Thursday, 28 February 2019
My ability to remember song lyrics from the 80s far exceeds my ability to remember why I walked into the kitchen." -- Author Unknown
My ability to remember song lyrics from the 80s far exceeds my ability to remember why I walked into the kitchen."
-- Author Unknown
-- Author Unknown
Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest. ~ Tilopa
Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest. ~ Tilopa 
"The butterfly counts not months but moments and has time enough." -- Rabindranath Tagore
"The butterfly counts not months but moments and has time enough."
-- Rabindranath Tagore
-- Rabindranath Tagore
Tuesday, 26 February 2019
MF
We can only conjecture about what state of consciousness this reflects: yogis like Mingyur seem to experience an ongoing state of open, rich awareness during their daily lives, not just when they meditate. The yogis themselves have described it as a spaciousness and vastness in their experience, as if all their senses were wide open to the full, rich panorama of experience.
Or, as a fourteenth century Tibetan text describes it,
“…a state of bare, transparent awareness;
Effortless and brilliantly vivid, a state of relaxed, rootless wisdom;
Fixation free and crystal clear, a state without the slightest
reference point;
Spacious empty clarity, a state wide open and unconfined;
the senses unfettered…”
Adopt the pace of Nature. Her secret is patience." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Adopt the pace of Nature. Her secret is patience."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Meditation could be said to be the art of simplicity—simply sitting, simply breathing, and simply being. ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Meditation could be said to be the art of simplicity—simply sitting, simply breathing, and simply being. ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche 
Sunday, 24 February 2019
DTH ANECDOTE B
In Tibet there once lived an astrologer famed for his outstanding
ability to predict the future. One day he deciqed to find out when
his own life would come to an end, so he took out his books
and charts and began his calculations. Much to his surprise he
discovered that he was due to die that very day! 'That's most
67
MEANINGFUL TO BEHOLD
strange,' he said to himself. 'I wonder if I made a mistake in my
figuring. Surely I'm not going to die today; I'm in perfect health.'
While musing like this he leaned back, tC?ok his grooming kit
from his pocket and began cleaning the wax out of his ear with
a needle-like piece of metal he kept for that.purpose. 'I wonder
where I made my mistake,' he thought as he continued absentmindedly
scraping at his ear. All of a sudden a burst of wind
blew open the window he was leaning against. His arm was
struck so sharply that the piece of metal was thrust through his
ear-drum and into his brain, killing him instantly. So who can be
certain that death is not about to come?
ability to predict the future. One day he deciqed to find out when
his own life would come to an end, so he took out his books
and charts and began his calculations. Much to his surprise he
discovered that he was due to die that very day! 'That's most
67
MEANINGFUL TO BEHOLD
strange,' he said to himself. 'I wonder if I made a mistake in my
figuring. Surely I'm not going to die today; I'm in perfect health.'
While musing like this he leaned back, tC?ok his grooming kit
from his pocket and began cleaning the wax out of his ear with
a needle-like piece of metal he kept for that.purpose. 'I wonder
where I made my mistake,' he thought as he continued absentmindedly
scraping at his ear. All of a sudden a burst of wind
blew open the window he was leaning against. His arm was
struck so sharply that the piece of metal was thrust through his
ear-drum and into his brain, killing him instantly. So who can be
certain that death is not about to come?
ALL MOTHER SENTIENT BEINGS X B
Repaying this kindness (c)
Merely to remember the kindness of all mother sentient beings
is not enough. Only the most callous and ungrateful would fail
to see that it is our duty and responsibility to repay this kindness.
This we can do by bestowing on others material gifts, pleasures or
enjoyments and other temporal benefits. However, the supreme
repayment for the infinite kindness we have received is to lead
all beings to the unsurpassable happiness of full awakening.
Merely to remember the kindness of all mother sentient beings
is not enough. Only the most callous and ungrateful would fail
to see that it is our duty and responsibility to repay this kindness.
This we can do by bestowing on others material gifts, pleasures or
enjoyments and other temporal benefits. However, the supreme
repayment for the infinite kindness we have received is to lead
all beings to the unsurpassable happiness of full awakening.
