Re: Fasting

["Jason Paris" <jambay53@...>]

Thank you Rawn and Pierre for your comments.

> However, the final emotional state of terror that commercially 
slaughtered animals experience does effect their flesh and as a 
consequence does effect the person who eats that flesh. <

In what way? Is it the physical body that's affected, or all three?

> Many folks do find great value in a vegetarian diet in relation to 
their spiritual quest. <

In what sense? Not having tried Vegetarianism, you've aroused my 
intrigue! I might give it a go! :-)

>> Which might leave one wondering: "What *can* I eat with 
impunity?". I would suggest: "Anything you like!". Anyroad, I'm off 
to get a Big Mac or two......... ;-) ;-) <<

> It depends upon what you mean by impunity. Surely those two Big 
Macs come with a high price to your health and to the planet in 
general. Ignoring consequences is not impunity. <

Sorry, I was being flippant. I'm not seriously addicted to Big 
Macs..... ;-)

This is difficult for me to explain, but I'll give it a shot.....

It seems that whatever one does, there is a Karmic consequence. Kill 
an animal for food: negative Karma. Take the fruit of a plant 
without its permission: negative Karma.

It would seem that even the most innocuous acts can attract negative 
Karma. And yet I understand that it's possible to "get off" the 
Karmic wheel.

I'm thinking that the only way to get off the wheel is to redeem all 
of one's existing Karma, and - in the process - actually do 
*nothing*, so to avoid further attracting negative Karma.

This feels like a circular reference to me, so I'm sure I'm missing 
something!! ;-)

The only solution I can find is this: the attraction of negative 
(and, indeed, positive) Karma is more about one's *intent* rather 
than one's actions. Is there any validity in this?

For example, while walking, one treads upon a blade of grass 
*without* the intention of causing harm. The consequence of that 
footstep is nonetheless violent..... but without the accompanying 
*intent* for violence, is the Karmic return negated?

Which is what I meant by "Eat anything *you* like". For if one feels 
that the killing of an animal is "wrong" (by one's own conscience), 
then one may attract negative Karma by killing/eating an animal. 
However, if one's conscience is not bothered by such an act, then 
perhaps killing/eating *won't* attract negative Karma. 

And yet in each case, another being was murdered.

I can more comfortably accept that there is a *trigger* for Karmic 
return (ie, Intent) rather than there being a vast list - somewhere 
in the Universe - of all "bad" acts and "good" acts and their 
respective consequences.

Sorry, I'm sure this is all tremendously complex, and best 
*experienced* rather than described in words.

All the best,

Jason