清海無上師以英文講於英國舍瑞 2006.01.08
師父：我想將來所有政府制定的食品法規，都會採取類似現在防制菸害所使用的方法：在香菸盒上標示一些如「抽菸會致命」，或是「抽菸會危害健康，引發肺癌，縮短壽命」等警語。如果他們能在肉品上這麼做，很多人就不會再吃肉，那麼不久的將來，大家都會變成素食者了。
所以我建議那些領導者或政府機關，應該警告大眾肉食的危害，或至少強制規定在肉鋪放置一隻牛的屍體。要是能夠播映整個屠宰過程的影片那就更好，因為這樣一來，就可以讓消費者知道他們付錢買的究竟是什麼樣的東西了。否則我總覺得那像是在欺騙消費者，因為那些肉販只賣切好的肉給顧客，根本看不出原本動物的形狀。比方說，有時雞會整隻地賣，不過多數時候他們只賣半邊的雞或是肉塊，已經看不出來原來的模樣。顧客沒看到雞的頭是怎樣被活生生地剁掉，沒看到牛被單腳吊掛起來放血時，慢慢滴血到地面上的慘狀，也沒看到豬被
宰殺刺喉時，四隻腳還在掙扎亂踢的模樣，而且有時屠夫沒刺中要害，還得再刺一次！這些過程顧客都沒看到。還記得我那個節目—「真正的英雄」嗎？（DVD編號#760）
同修：喔！是的，那也是講這方面的事。而英國政府目前也正在推行公共場所全面禁菸。
師父：是，你們一定想不到，這還是愛爾蘭先發起的！你們相信嗎？一個酒館林立、喝酒人口眾多的國家，卻具備有充分的常識，決定在公共場所禁菸。而其他國家現在也開始慢慢跟進，已經有很多國家跟著做了。愛爾蘭太好了！這樣對那個國家很好。我真的為他們感到光榮，因為抽菸對誰都沒有好處，這一點大家很久以前就知道了。雖然香菸的包裝盒上標註有警告標語，不過還是有人照買來抽，所以乾脆在公共場所一律禁菸，這樣起碼能保護那些不抽菸的人。
不過有時情形還是很糟糕！就拿我下榻的旅館來說，雖然我住在禁菸的樓層，但我在浴室裡還是聞得到菸味。想不通為什麼隔壁的房客要躲在浴室內偷抽菸呢？有些人就是很不守規矩，因為我每天都聞到菸味。他們以為躲在浴室裡面抽就沒事了，可是菸味還是會飄到我的浴室來，因為他們打開抽風機，而旅館浴室的通風系統都是相通的。有時人們偏偏喜歡去禁菸區抽菸，純粹只是出於叛逆之類的心態。
因此，將來不但要禁菸，而且違法抽菸的人還應該要被罰款。比方說，任何乘客如果在飛機上的廁所抽菸的話，就得繳交2000美元罰款。每個地方都可以這麼做，包括飯店也是。如果被抓到，就得繳交罰款。應該強制施行這種政策，因為光靠宣導是不夠的，大眾並不怎麼遵守規矩，在道德上也不夠誠實。
此外，酒瓶也該貼上像是「喝酒會損害大腦，引發嚴重疾病」的警語，或至少要標示「酒會要人命」。酒真的會要人命！每年全世界都有成千上萬的人因酒醉駕駛而肇事死亡，這一點大家都知道。
不過酒駕喪生還不是最悲慘的情況，有些人寧可死掉，也不願一輩子殘廢，成為家庭和社會的負擔，讓自己和親朋好友痛苦、難過，那樣比死還難過。當然我們不希望任何人因喝酒而喪失性命，但是如果一個人已經斷手斷腳、神智不清，只能半死不活地躺在那裡，是不是生不如死？那會成為社會的負擔、納稅人的包袱，也會讓很多人悲傷。如果必須日以繼夜地照料一位這樣的病人，你們能想像他們家屬的心理壓力有多沈重嗎？那是不是比死還糟糕？
還有，對於那些父母因喝酒而出事的小孩來說，他們就像沒有父母一樣，甚至比孤兒還可憐。當這些小孩去學校，被大家問到父母的情況時，會覺得丟臉、尷尬和難過。那些家裡有人像植物人一樣躺在醫院或家裡的小孩，往往會有心理方面的創傷，因為小孩子不知道該如何向人解釋，於是其他小孩就會取笑他或是取笑他爸爸。你們能想像這些事嗎？那不是只有當事者死亡的問題而已。
