Kill life to get long life?

****************

"杀生求生，去生远矣。"

sha sheng qiu sheng, qu sheng yuan yi.

"Kill lives get lives, near life far off."

****************

If we kill animals and eat them to nourish our own bodies, then we are actually further away from the righteous concept of  'life', and thus our health deteriorates and life gets shortened.

****************

In the preface of SUN Si Miao's book 《备急千金要方》 (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies), he said:

"Many great ancient physicians used animals to treat acute and dangerous illnesses of emergency. Even though it's said that animals are inferior and human beings are superior; when it comes to appreciating lives, humans and animals are the same. Hurting others and benefiting oneself is commonly disgusted by all animals; let alone human beings. When we save ourselves by killing animals, we're really departing away from the definition of 'life'. This is the reason why I don't use animal products as herbs/medicine in my prescriptions."

In short,

eating animals to nourish our bodies will simply make our health worse and shorten our lives... 

PS:

-- 孙思邈, SUN Si Miao, SUN SiMiao, 581-682, Tang dynasty, China. Renowned physician and Taoist. A great medical physician and herbalist. Well regarded as “药王” (Yao Wang, The king of medicines). Main achievement: Author of 《备急千金要方》 and 《千金翼方》.

-- The book 备急千金要方, Bei ji qian jin yao fang, Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies.

-- The book 千金翼方, Qian jin yi fang, Supplement to the Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold.

-- By the way, he spent 10 years on 《千金要方》, from age 60-70 years old. And he spent another 30 years finishing 《千金翼方》, at the age of about 100 years old...

-- Original explanation: (simplifled characters): “自古名贤治病，多用生命以济危急，虽曰贱畜贵人，至于爱命,人畜一也。损彼益己，物情同患，况于人呼!夫杀生求生，去生更远。吾今此方所以不用生命为药者，良由此也。”(《备急千金要方》)

-- Original explanation: (original characters): "自古名賢治病，多用生命以濟危急，雖曰賤畜貴人，至於愛命，人畜一也。損彼益己，物情同患，況於人乎！夫殺生求生，去生更遠。吾今此方所以不用生命為藥者，良由此也。"(《备急千金要方》)

Releasing lives gets fortune

Releasing lives gets fortune

(Click on the pictures for larger views)
or for convenient viewing at:

http://www.lews.info/blog/Releasing-lives-gets-fortune-100-sparrows.html

http://www.lews.info/blog/Releasing-lives-gets-fortune-100-sparrows.html

******************************** ********************************

One hundred sparrows: Benefits of protecting lives

During the Qing dynasty in the city of Jing Kou, Jiang Su province, China, lived a ministry councilman, Fan.

One day, Mr Fan got back home excitedly.

Mr Fan: "Chun Mei, is madam's illness getting better today?"

Chun Mei: "Madam isn't eating anything at all."

Mr Fan: "Oh!... Never mind, tell madam I'll be seeing her soon."

Chun Mei: "Yes, master."

Shortly after, 5 cages of sparrows were sent in by a bird shop.

Mr Fan: "A-Cai, bring these sparrows to the backyard."

A-Cai: "Yes, master."

A-Cai was wondering: "Why is master buying so many sparrows?"

After which Mr Fan rushed to see his wife in her room.

"Sweetheart! Good news! Dr Wang told me a secret ingredient of treating Lung TB this morning," said Mr Fan excitedly.

"He taught me to make medication from brain marrows of 100 sparrows, and to be consumed in 21 days."

"Then your illness will all be healed."

"I've already bought 100 sparrows and they're at the backyard now."

After hearing what her husband said, Mrs Fan got up angrily.

She started talking but can't help coughing breathlessly:

"In order to save my life, that's to sacrifice the lives of 100 sparrows."

"Hmm!" Mr Fan exclaimed.

Mrs Fan: "I'd rather die of the illness than to do this."

"Chun Mei, help me to the backyard."

Chun Mei: "Yes, madam."

Mr Fan: "Sweetheart, what are you doing?!"

"I just don't want 100 sparrows die because of me," said Mrs Fan.

Chun Mei helped Mrs Fan to the backyard; Mr Fan followed closely.

Mr Fan: "Sweetheart, please don't be angry. Okay, I promise I won't kill them."

Mrs Fan: "No. I have to set them free myself or I'll be worrying about them."

Mrs Fan opened the cages and talked to the sparrows with full of compassion: "Go fly! Go fly! Don't let people catch you again."

One hundred sparrows flew out from cages, chirping loudly and cheerfully.

Mrs Fan saw them leaving; and her face smiling.

They all witnessed the magnificent vibrancy of life forms.

Mr Fan was a bit disappointed:

"Sweetheart, let's get in the house, or you'll get cold again.”

“Please take a good rest. I'm going to the doctor for other medication.”

Mrs Fan: “Hmm, thank you.”

But Mr Fan was worried there might not be better medication to treat her wife.

“Chun Mei! Take special care of madam!”

Chun Mei: “Yes, master.”

As time went by, surprisingly, Mrs Fan got better and was eventually completely healed.

Furthermore, she gave birth to a baby boy the following year.

Mr Fan: “Ha! Look at this baby, smart look with clear eyebrows and sparkling eyes, he must be somebody one day.”

Mrs Fan: “Darling, you see here. There is a birthmark on his arm. Does it look like a sparrow?”

Mr Fan: “Ya! It's so much like a sparrow!”

And Mr Fan said, thoughtfully: "Sweetheart! Do you remember what we did with some sparrows 2 years ago?"

Mrs Fan: "Of course I do."

Mr Fan: "Did this baby come as a result of your kindness to living beings?"

Mrs Fan: "Maybe!"

"I deeply believe in "Accumulate-kindness-one's-family, sure-have-extra-celebration". We must do more good deeds from now on."

The couple looked deeply at the baby in their hands. And they smiled happily.

******************************** ********************************

积善之家，
必有余庆。

ji shan zhi jia,
bi you yu qing.

Accumulate-kindness-one's-family,

sure-have-extra-celebrations.

A family that accumulates good deeds will always have extra good health, wealth and happiness.

******************************** ********************************

人人咸欲达期颐，
不必寻思觅巧医。
戒杀放生若作得，
愈汝顽疾添麟儿。

ren ren xian yu da qi yi,
bu bi xun si mi qiao yi.
jie sha fang sheng ruo zuo de,
yu ru wan ji tian lin er.

Men women all desire reaching expected health,
No need search worry look-for talented doctors.
Abstain killing freeing lives if doing so,
Cure your tough illness getting kirin baby.

Everybody wants to heal and cure their illnesses fast and have a healthy body. There is no need trying so hard to look for talented doctors. If you can stay away from killing living beings and promote freeing lives, you can then cure your illnesses and even be able to bear intelligent and beautiful children.

******************************** ********************************

The message is simple:

Be kind to animals and all living beings,
good fortunes will bestow on you.

Whenever possible, spare and release lives.
Good fortunes and more lives will come back to you.

******************************** ********************************

PS:

+) Contributors: Story adapted by 慧长(Hui Zhang); comics drawn by 牧谷(Mu Gu); Comic version presented in 护生漫画集 (Hu Sheng Man Hua Ji, Protect-Lives-Casual-Drawing-Collection or Protection for living beings). English translation by www.lews.info.

+) Story: adapted from 故事图说(Gu Shi Tu Shuo; Past stories illustration narration).

+) Quote: "Accumulate-kindness-one's-family, sure-have-extra-celebrations." is from "积善之家,必有余庆." in the book of 周易(Zhou Yi) or 易经(Yi Jing), more known as "I Ching" in the west; an ancient philosophical book in Dynasty Zhou, BC 1066 - BC 256.

