V. VEGETARIANISM AND ITS ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS
Regardless of nationality or ethnicity, it is widely acknowledged that alcohol and meat are often associated with each other. Many alcoholics develop their addiction due to their fondness for meat. They often claim that eating fatty meat without good wine is not enjoyable. Alas! What could be more harmful than the combination of these two toxic substances? Alcohol and meat not only cause illness in humans but also lead to a hot-tempered and aggressive disposition, which can lead to sinful behavior.
To cultivate a gentle nature, one should adopt a vegetarian diet, as plants possess a mild nature. Just compare a herbivore with a carnivore, and it becomes evident that herbivores are generally more gentle than carnivores.
Moreover, vegetarianism serves as a reminder to uphold kindness. Each day that we practice vegetarianism, we are suppressing our inner desires and avoiding sinful acts. When we eat vegetarian food with a mindful heart, we can restrain our seven emotions and six desires. Observing six days of vegetarianism in a month equates to six days of goodness, and ten days equates to ten days of goodness. If one can maintain a long-term vegetarian diet, nothing is more valuable than that. A vegetarian is someone who knows how to turn their heart towards goodness, leading to a harmonious temperament, humble conduct, honesty, and a capacity to control anger and cultivate patience. They do not neglect their responsibilities when faced with righteous matters.
**Knowing how to turn one’s heart towards goodness and refusing to harm the lives of other creatures for the sake of satiation is humanity.
**A harmonious temperament and humble conduct are propriety.
**Honesty is faithfulness.
**The ability to control anger and cultivate patience is wisdom.
**Not neglecting one’s responsibilities when faced with righteous matters is righteousness.
Therefore, the influence of vegetarianism on ethics is significant. One vegetarian is someone who knows how to turn their heart towards goodness, two vegetarians are two people who know how to turn their hearts towards goodness, and so on. If the entire nation can achieve this, not only will the foundation of ethics be solidified, but the human spirit, which is the soul of the nation, will also be continuously elevated.
The more people adopt vegetarianism, the more the tragic scenes of “wives crying and children grieving” within families will gradually diminish. The numerous tragedies of “fights and stabbings” that have occurred in places where alcohol and meat are served will also come to an end.
It is my hope that parents will not make the same mistake as before, believing that eating meat is nourishing because it contains blood (this has been thoroughly explained in the previous chapter and does not need to be repeated here). Instead, they should gradually accustom their children to a vegetarian diet. Doing so will not only reduce the likelihood of children getting sick but also nurture their spirit to become strong and inclined towards kindness. If one family does this, two families do this, and three families follow suit, not only will their families be peaceful, but they will also be following the will of Heaven, as Dr. G. Durville explained in the first chapter.
Furthermore, vegetarianism can also be a way to save money, as vegetarian food is generally cheaper than non-vegetarian food. Each day of vegetarianism is a day of frugality. With frugality, one can have surplus money to spend on other beneficial things. The virtue of thriftiness needs to be cultivated, and practicing vegetarianism is a way to do so.
On the occasion of ancestor worship, some people often sacrifice pigs and cows. If they do this two or three times a year, how much money and resources will be wasted? How much more beneficial it would be to offer vegetarian food! Doing so does not mean being afraid of wasting money (if one has the heart to worship their ancestors, why would they be afraid of wasting money?), but wasting excessively and harming the lives of other creatures is something that should be eliminated, isn’t it?
*(1) There are those who adopt vegetarianism for the sake of imitation or to seek praise for their actions. However, they do not truly embrace the principles of vegetarianism in their hearts. Such a practice not only lacks ethical value but also becomes a laughingstock to the world.