NIRVANAX ARHAT
This state is known as nirvana and the
person who achieves it is called an arhat (literally, foe-destroyer)
for he or she has completely eradicated the delusions: the inner
enemies of the mind.
person who achieves it is called an arhat (literally, foe-destroyer)
for he or she has completely eradicated the delusions: the inner
enemies of the mind.
DHARMA X SKILFUL V UNSKILFUL
The Sanskrit term for spiritual instruction is dharma. Broadly
speaking, it refers to anything that holds one back or saves one
from having to experience suffering and dissatisfaction. According
to the buddhist dharma, all experiences of unhappiness have their
root in deluded or mistaken states of mind. Such attitudes as
jealousy, hatred, craving desire and closed-mindedness
predispose the mind to experience unhappiness both at the time
of their arising and in the future. Motivated by such delusions,
beings like ourselves engage in those actions - from petty lying
and quarrelling to robbery and murder - that bring harm to both,
self and others. All such actions are termed 'unskilful' or
xi
MEANINGFUL TO BEHOLD
'unwholesome' precisely because they bring unwanted suffering
in their wake.
In contrast, there are other states of mind that lead to happiness
and the alleviation of suffering. Compassion, generosity and
equanimity, for example, are all attitudes that bring help instead
of harm and therefore result in experiences of well-being. All
actions motivated by these beneficial attitudes are called 'skilful'
or 'virtuous'. Here virtue does not merely denote goodness but
also power or efficacy (as in 'the virtue of this medicine') for
virtuous actions are those that bring us what we all desire:
experiences of joy and pleasure.
speaking, it refers to anything that holds one back or saves one
from having to experience suffering and dissatisfaction. According
to the buddhist dharma, all experiences of unhappiness have their
root in deluded or mistaken states of mind. Such attitudes as
jealousy, hatred, craving desire and closed-mindedness
predispose the mind to experience unhappiness both at the time
of their arising and in the future. Motivated by such delusions,
beings like ourselves engage in those actions - from petty lying
and quarrelling to robbery and murder - that bring harm to both,
self and others. All such actions are termed 'unskilful' or
xi
MEANINGFUL TO BEHOLD
'unwholesome' precisely because they bring unwanted suffering
in their wake.
In contrast, there are other states of mind that lead to happiness
and the alleviation of suffering. Compassion, generosity and
equanimity, for example, are all attitudes that bring help instead
of harm and therefore result in experiences of well-being. All
actions motivated by these beneficial attitudes are called 'skilful'
or 'virtuous'. Here virtue does not merely denote goodness but
also power or efficacy (as in 'the virtue of this medicine') for
virtuous actions are those that bring us what we all desire:
experiences of joy and pleasure.
MIFU
The absorption of cessation of gross conceptual thought is a subtle mind that is single-pointedly absorbed or focused on the cessation of gross conceptual thought
./////////////////////////
He explains that our various gross minds are “very rough, uncontrolled, disturbing, distracting, and interfering with our inner peace” whereas our subtle mind is “a very special mind” that is “very calm, peaceful, controlled, tranquil, without distraction, and so forth.”
/////////////////////////////
Normally we only have subtle minds when we sleep or die, which is not that helpful at the moment because we don’t have the mindfulness to enjoy them. By becoming as impassive as STONE,
we can manifest a subtler mind even while awake
/////////////////////////////////
At this point in reality we have established a cessation of gross feeling and discrimination on our subtle consciousness. Because we stopped gross feeling and discrimination, there is no gross mind. Therefore, only our subtle mind remains. ~ Geshe Kelsang, Sutra Mahamudra teachings 2003
/////////////////////////
.
./////////////////////////
He explains that our various gross minds are “very rough, uncontrolled, disturbing, distracting, and interfering with our inner peace” whereas our subtle mind is “a very special mind” that is “very calm, peaceful, controlled, tranquil, without distraction, and so forth.”
/////////////////////////////
Normally we only have subtle minds when we sleep or die, which is not that helpful at the moment because we don’t have the mindfulness to enjoy them. By becoming as impassive as STONE,
we can manifest a subtler mind even while awake
/////////////////////////////////
At this point in reality we have established a cessation of gross feeling and discrimination on our subtle consciousness. Because we stopped gross feeling and discrimination, there is no gross mind. Therefore, only our subtle mind remains. ~ Geshe Kelsang, Sutra Mahamudra teachings 2003
/////////////////////////
.
MF Briefly, after relaxing into a good posture and dropping into our heart, we imagine we become an inanimate object, as if made of stone, devoid of thought and feeling. We switch off our thoughts like switching off the TV
CALM BALM NUMB DUMB STONE
Briefly, after relaxing into a good posture and dropping into our heart, we imagine we become an inanimate object, as if made of wood or stone, devoid of thought and feeling. We switch off our thoughts like switching off the TV
/////////////////////////////
We should merely be as unresponsive as possible to the thoughts flooding our mind. By depriving them of energy in this way, we shall prevent our delusions from motivating our behaviour and they will soon fade away of their own accord. ~ page
///////////////////////
A “technique of non-reaction,” as Shantideva puts it, this temporarily solves all our problems
///////////////////////////
Meditation on this absorption is very useful for solving human problems temporarily because through this method we can temporarily cease gross conceptual thoughts, such that there are no unpleasant feelings, painful feelings, unhappiness. This is a very special method, and very simple; and it can be practiced by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, anyone
//////////////////////////
Remaining impassive like STONE for a few minutes will calm us down and give us a welcome break from unhappiness.
///////////////////////////
Practicing this is not difficult, it is very easy. The only thing we need is interest, energy, and effort
//////////////////////////
Briefly, after relaxing into a good posture and dropping into our heart, we imagine we become an inanimate object, as if made of wood or stone, devoid of thought and feeling. We switch off our thoughts like switching off the TV
/////////////////////////////
We should merely be as unresponsive as possible to the thoughts flooding our mind. By depriving them of energy in this way, we shall prevent our delusions from motivating our behaviour and they will soon fade away of their own accord. ~ page
///////////////////////
A “technique of non-reaction,” as Shantideva puts it, this temporarily solves all our problems
///////////////////////////
Meditation on this absorption is very useful for solving human problems temporarily because through this method we can temporarily cease gross conceptual thoughts, such that there are no unpleasant feelings, painful feelings, unhappiness. This is a very special method, and very simple; and it can be practiced by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, anyone
//////////////////////////
Remaining impassive like STONE for a few minutes will calm us down and give us a welcome break from unhappiness.
///////////////////////////
Practicing this is not difficult, it is very easy. The only thing we need is interest, energy, and effort
//////////////////////////
MIFU absorption of cessation of gross conceptual thought”
absorption of cessation of gross conceptual thoughT
////////////////////////Shantideva, the great 8th century Indian Buddhist Master, advises us to “remain like a mindless piece of STONE ” for a few minutes.
/////////////////////////One effective way to deal with this strong arising of delusions is to remain for a short while as if we were a piece of STONE : unmoving, non-reactive, and without thoughts. ~ Meaningful to Behold page 143
////////////////////////Shantideva, the great 8th century Indian Buddhist Master, advises us to “remain like a mindless piece of STONE ” for a few minutes.
/////////////////////////One effective way to deal with this strong arising of delusions is to remain for a short while as if we were a piece of STONE : unmoving, non-reactive, and without thoughts. ~ Meaningful to Behold page 143
MF Watch your thoughts arising and falling away. Watch your feelings and sensations arising and falling away. Whatever comes up in the present moment and then disappears, watch this without reacting or intruding, clinging or pushing away.
Watch your thoughts arising and falling away. Watch your feelings and sensations arising and falling away. Whatever comes up in the present moment and then disappears, watch this without reacting or intruding, clinging or pushing away.
B Nothing exists outside of our experience — to exist means to be known by mind. Mind’s function is to cognize. It knows, cognizes or apprehends the things it “appears”. (Our ignorance believes these objects are actually out there, like believing a movie is “out there” coming at our mind rather than the other way around). Everything is imputed by mind, even the mind itself.
