pretty easy and the only viable way to begin treating them with compassion tradition is a feeble excuse to feel good about your relationship with them while you pay for their horrible treatment and murder.
Can't be any simpler that the first words spoken. Stop eating animals, learn to eat more compassionately. Loving animals as individuals is okay, but to respect animals by not using them is what he's talking about.
Thank you! For yeras I am not eating meat anymore!, because I have compassion for the animals and NOT because for my own health, like many do and this is more egoistic, becuase of the compassion for animals is more altruistic!
Agriculture is responsible for a staggering 80 percent of deforestation, causing humans and animals to lose their homes, and throwing entire ecosystems - as well as our planet - off balance. Soy production is one major culprit, destroying four million hectares of forest in South America every year. But before you go blaming tofu, remember that the vast majority of soy is being used to feed livestock, not humans.
Thank you for sharing that last part. The majority of agriculture, sadly, is used for feeding livestock, not humans. Deforestation also occurs for ranching, ergo livestock contributes two to three-fold to deforestation and erosion of soil as opposed to converting to a purely vegan lifestyle. There is no logical or moral argument against veganism. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality, and that means ending our wholesale slaughter of every species on this planet for sensual pleasure.
"It takes one acre of land to produce 250 pounds of beef, where that same amount of land can produce 30,000 pounds of carrots or 53,000 pounds of potatoes"
'Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read or hear from others, whether of authority, religous teachers or texts.' Buddha.
Didn't really answer question to me. Besides being vegan what about others inflicting cruelty on animals everyday. I feel I am going insane with this grief
Compassion is the operative word. Compassion for yourself. We must remember to be thankful to the very plants and remember that many, many small creatures are killed when fields are harvested, things such as nesting and ground dwelling birds, mice, rabbits and insects. Most societies eat grains like wheat, corn and rice yet these fields require extensive harvesting and replanting with usually kills many hundreds or thousands of sentient beings. So often our fear of death can distort our feelings. Animals suffer for people's needs that are unrelated, often, to food.
"Agriculture is responsible for a staggering 80 percent of deforestation, causing humans and animals to lose their homes, and throwing entire ecosystems - as well as our planet - off balance. Soy production is one major culprit, destroying four million hectares of forest in South America every year. But before you go blaming tofu, remember that the vast majority of soy is being used to feed livestock, not humans".
this guy is the original vegan! Respect for this dude and his message of compassion towards animals!
So glad that atleast one such spiritual leader exists that practices what they preach.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Deer Thay. I have been veggi person almost my whole life, and now I'm vegan because of your teachings learned from your marvelous community at the monastery, and I feel greater than before. Evangelina Cortes.
Thay is great. In talking about compassion, though, I think he missed the original question. He's 87, so we'll cut him some slack! It was "It hurts me when I hear about animal suffering. I just don't understand how to get past it." ..The question really isn't specifically about animal suffering, but rather the feelings of empathetic suffering and a sense of helplessness.
I feel your pain. For the sake of both of us, we need to get beyond our attachment to suffering - our own suffering as well as the suffering of others. Now we are making a distinction between compassion for all living beings, including ourselves, and empathy.
Compassion identifies the suffering of others and seeks to reduce suffering whenever possible. With empathy we take on the suffering of others, but in so doing we are increasing suffering in the world, by adding our own suffering to it. Thus, empathy accomplishes the OPPOSITE of compassion: Empathy means there is now MORE suffering in the world, because we suffer with the other sentient being.
Be compassionate. Reduce suffering where you can; that means that you must be compassionate to yourself as well. If you cannot alleviate the suffering, we must not add to it. Be compassionate toward yourself. Eliminate the suffering over which you have control, recognizing that in this world there is much suffering. If you cannot alleviate it, at the very least do not add to suffering by adding your own.
The TL;DR take-away: You are not helpless. Practice compassion rather than empathy. Alleviate suffering wherever you can, even if the only suffering you alleviate is only your own.
Thank you Dharma Nature. I have never heard it put that way. It makes a great deal of sense. I think this will be very very helpful to me. I do alleviate animal suffering wherever I can (I am vegan, animal right activist, rescue,etc etc) but I see now - instead of empathy (in which I have been suffering miserably over their suffering) I will focus on the compassion. Thank you. _/\_
Thank you so much Dharma Nature. I've been strugling so deep with this... Im very empathic with animal suffering and it afects me in ways sometimes I cant control. Meditation and prayer helps (Im a yoga and meditation teacher), but really all my journey had increase my sensitivenes.. i know this opens a purpose and the need of my heart to serve the best I can but sometimes is really hard... thank you (and sorry for my english)
Thank you I needed this. I just broke my heart over this. 🤮 lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yousign.org%2Fmedia-t-4753&h=AT1kgdQZ9qkMn-fuFyQnm7fosFSlvnxkQnWDagGN_14pdXyyP6B2DRn8daWtKzHg3lI6yc8_RBhBVhubsviyGPUQUIlL9R4spTqmq1mirI7X7o6L8rTypmQsK8gQdDTm&s=1
Vegetarianism also causes suffering. Ethical veganism is the only answer and are the true animal lovers, we don't discriminate all deserve to be unharmed and treated with compassion. I appreciate this man's efforts. A real guru unlike sad guru #FalseProphet
I agree with you. I am a vegan but it is hard to convince people to go the full distance from the start. If people start by being a vegetarian that's a huge step in the right direction. Once they can do that, it becomes much easier to go the full distance and become vegan.