+) Names of people/places/events involved: 范(Fan), 清朝(Qing Chao; Qing dynasty, 1644-1911), 京口(Jing Kou) city, 江苏(Jiang Su) province, 放生得福(Fan Shang De Fu; Releasing-lives-gets-fortune).

+) Right and wrong? To seek help or not? It seems I'm going to be in trouble by translating and publishing the poem here in my blog; it will then mean I agree to what it says about not necessary to look for good doctors for medical complications. The fact is that I believe in doing the right things right. The right thing to do in this story is we must not kill the sparrows for their brain marrows as medication. All lives are precious; it's not like we can take others' lives to save ours (Even if we can, that's a bigger price to pay ahead). And the other right thing to do is to seek for medication which is herbal based or which we don't harm living animals. Therefore, at the time we're looking for medical help, we need to ask ourselves: "Am I doing the right things right?" If the initial approach has been wrong and inhumane, how can we expect the outcome be right and beneficial to humanity?

Cows and dogs are friends

Among the six domestic animals (pig, ox, goat, horse, fowl and dog), cows and dogs are the most useful and harmless animals for human beings.

In the ancient times, Oxen and cows were around to help us transport goods, plowing for farming, their milk as our drinks and their flesh as our foods too. Dogs were around for protection of premises, helping in hunting other animals, as well as our dishes on dining table. They've always been loyal to human beings. They're obedient and hardly complain. To these days, we benefit from their company pretty much the same.

A small change though; dogs have since escalated her status as pet too. Many different breeds of dogs are human beings' favorite pets and some are as close as family members. The same probably can't be said for cows, pigs, goats, deers, chicken; they've all become human's favorite foods.

In order to make them foods for our mouth and stomach we need to make them dead. To make them dead we need to slaughter and kill them. Who would wanna be slaughtered to death? What kind of pains involved in slitting one's throat to death? Do we believe animals have no sensory perceptions? So they don't see, hear, taste, smell, touch and therefore don't feel any pains?

Do we want such pain and torture in slitting our throats and bleeding to death?

Please spare them the pains... especially the ones that have helped us so much.

Let's start by not eating beef... cows... dog meat...

and then pork... pigs...

and then deers, lambs, horses...

and then chicken...

and then all living animals...

and then all living beings...

Note: Comic drawn by 牧谷(Mu Gu). Original wordings translated to English: [Among the domestic animals, those that benefit mankind the most and least harmful to us, are cows and dogs; must not be eaten.]

Wild geese fly like family

Don't kill or eat wild geese. Wild geese fly like brothers/sisters/family.

Many ancient civilizations in the past respect animals with behaviors like human beings. One of those animals displaying human traits is wild geese.

Wild geese live together and fly in flock like brothers and sisters and family members. The formation they take is called V or Vic formation and it reduces aerodynamic drags from wind and helps them to fly farther with less efforts. Also, when the leading goose at front gets tired facing the wind, the trailing goose at the very back of the team will move forward and take over the role; former leader will then become the second goose in the formation, taking some rest. And the process takes turn alternating between left and right wing. This way everybody gets a chance to face the front wind and rest well long enough before taking the lead again.

There are plenty of stories from grain farmers who tell of how geese would come back to look for lost goose in between flying in flock. They seem not easily abandon their flying members, and in doing so, unfortunately fall into victims of goose hunting. Goose hunters know this well enough and that's why techniques like goose decoys and goose calling work well to attract geese for hunting.



We don't kill our brothers/sisters/father/mother; why do we then kill others' brothers/sisters/ father/mother? Just that they look so different than human beings doesn't make them less living beings. Unfortunately, again, human beings don't get this well.


Don't hunt geese, or any other animals.


Animals are just like us; albeit bearing different skins and looks.


PS:
(1) I read about wild geese flying formation long ago and if the info given isn't accurate or wrong please do correct me so. Thanks!
(2) Comic drawn by 牧谷(Mu Gu). All photoes of geese flying from internet. Do let me know if any of them are copyrighted.