Nothing exists outside of our experience — to exist means to be known by mind. Mind’s function is to cognize. It knows, cognizes or apprehends the things it “appears”. (Our ignorance believes these objects are actually out there, like believing a movie is “out there” coming at our mind rather than the other way around). Everything is imputed by mind, even the mind itself.
mifu
(1) We don’t forget the sensation of the breath, our object of meditation – resisting the temptation to follow other thoughts; (2) When we do forget the breath and find our mind has wandered to another object, we gently but firmly bring it straight back to the breath.
//////////////////////////
To begin with, the meditator’s main task is to keep bringing the mind back to the breath. Our main task is not so much staying on the breath but reminding ourselves, “Oh, yeah, I’m supposed to be meditating. I forgot.” And then we bring the mind back. We do this over and over again.
/////////////////////
One reason meditation works is because it helps us control our mind such that we don’t have to think the thoughts we don’t want to think. Mindfulness overcomes distractions — which are all those thoughts we don’t want to think but can’t help thinking if we have a distracted mind. And having to think negative and depressed thoughts all day is clearly no fun.
///////////////////
Meditation involves two parts, analytical meditation (contemplation) and placement meditation (single-pointed concentration.) In brief, during analytical meditation we bring to mind the object of placement meditation through reasoning, analogies, and checking the teachings in our own experience. When the object appears clearly we stop analyzing and concentrate on it single-pointedly.
//////////////////////////
To begin with, the meditator’s main task is to keep bringing the mind back to the breath. Our main task is not so much staying on the breath but reminding ourselves, “Oh, yeah, I’m supposed to be meditating. I forgot.” And then we bring the mind back. We do this over and over again.
/////////////////////
One reason meditation works is because it helps us control our mind such that we don’t have to think the thoughts we don’t want to think. Mindfulness overcomes distractions — which are all those thoughts we don’t want to think but can’t help thinking if we have a distracted mind. And having to think negative and depressed thoughts all day is clearly no fun.
///////////////////
Meditation involves two parts, analytical meditation (contemplation) and placement meditation (single-pointed concentration.) In brief, during analytical meditation we bring to mind the object of placement meditation through reasoning, analogies, and checking the teachings in our own experience. When the object appears clearly we stop analyzing and concentrate on it single-pointedly.
ipad prnt
Children are living in a technologically augmented reality — not from adolescence or young adulthood, when they might be old enough to have some say in the matter, but from birth onward.
And:
All of space and time collapsing into a tiny box after your parents press two buttons — or, more likely, without any apparent human effort at all, thanks to an infinite algorithmically generated playlist: This is an experience as familiar to them as the sound of rain.
Buddha analyzed that the main reason we are still suffering is because of our uncontrolled mind. We have a word for these uncontrolled thoughts – “delusions,” unpeaceful, uncontrolled thoughts that arise from inappropriate attention. Anxiety, anger, attachment, addiction, jealousy, self-obsession, pride, and so on rule the roost. They dominate and manipulate us all day, well at least 90% of the time. They are our worst enemies -- our only enemies when it comes down to it. We have to gain control over these delusions or they will continue to control us, till kingdom come, every single day.
Buddha analyzed that the main reason we are still suffering is because of our uncontrolled mind. We have a word for these uncontrolled thoughts – “delusions,” unpeaceful, uncontrolled thoughts that arise from inappropriate attention. Anxiety, anger, attachment, addiction, jealousy, self-obsession, pride, and so on rule the roost. They dominate and manipulate us all day, well at least 90% of the time. They are our worst enemies -- our only enemies when it comes down to it. We have to gain control over these delusions or they will continue to control us, till kingdom come, every single day.
FISH PAIN X SUFFRING
Fishing
Although the use of animals for food products affects many different species including birds and other animals, the largest number of victims are aquatic animals. The total number of fishes and other aquatic animals caught every year is very difficult to calculate. Measurements are usually made in tons, which makes it impossible to determine the exact number of individual animals killed.
Nevertheless, it is estimated that somewhere between one and three trillion fishes are caught every year,1 and numbers for other aquatic animals could also be extremely high, at least a few hundred billion animals. There is a great variety of fishes and other aquatic animals that are caught, but those that are captured in the highest numbers include sardines, herrings, cods, anchovies, tunas, flounders, mullets, squids, shrimps, salmons, crabs, lobsters, and flatfishes.
The suffering of animals who are caught
We may find it difficult to empathize with fishes and other aquatic animals since they are very different from humans physically, they live beneath the water, and we cannot perceive their vocalizations. However, numerous studies have shown that fishes have the capacity to suffer and feel pleasure, just like mammals, birds, reptiles and other animals.2 Fishes suffer pain and seek out positive experiences.
Just like fishes, amphibians3 and a large number of invertebrates have the capacity to experience suffering and pleasure. Cephalopods such as octopuses have nervous systems very different from those of mammals; however, they are capable of solving problems more complex than those some mammals can solve. This seems to indicate their ability to have even more complex experiences than some mammals, but, more importantly, it means the claim that they aren’t sentient is not plausible.4 And various studies have shown that a variety of crustaceans like lobsters and crabs respond to pain, have biological structures capable of mediating pain, and exhibit cognitive processes that would require enough centralization of the nervous system to be able to feel pain.5 Because animals routinely exploited by humans are sentient beings with the capacity to have positive and negative experiences, the practice of capturing and killing them deprives them of opportunities for enjoyment and causes them significant suffering.
How sea animals who are caught suffer and die
Fishes and other animals who are victims of fishing practices die a variety of ways. They often die due to the decompression as they are hauled up from the depths of the sea to the surface, which causes their internal organs to explode.
Others die of asphyxiation when they are pulled out of the water. Before they die, they experience an enormous amount of distress and make frantic movements as they try in vain to return to the water. Other animals die as a result of injuries from the capturing process or extreme exhaustion caused by stress as they attempt to escape nets (particularly in trawling or trawl fishing). Animals used as bait are also eaten by the animals being captured. And others are crushed by the weight of other fishes being caught with them. This can occur after the nets are collected and emptied or in the fishing nets themselves. Other fishes are killed by fishers, such as tuna, which are killed with spears and other instruments. Many other fishes are frozen alive. On many fishing vessels that are equipped with freezers, animals are immediately put into freezers on board after being caught.
Finally, some of the fishes reach consumers alive and are cooked alive, such as lobsters and crabs. In some cases, some fishes and other sea animals are even eaten alive and conscious.
It is clear from these examples that these animals experience a significant amount of pain as they die. But they also suffer a great deal before dying, because they spend hours or days trapped in nets. They feel a great deal of stress, and they may also have to endure pain if their bodies are crushed up against other animals or scraped against the nets. It is not uncommon for the fishes to sustain many different injuries on their scales, skin, and other tissues. Fishes caught on hooks endure other miseries when they are impaled and trapped by hooks.
Methods of fishing
Net fishing
Trawling
In trawling, fishing nets are released and then pulled by boats, trapping all the fishes in the vessel’s path. The animals are dragged across the sea floor where they can easily be hit by rocks and rubble, and their bodies bang into the bodies of other fishes. The nets capture all animals in their path that are not small enough to be able to escape from them. The number of animals killed this way at any one time varies a lot, since the sizes of the vessels vary widely.
When fishes are pulled out of the water through trawling, the change in water pressure from rapid ascension bursts their organs. If there are any fishes alive upon reaching the vessel, they are thrown into ice and frozen to death or crushed to death by the weight of other fishes.
Seine fishing
Seine fishing is specifically for capturing animals who swim in large schools like sardines, anchovies, herrings and tunas. In seine fishing, a different type of net is used. The net is cast into the sea by a small boat until it completely encloses the fishes. The net is between 250 and 1000 meters long and about 50 meters wide.
In this method, the fishes are slowly surrounded, and they try to escape but are unable to. There is every indication that this method of capture can cause psychological stress. As the net begins to close in, the animals are crushed against each other, causing injury that worsen until they are pulled from the water.
Drift netting
The fishing nets used in drift netting are made of a fine mesh so they drift with the currents and spread like curtains. They extend over a distance of more than half a mile (one kilometer). The boats let the nets float freely until they are ready to collect the fishes trapped in them. Fishes are unable to see the nets and get hooked in them, often by their gills. The fishes may remain trapped for days until they die. As with other forms of fishing, if they are still alive when they are hauled onto the boat by the fishers, they may bleed to death as a result of the change in pressure, but others are thrown into a freezer alive. To make them more effective, the nets are made out of an odorless synthetic material which is difficult to detect. This ensures that more animals will become victims of the nets.
Trammel
Trammel is a fishing method in which three different nets are cast at the same time. The interior net is the densest and biggest. Because it is enclosed by the other two nets, it forms bubbles in which the fishes are trapped. It is primarily used to capture animals on the seabed, such as sea bass, common pandora, gilt-head breams, and some crustaceans.
Longline fishing
Longline fishing is one of the most common types of fishing. There are two main types:
- A fishing vessel casts a fishing line over a long distance, with thousands of baited hooks on the line.
- A main fishing line is cast with other branch fishing lines tied to it (called snoods) and these branch fishing lines each have hooks attached to them.
When the fishes are caught on hooks, many drown or bleed to death in the water from the wound caused by the hook. Normally a fish is caught by the hook in their mouth, although the hooks can get lodged in other parts of the body. Animals caught in fishing hooks feel more than just the physical pain; they also experience a great deal of stress as they try to escape from the hook before exhaustion causes them to stop struggling.
Larger fishes are attracted to fishing boats by bait. Once they are close enough, the fishers spear or claw the animals, sometimes in their eyes, to be pulled into the boat. Many of these fishes are still alive and are then beaten to death or they bleed to death on their own from having their bodies mutilated. Usually, this method targets animals such as swordfish, tunas and other medium- to large-sized fishes. Sometimes the bait used on these fishing hooks is other smaller fishes who are still alive, so these bait animals are also victims of longline fishing.
Trolling
Trolling is a method used to capture fishes living near the surface, such as salmons. It uses various fishing lines with bait kept submerged at a fixed depth. The fishing lines can be cast from a fixed spot or tugged by a boat at a slow speed.
The fishes caught by these lines are often dragged along by the boat for a long time, which can be extremely stressful and painful. Moreover, many of the animals caught this way can be hooked by parts of their body other than their mouths, causing fatal injuries, especially if they are caught by the gills.
Other fishing methods
In addition to the methods mentioned above, which are common in many parts of the world, there are different techniques used only in particular locations or to capture certain types of animals.6
Fishing with explosives
This fishing method consists of discharging explosives into the water. The explosives can directly kill the animals or make them easy to catch after they are stunned by the explosions. The explosives can also cause the fishes’ air bladders to explode; without air bladders, fishes can no longer swim and they will sink to the bottom of the sea. They might be captured before they sink. This method is used extensively in south-east Asian countries, especially in the Philippines, and also in Thailand.
Fish traps
At times, fishes and other sea animals are caught using simple traps consisting of cages in which bait (such as a live animal) is placed to attract the animals that are to be caught.
Almadraba
The almadraba fishing practice is typical of the Mediterranean region, used in places like Italy and the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Its objective is to catch tunas by luring them into a very confined space where they have very little space to swim. They are led through pathways created by nets of different curvatures in such a way that they are able to reach the center but unable to find the way back to escape. Fishers bring the trapped tunas on board with hooks and then kill them with knives or machetes.
Animals killed for nothing: “bycatch”, “over-quota” and abandoned nets
A large number of the animal victims of fishing activities are not eaten.7 Many animals who are not intended to be caught are trapped anyway. The number of different types of animals who can die this way is quite large and includes invertebrates, fishes, seabirds, turtles, and dolphins.8 Some of these dead animals are sold; however, others are thrown away because they are of no economic value. An example is the large number of albatrosses who die every year after getting trapped in the longline fishing hooks to which they are attracted by the bait.
In other cases, fishers have a legal quota of fishes they are allowed to catch, so they throw back any that exceed the limit. The majority of these animals suffer greatly and die anyway from their injuries.9
In addition, fishing nets, or parts of them, are often lost or abandoned in the water. These nets continue indefinitely killing the animals who get trapped in them.10 The trapped animals can experience a great deal of stress before they die due to hunger or asphyxiation.
In this way, fishing has many more victims than those caught and sold for human consumption.
