Comments on: Concerns over Cattle Population

By: Sarath

Sarath — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:28:21 +0000

You’re right, the cattle thing is a Hindu influence on the Buddhist people of Sri Lanka. Just like the caste system which is practiced by the Sinhalese whether Buddhist or Christian, when both these religions condemn it in no uncertain terms. Hinduism has permeated much of the Sinhalese culture, a lot of so-called Buddhists in Sri Lanka are actually Buddhist-Hindus following a popular religion far removed from the original. In Sri Lanka, Hindu gods and goddesses form part of the Buddhist pantheon when the Buddhism of the Tipitaka does not recognise any such thing. The same goes for the veneration for the Bo tree, which is a remnant of tree worshiping prevalent in the island before Buddhism arrived.

But there is nothing wrong in being compassionate to animals. Infact IMO its a good thing that animals are actually saved on Vesak day, whereas thousands are slaughtered during Christmas and Eid for feasts. Even in Hindu temples, goats are still slaughtered as a sacrifice.

By the way, Jains do not eat root vegetables because they do not want to be responsible for killing any tiny beings in the soil. Now that is an admirable dedication towards living creatures!

One last question directed at suntzu: Is it all right for Christians to to force others to follow a Judeo-Christian calender where the Sabbath is the day off? If you want to eat meat on Poya, why dont you buy meat beforehand or slaughter the animal in your own home? After all, in Sri Lanka any tom, dick and harry can slaughter an animal as large as a cow without any restriction (part of “freedom of religion”) whereas in Christian-majority countries that ain’t allowed by law.

Also, is it all right for Christians to not recognise any non-Christian day in countries where they are in the majority?

Do you know of ANY christian majority country that oficially celebrates non-Christian holy days, that provides an offical holiday to Buddhists, Hindus or Muslims? Just ONE? Yet some of these countries scream about their multicultural “melting pot” nature.

By: suntzu

suntzu — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:11:43 +0000

Gamini Viyangoda’s article is good. I would like to ask a few questions from those who are against the consumption of meat but eat fish and eggs.

Is it wrong to kill mosquitoes?

Does Athuraliye Thero and other monks use mosquitoe coils in their temples?

Is it wrong for a farmer to use insecticide to save his crop from being destroyed by insects?

Is it all right for our armed forces to go on search and destroy operations on a poya day when on this very same day the slaughter and sale of beef, pork and chicken is banned?

ps: Brigite Bardo is spelt Brigite Bardot but pronounced as Bardo. Also Christianity and Islam does not prohibit the consumption of meat. Read Deuteronomy – chapter 14 in the Bible for a list of animals that can and cannot be consumed.

Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Romans 14:3

From the Koran
“Lawful unto you (for food) are all four footed animals, with the exceptions named: but animals of the chase are forbidden while ye are in the Sacred Precincts or in pilgrim garb: for God doth command according to His Will and Plan”.
(Sura 5, Verse 2)

One last question. Is it all right for those who don’t consume meat to force others not to with laws like the one on poya?

By: JM

JM — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:19:42 +0000

I”m not a practicing Buddhist so I have no qualms about eating any sort of meat. But generally in Buddhism (unlike for example, Jainism), only sufficiently intelligent animals are not allowed to be killed. Buddhism may discourage eating meat, but doesn’t actually prohibit it. In fact, Buddha’s last meal was a pork dish prepared by a pig slaughterer. This special sympathy for cattle, as you’ve rightly identified, is due to Hindu influence, and has little to do with Buddhism. Rathana Thero’s cause is a Hindu one, and therefore ironically, a Tamil one.

[Edited out – please note that racist comments contravene the guidelines of this site and will not be published.]

The fact that there was a bomb explosion in Nugegoda where civilians were killed, and that the LTTE is in all probability the guilty party, is quite universally accepted. What proof is there that the army bombed school children in the North? When we bombed a young terrorist grooming camp, it became an “orphanage”, and when a suicide boat building yard got bombed, they said it’s a tsunami survivors’ centre or something. The LTTE most probably concocted up a fake story about school-children being killed in order to justify their impending attack on our civilians. By accepting and propagating their version of the story without any scrutiny, you’ve become nothing but a terrorist yourself who inadvertently helps terrorist attacks against us, and therefore should be dealt with as such.

Loving animals who do us no harm and provide us with food, is easier than loving terrorist lunatics who want to kill us, and [edited out – please refer to guidelines and address the issue without resorting to pedantic and over broad commentary and opinion that is meaningless. Please present your arguments better especially since I know you can.]

By: selvadurai

selvadurai — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 04:29:13 +0000

Very sensible article. I hope this article will open the eyes of the people who refuse to see the other side!! When I read some comments, I feel that the feeling of those people are that “this country belongs to the Sinhalese, the Tamils are living here at our mercy, as such we can do whatever we like, they have no right to complain”.

It makes me wonder how can the Government commit all these atrocities against its own citizens and call Sri Lanka a Budhist country with a 2500 year old civilisation!! Can they spead Budhism just by instal1ing Budha satues forcefully in every nook and corner and encircling it by barbed wire!!