He's speaking vegetarianism from a Vietnamese persepctive. In Vietnamese culture, vegetarian and vegan is used interchangably and is associated with Buddhism. For context, he actually means veganism because in Vietnamese Monks are forbidden to use animals or klll then. In VIetnamese, we call veganism "pure vegetarian" or thuần chay.
Animals suffer and we have compassion for them but feel helpless about what to do. Thay tells us that a place to begin is to stop EATING animals. Just about every animal is eaten by at least one culture including cats, dogs, birds, etc. Apart from that, I try to be kind to my pooch and other animals I get to know. I can't reach them all. But I still care about them all.
Stopping consumption of animal is pretty easy and the only viable way to begin treating them with compassion tradition is a feeble excuse to feel good about your relationship with them while you pay for their horrible treatment and murder.
Can't be any simpler that the first words spoken. Stop eating animals, learn to eat more compassionately. Loving animals as individuals is okay, but to respect animals by not using them is what he's talking about.
Thank you! For yeras I am not eating meat anymore!, because I have compassion for the animals and NOT because for my own health, like many do and this is more egoistic, becuase of the compassion for animals is more altruistic!
Thanks you for your wise words and many teachings. Now the world must do it without you and do something with your teachings. R.I.P.
I adore this beloved master!
Agriculture is responsible for a staggering 80 percent of deforestation, causing humans and animals to lose their homes, and throwing entire ecosystems - as well as our planet - off balance. Soy production is one major culprit, destroying four million hectares of forest in South America every year. But before you go blaming tofu, remember that the vast majority of soy is being used to feed livestock, not humans.
Thank you for sharing that last part. The majority of agriculture, sadly, is used for feeding livestock, not humans. Deforestation also occurs for ranching, ergo livestock contributes two to three-fold to deforestation and erosion of soil as opposed to converting to a purely vegan lifestyle. There is no logical or moral argument against veganism. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality, and that means ending our wholesale slaughter of every species on this planet for sensual pleasure.
Many thanks for animals 💚
Respect all species! Animal comes from anima which means spirit. We are all spirits!
"It takes one acre of land to produce 250 pounds of beef, where that same amount of land can produce 30,000 pounds of carrots or 53,000 pounds of potatoes"
So true ....
I just found out about this channel. Looks like I've got a lot of catching up to do.
Thay is such a great individual. He's taught me so much
Thank you for sharing this beautiful message!
Muchas gracias! Es muy enriquecedor escuchar estas respuestas y una alegría sentir este ida y vuelta de la interlocución.
Thanks so much for posting this!
I wish he could live so much longer.
He does ,There is no death ,Just a change of world .Life is eternal ❤
I had no idea alcohol caused such suffering.
Thank you 🙏
would you pray to whatever to stop the suffering of animals on eartth?
if your prayer would mean
the end of humanity?
?
i would.
Dankeschön 💓🙏🌼
I wish he had answered the question…
Compassion.
Can someone tell me about the 5 contemplations? Thank you
@Wisconsin Woodsman thank you
I miss the food from Deer Park Monastery
Thank you
'Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read or hear from others, whether of authority, religous teachers or texts.' Buddha.
What can i do when i see humans suffer?
Try to spread as much love and compassion to others as possible
Didn't really answer question to me. Besides being vegan what about others inflicting cruelty on animals everyday. I feel I am going insane with this grief
Compassion for others, is compassion for yourself. 💚
Compassion is the operative word. Compassion for yourself. We must remember to be thankful to the very plants and remember that many, many small creatures are killed when fields are harvested, things such as nesting and ground dwelling birds, mice, rabbits and insects. Most societies eat grains like wheat, corn and rice yet these fields require extensive harvesting and replanting with usually kills many hundreds or thousands of sentient beings. So often our fear of death can distort our feelings. Animals suffer for people's needs that are unrelated, often, to food.
Stop eating animals we need to eat so crop production is a necessary evil animal agriculture is not.
All life suffers. It lives for a bit, and then it dies. We all do the same.
www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/livestock-feed-and-habitat-destruction/
Most of Our Grain is Being Consumed by Animals, Not Humans
"Agriculture is responsible for a staggering 80 percent of deforestation, causing humans and animals to lose their homes, and throwing entire ecosystems - as well as our planet - off balance. Soy production is one major culprit, destroying four million hectares of forest in South America every year. But before you go blaming tofu, remember that the vast majority of soy is being used to feed livestock, not humans".
That not a answer
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