The solution is not fish farming or sustainable fishing, but abandoning the exploitation of aquatic animals
Fishing causes an enormous amount of suffering and the death of trillions of animals every year. In order to respect all conscious beings, those who have the capacity to suffer and feel pleasure, fishing in any form cannot be acceptable. Supporters of fish farmers claim that the solution lies in fish factories. However, this cannot be a solution since fish farming also involves the killing of animals and causing suffering to them.
So-called sustainable fishing has also been suggested as a solution to various fishing methods, and numerous environmental management studies of fishing banks have been done. This is often done from an environmentalist point of view. At times there are protests against certain forms of fishing, with the argument that there shouldn’t be an “over-exploitation” of the so-called “fishing resources”. This implies trying to continue to use animals indefinitely, who are considered, as the name itself suggests, simply resources. This attempts to satisfy the economic interests of continuing to live off fishing, which is unacceptable from an ethical perspective if we reject speciesism.
This ecological point of view does not take into account the interests of fishes; instead it defends an “ecological management” of fishing, with systems in place to make some fishes prey to others in a controlled manner. If we look at from an antispeciesist perspective instead, we will consider the interests of all sentient animals and will regard these activities totally unacceptable because of the harm done to the animals when they are captured and killed, as well as the harm caused by making them kill and eat each other.
Environmentalists sometimes try to protect members of endangered species at the expense of members of more numerous species. This practice must be rejected from an ethical perspective because animals don’t deserve more or less respect because of how many members there are of their species. The problem with fishing is not the diminishment of resources, or the endangerment of species, as environmentalists and those who view aquatic animals as resources claim. The problem is the suffering and death caused to conscious creatures for unnecessary reasons. Since humans do not need to eat fish, to catch them for leisure, or to use their bodies as ornaments, fishing cannot be considered necessary. Therefore fish farms and sustainable fishing are not solutions, since they still cause pain, anxiety, and, ultimately, the premature death of conscious creatures.
Further readings
Ashley, P. J. & Sneddon, L. U. (2007) “Pain and fear in fish”, in Branson, E. J. (ed.) Fish welfare, Oxford: Blackwell, ch. 4.
Meditation is the antidote – it enables us to control our thoughts. So this has given me even more appreciation for the vital role of meditation in our day and age. For if this is true, and I have no reason to doubt what people are telling me, we can’t control our own mind 90% of the time. No wonder we feel bad a lot (90% of the time). No wonder we have only a 10% guarantee of happiness on any one day. And no wonder our world is such an uncontrollable mess – we are all pretty much insane.
Meditation is the antidote – it enables us to control our thoughts. So this has given me even more appreciation for the vital role of meditation in our day and age. For if this is true, and I have no reason to doubt what people are telling me, we can’t control our own mind 90% of the time. No wonder we feel bad a lot (90% of the time). No wonder we have only a 10% guarantee of happiness on any one day. And no wonder our world is such an uncontrollable mess – we are all pretty much insane.
LKM METTA CHES
May you be happy. /CONTENT May you be healthy. May you be safe.May you live with ease.
B WF LOSS GRF
I don't have any wisdom, just sympathy. I'm deeply sorry for your loss, and do understand what you mean when you say that trying to "detach" yourself and letting the grief "pass" feels like failing to honor your wife. In moments like these I've always felt a profound sense of responsibility, an ethical obligation really, to honor and grant dignity to those who have touched our lives, to acknowledge who they were and how they have mattered, and that their existence contributed to the well-being of the universe.
It's right that you're grieving now and in mourning for your wife. And I don't believe Buddhism is ever meant to detach you from the sadness. If anything, it may allow you to feel it more fully, to confront your own emotions without burying them, and provide a kind of safe holding space where you can come to terms with who your wife was and how you are now having loved and lost her. Things will be hard, at times they will feel almost impossible, but as long as you take it one day at a time and don't cling endlessly to the sadness (that's what Buddhism teaches us--how to feel the sadness without clinging to it or becoming crippled by it), you'll survive and become a more compassionate person throughout all this.
Life is unpredictable, and grasping for certainty is futile. But if you see things--and people--in all their beauty and impermanence, you may begin to feel a sense of calm, and even joy, in appreciating the little things, like these first years of your daughter's life which are so precious and only happen once. Just try to be there for her, especially on those days when you feel as though you can't quite manage to be there for yourself.
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