Happy Lunar New Year
Happy New Year
Well, we have arrived home from our exploration and it was a great success. My journey alone was great and I did manage to catch up with the others after a few days journey. We arrived home only a few weeks ago. Just in time for the Buddhist new year. Within Mahayana Buddhism, the new year is celebrated on the first new moon of the year. Yesterday was the Chinese new year occurring on the new moon in February. We had many celebrations take place within the village. Together, we gathered and chanted to bring in the new year. We sounded horns and bells and played our singing bowls.
Personally, i love to take this time to reflect on the past year and my accomplishments and set goals for what I hope to work towards in the coming months. There are many changes coming within the town with the conclusion of our formal teachings fast approaching. The days are getting longer and the sun rises earlier each day. As we prepare for the seasons change, I look forward to the sun and a new environment. The lunar new year is an excellent time to refocus what you are working towards in your spiritual religious practice. One may also consider this a time of rededication or rebirth.
With everything that has happened within the community this past year, this lunar new year couldn’t be coming at a greater time. From hailstorms to naga illnesses our community has pulled through together- focusing our energy where it is needed and only grown in strength. This new year, I think it is a great opportunity to acknowledge all that we have experienced this year and what we have pulled through- how far we have come both individually and collectively.
One thing that has bothered me for years about the Tibetan new year is the traditional ‘treat’ of ‘Momo’s’. Momo’s have been described as ‘juicy beef dumplings’ popular in Tibet as a traditional new year treat and has been described by the Dalai Lama. I believe this substance to be of great controversy given most Tibetans are Buddhists who would avoid taking a life but when it comes to consumption- they are also great lovers of meat. Momo’s are considered the unofficial national dish of Tibet.
As a vegan and a Buddhist, I do not believe that there is any reason for us to be taking the life of the product of another animal for our own survival. We are at a place now where we are able to survive on a cruelty free plant based diet and so we must do so. Especially considered such topics of Buddhism and the religion’s emphasis on the equal life of every sentient being- we should not be okay with our society hiring individuals to murder animals for our own greed/pleasure. The new year is supposed to be a time of rebirth- how can one be spiritually focused if they are surviving numerous creatures for their own diet? With so many alternatives available, why choose cruelty- especially as a Buddhist.
With this in mind, I do plan to create my own vegan vegetable dumplings to share with the community in order to raise awareness for the animals sent to slaughter and a vegan life-style. Given my position as a doctor within the town I do believe it is my duty to raise awareness for the sake of our communities health and well being.
I also plan to take further action against this wrong-doing. Given that there is an animal farm in town where the owner has admitted they slaughter animals on site- I plan to gather my one other vegan friend in the community and hold a vigil for the animals slaughtered for our communities new year festivities. I believe that if we were to collectively bear witness to what these animals are going through- how wrong it truly is to take a life for the sake of a 5 minute meal or one night celebration — we will discovered new alternatives and change our ways.
Buddhist ideologies surrounding the eating of meat and killing of animals, I think, can be summed up in this following sentence:
“The karmic load of killing one rabbit and one yak are the same: one life,” he said. “But you can feed a lot more people with a yak.”
Buddhist scripture preaches equality for all life- and within certain Mahayana scripture there are many accounts of a vegetarian diet being encouraged. In today’s age, I truly believe that Buddha would be a vegan. I truly believe that anyone studying Buddhism or along the Buddhist path should have made the connection between eating meat and the promotion of violence. Going vegan is the only way to ensure you live a non-violence life. Non-violence is the root of all eastern religion: Ahimsa- do not cause harm. When we have other choices of what to eat and what to wear. Why are we causing such harm to beings we are supposed to believe to be equal to our selves. The Buddha encourages seeing other beings as if they were your own mother- because in another life they may have been or may be. What if you were that cow or that pig trapped inside that slaughter-truck on its way to slaughter? Would you want humane slaughter- for you your self your son or daughter? There is no harm necessary and this new year that is the message I plan to encourage within our community- for the animals, for our health and for our environment.
Vegan dumplings: http://bennydoro.com/chef/recipes/vegetarian-dumplings/