我們並不希望看到有人因酒醉駕駛而死掉，不過由許多案例來看，那樣似乎還比殘活下來所遭遇的悲慘情況要好些。因為這種不幸事件的影響很深遠，不只是當事人受苦而已，連親朋好友也深受其害。光是談到這些事，就已經讓人很不舒服，更不用說如果是我們自己或家人遭遇到這種情況，會是多麼地痛苦。
所以我認為政府還沒有善盡職責。他們至少可以將每一樣危險的東西都貼上警語，讓小孩看得到。他們光只是禁止小孩喝酒，但是小孩根本不懂為什麼不能喝酒。如果小孩子拿起的每個酒瓶上面都寫著：「喝酒會損害大腦、降低智力，會減損對一切事物的判斷力。」至少小孩一看到警語，就會恍然大悟，明白為什麼不能喝酒。如果只是偶爾在電視或報紙上宣導，小孩不見得會剛好看到，電視也沒有每天播放這類廣告，讓小孩明白喝酒不好。大人只是用口頭告誡他們不要喝酒，你們也知道小孩子年輕氣盛，又很叛逆，你越是禁止他們喝酒，他們越是想盡辦法偷喝，像是自己去買來喝、去偷來喝，或是互相挑戰來喝，甚至闖進酒館偷酒喝。這樣反而造成反效果。他們為什麼不在酒瓶上貼標籤，或至少標示警語呢？讓小孩知道為什麼不能喝酒，就像在香菸盒上標示警語那樣，這麼一來，起碼會使一些小孩醒悟過來，或讓小孩從一開始就知道喝酒真的不好。
同修：師父，我認為政府並沒有全力禁菸，原因是他們擔心經濟會受到影響，因為香菸稅是一項很大的稅收來源。
師父：不過政府還是有努力，他們將警告標語標示在菸盒上。為什麼酒類不也這麼做？難道也是經濟考量嗎？政府還有很多方面可以課稅；只要不再打仗、不再花大筆金錢製造武器，那些經費就足以拿來餵飽全世界的人了。
所以政府應該將所有會危害人的東西，無論酒還是什麼，都貼上警告標語。因為身為國家的領導者，他們應該要這麼做。保護人民是他們的職責，不該等到人民生病或瀕臨死亡，才花很多納稅人的錢去醫治這些人，有時也沒辦法救治，已經為時已晚。就算最後這些病患治癒了，他們也飽受折磨，整個家庭跟著承受麻煩，以及情緒和心理的痛苦。
我真不懂全世界的領導人都在做些什麼、都在忙些什麼！他們應該處理這些基本問題：除了實施禁菸，違法的人也要處以罰鍰，就像犯法一樣。如果有人往別人背後捅一刀，兇手會被抓去坐牢，至少關上一陣子；同樣的，要是有人將煙吹到別人的鼻子裡，害人致癌或生病的話，這種人也應該坐牢或被罰款，這樣他們才不敢再那麼做。在別人面前抽菸是另一種行兇，也算是一種侵犯、傷害他人的行為。抽菸真的會傷害人體，就跟刺傷別人一樣，只不過受害者痛的方式不同，是那種慢性、無形的傷痛。每個人都知道二手菸對人體危害很大，會使很多人喪生、痛苦，讓成千上萬的民眾生病，造成國家社會福利系統的負擔。這點大家都知道，可是卻沒有人採取任何行動。
如果政府擔心因為警告人民不要買菸，或是因為香菸盒印製了警語導致人民減少買菸，造成經濟衰退，到頭來政府還是得把菸草業的稅金用在抽菸的受害者身上，支付他們的醫療費用，那又有什麼用？
同修：有相關研究報導指出，那種醫療費用更高。
師父：沒錯！首先，政府要花費更多的成本；其次，會造成民眾痛苦不堪。這不是只有錢的問題而已，抽菸會使人身體病痛，精神受苦，也會戕害全國人民的聰明才智。長久以來已經有許許多多的人由於抽菸、喝酒而導致腦部受損，這些人才原本可以投身建設國家，建設一個更祥和、更明智、更理性的世界。
大約一百年前，喝酒還是被明令禁止，而且是非法的，我不懂他們為何解除禁酒令。每個人都知道酒是穿腸毒藥，卻還依舊公開販售。雖然只有成年人可以買酒，可是如果家裡總是擺著一瓶威士忌，大人又成天喝酒，那如何禁止家裡的小孩喝酒？還有，當大人們跟朋友聚會，坐在岩石上或是其他地點，一邊喝酒，一邊愉快地聊天，一副很酷的樣子。這樣的畫面會讓小孩深信：喔！喝威士忌會讓人開心！
或是在某些浪漫的場合中，父母坐著一起喝威士忌或其他酒類。小孩看了心裡當然會想：「喔！想要羅曼蒂克，就要像爸爸媽媽這樣。」於是他會邀請女朋友來，遊說她一起喝酒，以為這樣才符合電影裡或家裡看到的羅曼蒂克畫面。
如果社會教導小孩一堆垃圾，卻又期望世界和平、井然有序，期望小孩乖巧聽話、頭腦聰明，畢業後當個好公民等等。但是當小孩看到大人這種壞榜樣時，又怎麼能倖存在這個世界上成為好公民？
所以我們一定要大聲疾呼，我們的話會造成影響。我們只管開口說，別人聽不聽隨他們，至少我們說出來了。本來就應該這麼做。如果不在酒瓶上印標語，至少餐廳裡也應該標示：「喝酒危害生命」。為什麼單單只禁菸而已？香菸造成的傷亡並沒有酒類多，酒精造成的影響甚至比香菸的影響更快速。如果有人喝醉了出門，被別人激怒，他們會大打出手、互相殘殺，甚至將對方刺成重傷。喝酒的後果是那麼立即可見，為什麼不在酒瓶上貼上警告標語？我實在不懂。
此外，酒精會損害人的腦部，這是每個人都知道的事。而且腦部一旦受損就無法修復，除非是喝很少量的酒，而且接著很長一段時間都不再喝酒，那麼腦部受損的區域才有時間復原，但也不是永久復原。如果你不停地傷害它，它就回復不了。如果你喝烈酒的話，那麼你的頭腦就永久毀損了。無論酒精進入哪個部位，都會損壞那個區域，腦神經一旦受損就無法復原了，這是許多人都知道的事實。現代人有電視可看，有報紙可讀，不能說你不知道這些知識，所以為何不將警告標語印在酒瓶上呢？
以後連肉鋪裡會危害人類的東西，也應該貼上警語，在每一小塊肉包裝上標示：「你以吃屍體維生！」、「為了你今天一頓飯，某些生命被殘忍地殺害。」這麼一來，至少顧客會先明瞭，再作選擇。而且還要將死牛或牛隻被殘殺的照片貼滿肉鋪的牆上，至少讓民眾知道自己正在掏錢買什麼。如果做買賣是靠矇騙顧客上門來購買，那就像詐欺一樣，一點也不誠實。
同修：有時肉看起來並不像肉，因為它們被做成火腿或香腸之類的東西，所以小孩嘴裡吃著香腸，卻不知道香腸是什麼東西做的。
師父：對，他們不知道。我認識一個人，他有個四歲大的姪子一點都不愛吃肉，只喜歡不含肉的東西。但是他父母卻一直強迫他吃肉，有時甚至害他生病。所以我告訴我那位朋友，應該說服那對父母讓小孩自己作選擇。之後的情形如何，我就不知道了，但至少我已經盡力了。
大眾的覺醒創造人間天堂
我們無法說服全世界的人都不吃肉，不過至少要儘量告知周遭的人，儘可能去做。如果我們一起努力，一定會有結果。我們可以透過電視、廣播電台、小冊子或傳單來宣傳，隨時隨地呼籲大眾：「成為一位素食者吧！至少今天吃素，可以拯救一條無辜的生命。」把牛被單腳倒掛在天花板的圖片印在傳單上，把它印出來，讓人們看看牛是如何被殘殺的。
同修：師父，英國素食協會已經在這方面下了很多功夫。他們有特別為學校設計些活動，同時也製作了上面印有動物臉的T恤。
師父：是，我知道。要印就應該印牛被倒掛在天花板，屠夫在一旁拿刀的圖片，這比長篇大論更有力量。我希望這樣能真正撼動一些人的心，讓他們採取一些行動。即使人們不聽我們的勸告，以致於挽救不了他們的靈性，那至少我們可以拯救一些可憐的動物。
我們還應該做些什麼來淨化這個星球呢？我們可以在校園裡張貼些警告標語，到處貼些像是「毒品會致命」、「毒品有害心智」、「吸毒會使你上癮而無法自拔」、「吸毒使人傾家蕩產及性無能」之類的標語，這些都是千真萬確的事！我們為何不宣導這些事情呢？這些都是事實。吸毒會使人軟弱沉迷，臉色蒼白難看，又臭又老又病，為何不在校園裡宣傳這些事實呢？不要光在那邊說「禁止吸毒」，應該要全盤解釋清楚，因為學童的課業繁重，並不是每個小孩都會讀到全部的訊息。如果老師沒有說明清楚，或只提一兩次的話，還是不夠的。
我們應該到處張貼關於毒品、酒精以及肉食害處的標語，例如「為了你今天的晚餐謀殺了一條生命」，把這個標語印在每盒牛肉或豬肉上，看看有多少人還會想買肉，讓人們去想想看。殺害人命叫做謀殺，殺害動物也同樣是謀殺！動物牠們只是四處走動，對你無害，但你卻跑去把牠殺了，那就是蓄意謀殺，要不然該怎麼說呢？所以我們應該說：「為了你餐桌上的這塊肉，一條生命被謀害了。」看看大家會怎麼想。
將來如果所有政府都能確實盡責，更有道德、更堅定，而非只為經濟擔憂操心的話，世界會越來越乾淨。因為把收來的稅拿去支付病患醫療費用的話，怎麼算都划不來。這些東西會讓許多人受苦，不單是在治療過程中要受苦，有些人甚至根本治不好，即使讓他們服用再多的藥，接受最先進的儀器治療，還是無法康復。這樣倒不如根本就不要賣香菸，或在菸酒上面標示警語，這麼一來患病的人就會減少，我們也不必去支付那些醫療費用了。這些醫療的開銷遠比稅收來得高，豈不是在做虧本生意嗎？任何明智的政府都應該好好精打細算，就會知道怎麼做才合乎經濟效益。此外，警告大眾和保護人民本來就是政府的職責所在，他們有義務照顧人民的健康和安全。
有太多好事你們可以效法，你們可以從我做事的榜樣，過去的事蹟及教理中去找。我從不禁止你們做什麼，你們可以戴高級珠寶，我甚至還為你們設計天飾。有慶祝會時，你們也可以穿漂亮的服飾。我們並不常需要那些東西，但是想要的話也可以，如果不必要就不用，我們怎樣都自在。我們的美麗是由內向外散發出來，所以根本不需要穿華麗衣服讓自己好看，但是如果有人想要穿，我也不禁止。我不想讓你們當個苦行僧，只要記得吃素就好，這是為了長養慈悲心。只要你內在越美，外在各方面也會越美，你的穿著品味也會更好，一切都會一天比一天更好。
很久以前，譬如在中國，很多國王本身就是靈性導師，像堯、舜都是明師，而且他們都愛民如子。那個時代夜不閉戶，人民也不用繳稅給國王，完全不必為國王做任何事，一個社會理當如是。
所以每個政府都應該頒獎給我們、嘉許我們：「你們做得很好，是在幫助政府！」何況我們還是義務做的，他們不需要付錢給我們。因為每個政府都需付錢請警察或軍隊來防制犯罪和保護人民，而我們正是做同樣的事，而且不支領薪水呢！我們不會跟警察發生衝突，沒有傷害任何人，更沒有任何武器去傷人，所以怎麼可能是壞人呢？怎麼會有政府不懂這個道理？可見這個世界還是很落後。當然上帝是不會記恨的，祂還是一直在幫忙把每個人都提昇上去！
不妨想想，要是每個人都跟我們一樣，即使他們不吃素，那就先從不喝酒、不碰毒品及不抽菸開始，如此一來，他們會變得更神清氣爽、身體健康，還可以省下很多錢。人人都會更快樂，擁有好的房子及車子，身體健康，家庭安樂，同時也為孩子們樹立一個良好的榜樣。如果我們能戒除酒、肉和菸，家庭會更和樂，學校環境也會更好。
由此可知，淨化生活真的會產生很大的效應，它會影響到每一件事，不僅是個人或家庭，還會影響整個社會，這也是為什麼我認為世人都應該這麼做的原因。只要他們依照我們的榜樣去做，不必來跟我學打坐，也不必全都成為聖人；我可以不用去教他們，他們也不必來找我，只要淨化他們自己的生活就足夠了。他們可以向上帝或其他對象禱告，不過他們的美德及良好的生活方式自然會影響全世界，整個世界都會成為天堂，根本不需要我。
怎麼世人都沒有發現這一點？為何沒有更多國家領導人努力推行這種純淨的生活方式，建立一個人人都會快樂和平的天堂呢？如果他們真心想要照顧同胞，就該那樣做，至少要努力去推行，樹立典範。因為那正是當權者該做的事，他們有能力改變整個世界的！身為一國的領導人，至少也可以改變自己的國家。只要一步一步來，就會很容易。我們不妨也開始擘劃一個風氣純淨的社會，以及每個政府都應該要推行的事情，也許這樣的夢想會成真，事實上已經開始了。
我認為問題的根源還是在酒、菸和毒品，從那裡一切事情都變壞，因為人一旦失去理智，什麼事都做得出來。在佛陀的時代有個故事，那時有人教導民眾要持戒：不殺生、不偷盜、不邪淫、不妄語及不喝酒，不過有個人說他除了「不喝酒」之外，其他四個戒律都可以持守。結果他喝酒之後，就跑去殺人，殺人之後又說謊，接連做盡各種壞事，這一切都只因為他喝醉酒。酩酊大醉以後，要是有誰擋他的路，他就殺那個人，要是有人想勸阻他的話，他也將對方殺掉。因為那時他已經無法控制自己，不知道自己在做什麼。
所以我衷心希望將來所有政府都能這麼做：首先將有關酒精危害的警語張貼在每一家賣酒的商店裡，接下來印製有關肉類和魚類的警語，像是：「有些生命因為你而被謀殺了」，起碼要向大眾宣導這些事實，讓人們能有所選擇。因為人們也許不知道這些實情，他們知道自己是在吃肉，可是因為長久以來每天都這麼吃，所以也不會多想什麼。多數的民眾都沒被好好教導，他們只知道那些「優良」肉品和烈酒等的廣告，那些全都是騙人的！所以如果讓大家知道這正是他們的選擇時，他們可能就會去思考。你們不必強力推行，非得要別人吃素不可，只要讓大眾知道為什麼要吃素，讓他們知道還有另一種選擇，可以不用殺生就可以活下去，大眾自己就會決定，他們知道那將是比較明智的選擇，不過前提是必須讓大眾有足夠的知識來作選擇。
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/164/index2.htm
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Governments Should
Educate Citizens to the Hazards
of Meat, Alcohol and Tobacco
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Surrey, United Kingdom,
January 8, 2006 (Originally in English)
M: In the future, I think the governments of all countries will do something similar with food to what is being done now with cigarettes, where a warning is printed on the outside of the package saying things like "Cigarettes can kill" or "Cigarettes cause lung cancer and shorten your life." If they do that, then many people will stop eating meat and all will be vegetarian in the near future.
So I suggest that the leaders, organizations or governments should warn people or at least make it compulsory to put something like a dead cow inside the shop. Or have a film running with the whole picture of the butchering process; that would be even better, to let people know what it is that they're getting and what they're actually paying for.
Otherwise, I feel like it's a lie to just sell a person a piece of meat that doesn't have a form anymore. For example, chicken is sometimes sold whole, but most of the time they just sell half of it or pieces that don't look like anything. You don't see the way they chop off the head of the chicken while it's alive. You don't see the way they hang the cow from one leg and let the blood drip one drop at a time to the floor. You don't see the way they cut the pig's throat while he's still kicking and that they sometimes miss and have to cut again. People don't see that. Remember I have a show called The Real Heroes? (DVD #760)
D: Oh yes, that was about this very subject. The British government is also currently trying to ban smoking in public places.
M: Yes. Surprisingly, Ireland did it first. Can you believe that? This is a country with a lot of pubs and people who drink, but they still had enough common sense to do that. Other countries are also moving slowly now, with many more that have already followed suit. Bravo, Ireland! Good for that country. I really feel very proud of that because smoking is no good for anyone; that's been known for a long time. It's OK to put warnings on the packets, but people still buy them. So banning smoking in public areas at least protects the ones who don't smoke.
But it's still terrible sometimes. For example, in my hotel, I stay on a non-smoking floor. But I still smell smoke in the bathroom. Why do the next-door guests sneak in and smoke? They don't have much respect because every day it's like that. People might think that if they go into the bathroom it's good enough, but then the smoke still flies into my bathroom because they turn on their fan and the rooms are connected with each other. And sometimes people actually like going into a non-smoking room to smoke. They just feel rebellious or something.
So you not only have to ban it, but also impose a penalty. For example, if you smoke in the lavatory of an airplane, the penalty is $2,000. This could go for everywhere, even in hotels. If you're caught you should pay the penalty. That's the way it should be reinforced because just talking is not enough. People are not that disciplined or morally honest.
Also, they should put a label on alcohol like, "Alcohol can damage your brain and cause considerable illness" or at least "Alcohol kills." It does kill! Drinking and driving kill many hundreds of thousands of people every year around the world. Everyone knows that.
Even so, being killed isn't the worst thing. Some people would rather die than be maimed for life, which creates a burden for the family and society and causes suffering and sorrow for the individual and the people concerned. That's even worse than death. Of course, we don't want anyone to die like that, but wouldn't it be worse if you had already lost your arms, legs or brain but had to lie there because you couldn't die and couldn't live? That's a burden for society and the taxpayer's money. And it causes a lot of sorrow. But if you have to nurse a person like this day in and day out, can you imagine how much psychological strain that will put on the family members? Isn't that worse than death?
And then, for the children whose father or mother is affected, it's just like having none, or worse than having none. They go to school and everyone asks them and they feel bad, embarrassed and sad. So there's psychological damage to the child whose father is lying in the hospital or in the house like a vegetable. Kids don't know how to explain and then other kids make fun of them, or make fun of the father. Can you imagine these things? So it's not just about dying.
We don't support death by being killed in drunken driving accidents, but in many cases it's still better than the alternative because the effect is immense, not only for the victim; it's also terrible for the family and friends. Even talking about it already makes us feel bad, to say nothing of the situation if we or our family members are the ones who have to suffer it.
So I think that the governments haven't done the best they can. They can label every dangerous thing at least for the kids to read. Now they ban kids by saying, "Don't drink alcohol," but the child doesn't understand why. If every bottle he picked up said, "Damages your brain," or "Reduces your intelligence" or "Impairs your judgment in every way," at least the kid could read it and say, "OK, that's why." If it's just mentioned on television or printed in the newspaper once, he won't read it. And they don't run these ads every day on television for the kids to see that alcohol is bad. They just tell our kids, "Don't drink." And you know kids: They're strong and rebellious. When you say no, they sneak and do it some other way, like they try to do it themselves or steal it or dare each other to do it. Or they'll break into the pub to get it. It's no good. Why don't they put a label or at least a warning on it? Tell them why, just like they do for cigarettes. At least some people have come to their senses, or the kids know from the beginning that it's really bad.
D:Master, I think the government doesn't really try 100%; they're worried about the economics because the cigarette tax is a big source of income.
M: But they did try; they put a warning on the cigarettes. Why don't they do that with alcohol? Is it economics again? The government can get tax revenue in many other ways. If you stop making war and don't produce any more weapons that cost a lot of money, you can feed the whole world free of charge.
So the government should put a warning on everything that kills, be it liquor or anything. That's what they should do because they're the leaders of the nation. They are obliged to protect the people instead of waiting until people are sick or dying and then get a lot of taxpayer's money to try to cure them, which sometimes is not even possible because by then it's too late. And even if they manage to cure the illness, the patient has already gone through a lot of suffering and the family has undergone a lot of trouble and emotional and psychological pain.
So I don't know what all the leaders of the world are doing, what they're busy with. They should take care of the root problem: Ban cigarettes and also impose a penalty if the people break it, just like breaking the law. If someone stabs someone else in the back, they put him in jail at least for a while. So if someone blows smoke into your nose and causes you slow cancer or sickness, they should also go to jail, or at least face a penalty so that the person stops it. It's a different kind of killing, a different molestation with different harm. But it's still really physical. It's like stabbing someone but just different because it's invisible, slow pain. Everyone knows that second-hand smoke is also very bad. It kills a lot of people, inflicts a lot of pain, makes a lot of people sick and strains the national social security system. Everyone knows that, but they don't do anything.
What's the use of worrying about the economic setback of warning people not to buy cigarettes or worrying that people will buy fewer cigarettes if you provide a warning, when you use the income from the cigarette tax and pay it back to the patients anyway?
D: There's research saying it's more expensive.
M: Yes, it's more expensive, number one. Number two, it inflicts a lot of pain. It's not just the money! It causes a lot of physical pain as well as emotional pain, and it damages the nation's intelligence. There are so many brains out there that have been damaged by smoking and alcohol, when we could use that to build the nation, to build a more peaceful, more intelligent and more reasonable world.
Before, around a hundred years ago or so, alcohol was banned and was forbidden to drink. I don't know why they let that go. Everyone knows it is poison but they still allow it to be bought openly. They say that only adults can buy alcohol, but how do you keep your children from drinking it at home when you have a bottle of whisky and you're hanging around all day drinking. Or some day you're sitting with your friend and it looks so cool, on the rocks or whatever, and talk happily together and drink. And that creates a very strong picture for the kids to think, "Oh, whisky makes you happy."
Or when there's a romantic occasion, you sit together and drink whisky or drink some kind of alcohol and the kids say, "If I want to be romantic I have to do the same as Mom and Dad." And then you invite a girlfriend to come around and you talk her into drinking alcohol together so as to fit in with the picture of romance that you see in films or in your house.
If the society is teaching these garbages and yet expects the world to be orderly and peaceful and the children to be obedient, nice and intelligent, and to graduate and be good citizens. How can kids survive in this world to become good citizens when they see the bad examples we adults show them?
So we have to speak up. And your word does make a difference. You just have to say it. People can take it or not take it, but at least you say it. That's the way it should be. If not on the label itself at least in the restaurant it should say, "Alcohol kills." Why confine it to just cigarettes? