Beefy Intentions

Pardon the title but there's something to it that i like to put in down in words. =)

Sparked off by a little side talk i had with Wi at Funan Mac's while having a little snack. Btw, that's right after we attended the fotos exhibition (haha, just thought to mention it again in this entry since i believe it's really worth dropping in).

Wi related to me how Macs mixed up his orders (home delivery) a couple of days back. In his orders included a chicken fantastic meal but a beef fantastic burger was delivered instead. As he did not wish to keep his family members waiting, he decidedly accepted the food sent. So ending up eating a beef burger instead of a chicken. Mentioned in the passing that he felt bad about it as he worships Kwan Yin at home and he shouldn't be eating beef in front of Kwan Yin.

I made a suggestion to Wi that he did not have to feel bad about it and there are other ways to look at the same situation. First of all, i clarified to him, one do not differentiate between eating chicken, beef or another type of meat in the buddhist context. Eating meat is discouraged for all lay practictioners while vegetarian on the other hand is encouraged.

In Buddhism, all sentient beings are considered be equal, all born with an underlying Buddha Nature to be realised. If we look at it from a more material sense, then we are all equal in our desire to be happy and free from suffering. It's the same from the smallest insect to the largest mammals that we share our living space with, no being wish to be in pain and agony. =)

Reflecting for a while, i mentioned that he might have made a much better decision in accepting the order. By doing so, he did not have to keep his family waiting and he did not waste more resources by rejecting the order. In rejecting the order, the delivery man will have to return the food and re-send the correct order. In doing so, more fuel is wasted and more pollution is caused by the extra fumes emitted for the extra trip. Not only that, the beef burger will be rejected and as Mac's cannot keep their food beyond a certain time range, the burger will definitely be thrown away. As our resources are waning, looking from this angle, this might have been a better off decision.

Most importantly, it's our intentions that really counts at the end of the day. Of course, i'm not saying that good intentions coupled with bad actions is good but it is definitely better than bad intentions coupled with bad actions. =) Without perfect wisdom, how can we know if we truly did the right thing. But we can definitely rest easy if our intentions are perfect from the start. Mate, rest easy for you have made the decision out of love for your family. It's the loving intention that matters. =)