Don't shoot the birds

谁道群生性命微？
一般骨肉一般皮；
劝君莫打枝头鸟，
子在巢中望母归。

shui dao qun sheng xing ming wei?
yi ban gu rou yi ban pi;
quan jun mo da zhi tou niao,
zi zai chao zhong wang mu gui.

Who says bunch creatures life forms worthless?
Same type bones flesh same type skins;
Advice you don't hit branch-tip birds,
Chicks at nest-in waiting mother home.

PS:
1. Poem by 白居易（BAI Ju Yi, year 772～846, 唐朝, Tang dynasty）. The name of the poem is 《护生诗》 ("Hu Sheng Shi", or "Protecting Life Poem"). Comic drawn by 牧谷(Mu Gu); Translation by John Lew.
2. Thought of explaining further on the poem but it seems pretty self-explanatory.

The world is full of smart people who shoot the birds (or something similar to that nature) for fun, for pleasure, for killing time, for revenge, for money and etc; we just need more wise people who know what's more important in life...

Happy Mid Autumn Festival!
(Lunar August 15th; Sept 22, 2010)

It's a time of
family reunion!

Deer's intestines broken in inches

Deer's intestines broken in inches

(Click on the pictures for larger views)
or for convenient viewing at:

http://www.lews.info/blog/Deer-hunting-intestines-broken-in-pieces.html

http://www.lews.info/blog/Deer-hunting-intestines-broken-in-pieces.html

Drawing: 牧谷 Mu Gu;
Modified by: 慧长 Hui Zhang;
English: www.lews.info

There was the time of Jin dynasty (265 AD - 420 AD) in China. XU Xun, a resident of He Nang province, was skillful at archery. He enjoyed animal hunting. One day, he was again getting ready to go hunting.

Zhang: Good morning, Mr. Xu. Are you going hunting again?
Xu Xun: Yes! Mr. Zhang. Do you want to come along?

Zhang: Sure! We can have some Barbecue. Just a sec, let me go get my gears.
Xu: Okay.

After Mr. Zhang got his bow and arrows, the two of them went straight up to the mountain for hunting.

When they got to the mountain...
Xu: Hey, Mr. Zhang. There are two deers right over there.

**********************************

Zhang: We'll go beneath and against the wind; let's not scare them away.

They moved slowly and hid behind a big rock downstream.
Xu: Look like mother-son they do.

Zhang: Hey, we'll shoot them at the same time. You shoot the little guy; I go for the mother.
Xu: Alright.

They then aimed and shot their arrows at the deers...

Zhang's arrow missed the mother deer and landed near her legs. The mother deer quickly reacted and ran away.

**********************************

The poor baby deer got shot and wounded badly, collapsing after uttering a loud whine.
Xu: Haa Haa! Great shot!
Zhang: You're good. Too bad I missed the mother deer.
Xu: It's ok, Mr Zhang. Let's go over and take a look.
Zhang: Ok.

Suddenly there was movement.
Xu: Hey, Something's moving. Let's stay away first.
They hid themselves behind some bushes and noticed the mother deer came back to the baby deer.
Zhang: Alright! I must get it this time.
Xu: Wait a sec, Mr. Zhang. See...

**********************************

They saw the mother deer in tears and licking her baby's wound again and again.
And she went around her baby wailing in great sadness...
After a while, the mother deer collapsed and dropped to the ground too.
Xu: Hey, what happened to the mother deer?
Zhang: Hurry, let's take a look.
Xu: The mother's dead.
Zhang: Impossible. Let me see.

**********************************

Zhang: Hey, really, she's dead. She must've felt too sad!
Xi: Really?

Xu Xun was curious and full of doubts, and he asked Mr. Zhang:
Xu: Why don't we cut her open and see what happened?
Zhang: But why?
Xu: I just wanna know how she died.
Zhang: Okay, let's find out.

And so the two of them cut her abdoment open.

Suddenly Xu Xun let out a sharp cry:
Xu: Oh! You see, Mr Zhang, her intestines are broken into 1-inch pieces. How horrible!

Out of control, Xu Xun felt a sense of deep sadness and regret.
Xu: I think the mother deer must've been too sad over her baby's death and caused her intestines to break into pieces. How I regretted killing the baby deer.

**********************************

Zhang: Sigh, who would've thought of such thing. Please don't blame yourself.
Xu: I didn't know animals and human beings are alike in our love of children; even though we look so different.

Xu: Mr. Zhang, let's bury them, shall we?
Zhang: Okay. Hopefully it helps lessen our sins.

And so they buried the mother deer and the baby deer.

And Xu Xun broke his bow and arrows and vowed never to hunt again.

**********************************

Original story from 警心录 (Jing Xin Lu, Alert-Heart-Records);
Comic version presented in 护生漫画集 (Hu Sheng Man Hua Ji, Protect-Lives-Casual-Drawing-Collection or Protection for living beings).

**********************************

呦呦双鹿戏林阴
you you shuang lu xi lin
Bell bell two deers play forest shades

裂帛一声悽母心
lie bo yi shen qi mu xin
Break silk one sound hurts mother heart

寸寸断肠真实语
cun cun duan chang zhen shi yu
Inch inch broken intestines real concrete words

千秋闻者泪沾襟
qian qiu wen zhe lei zhan jin
Thousand autumns hear beings tears soak shirts

Health Minister LIOW wins PETA award

Health Minister LIOW wins PETA award for promoting veg diet

Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri LIOW Tiong Lai, a vegetarian himself, has won People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia-Pacific’s Proggy Award for promoting a vegetarian diet. Congrats! “Proggy” stands for “progress” and PETA’s annual award recognises animal-friendly achievements in commerce and culture.

“I would emphasise more on prevention and healthy living instead of curing patient and health,” said Liow in a statement. “I’m concerned about the health of the people in the country, especially with regard to the healthy lifestyle,” he added.

Meat consumption has been conclusively linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity and several kinds of cancer. Adopting vegetarian is the key in preventing a variety of diseases, including today’s leading killers, he said.

Vegetarianism is certainly good for the environment and for your health.
A recent UN report (2006) determined that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, ships and planes in the world combined. The report stated that the meat industry is ‘one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global’.

“Liow is promoting healthy living and we commend him for leading by example,” said PETA director Jason Baker, adding that going vegetarian “is the best thing we can do for health, animals and the Earth”.

Vegetarian diet was also one of the best ways to fight against the abuse of animals raised and killed for food, he said.

PS: Story compiled from writings of Maybritt (www.klue.com.my) and WONG Wei Hwang (www.thestar.com.my), early April 2009.

Link: http://www.petaasiapacific.com/feature_proggy_malaysian_moh.asp

Our coldness in winter

(Click on for clearer picture)

Help this poor old man~ Please~~
It's freezing here~

... ...

Poor old man... Oh...
I'll miss you...

... ...

Note:
1. Comic strip from Johnny the Moron, http://www.lews.info/johnnythemoron/index-e.html

The eel that arched her abdomen

In ancient China (Song dynasty? (960–1279)), there lived an educated man named 周豫(Zhou Yu). One day, his friend brought him some fresh eels, a delicacy that Zhou Yu liked very much. Having little to do that day, Zhou Yu wanted to try his culinary skills, which he had long left unused, and prepared to make a batch of unseasoned eel stew.


He placed the eels in a pot, and when the stew began to boil, Zhou Yu lifted the lid and saw an extraordinary phenomenon: One of the eels had pushed its abdomen upward in an arch, leaving its head and tail in the soup. With great curiosity, Zhou Yu immediately spooned the eel out of the soup and cut open its abdomen. To his amazement, he saw countless eggs inside. In order to protect its spawn, the mother eel had struggled to prevent hot water from hurting its abdomen by pushing its body into an arch.

The sight left Zhou Yu dumbfounded, and he could not contain his tears. Even an eel knew how to protect its eggs, he thought, yet he, a human being, the highest of all creatures, had not been filial to his mother. Deeply moved, Zhou Yu vowed never to eat eel again. And he loved and respected his mother evermore.

Original writing

“学士周豫，尝烹鳝。见有鞠身向上，以首尾就烹者，讶而剖之，腹中累累有子，鞠躬避汤耳… 物类之甘心忍痛，而护惜鞭子如此。恻然感叹，永断不食。” --《护生录; hu sheng lu; Protecting-lives-records》

"xue shi zhou yu, chang peng shan. jian you ju shen xiang shang, yi shou wei jiu peng zhe, ya er pou zhi, fu zhong lei lei you zi, ju gong bi tang er... wu lei zhi gan xin ren tong, er hu xi bian zi ru ci. ce ran gan tan, yong duan bu shi." --《护生录; hu sheng lu; Protecting-lives-records》

“Scholar Zhou Yu, tried to cook eels. [He] saw an eel bowed up, with head and tail fully cooked in soup. Puzzled, [he] cut open the eel, abdomen strains of eggs, bowing to avoid soup… living kinds willing to suffer, to protect babies at such. Deeply touched and sighed: Never to eat eels. ” --《护生录; hu sheng lu; Protecting-lives-records》

The story tells us:

“Animals do not live without feelings, emotions.
Neither do they live without love.”

Like you and I,
animals have mothers who care about them,
even when they die, babies come first.

Happy Mother's day
to all animals!
All living beings!

Shall we celebrate this Mother's day without taking lives? with vegetarian food?

Note:
1) I was preparing to translate this article from ancient Chinese expressions to English when I stumbled upon this writing. Apparently Sonoflight, a blogger from China, had already done the translation a while ago. Her narration of the story is of my taste and I can’t resist but to ‘borrow’ her work over here. Thank you, Sonoflight. A good job, indeed. The original article is at: http://sl.iciba.com/viewthread-85-347008-1.shtml#2625029

2) Original writing, quote from 《护生录; hu sheng lu; Protecting-lives-records》, was written probably during the time of Song dynasty (960–1279). A slightly more illustrated version (by John Lew, for the sake of more complete sense. Pin Yin pronunciation and English translation by John Lew) is shown above in Chinese language. Anyway, there is more than one version with slight difference in wordings.

3) The first illustration (首尾就烹; shou wei jiu peng; Head-Tail-In-Cooking) is by the late Mr. 丰子恺 (Feng Zi-Kai) in his book 《护生画集》第二集39; hu sheng hua ji; Protecting-lives-drawing-collections, 2nd episode, page 39. Origin of the second illustration (烹鳝; peng shan; Cooking-Eels) is unknown, though the style looks similar to that of the first one.

Fur is Eco-Unfriendly

First thing in the morning I got a newsletter from Biossentials: September 2007 to December 2007. Browsed through it and something caught my eyes: Fur is Eco-Unfriendly! Well, most people are aware of it. But how unfriendly?

The small writing goes on with a few facts on the environmental impact of fur production:

1) Furs are loaded with hazardous chemicals to keep them from decomposing in the buyers' closet. The buyers unknowingly let these chemicals and known allergens crawl their ways into their bed rooms and living rooms and thus family.

2) Fur production pollutes the environment and gobbles up precious resources. Waste produced from processing pelts drains down to the lakes and seas; The carcasses, dead bodies from animals skinned end up dumped in landfills, potential incubator for contagious air-borne diseases.

3) Suffering of and slaughtering and killing millions of animals for the real fur. Fur farms - where animals spend their entire lives in cramped, filthy cages, and later on killed by being injected with poisons... These animals died with hatred and sense of revenge; those buyers who wear their skins will be affected negatively.

PS: The writing above consists of portions of the said article and my own interpretation of the issue.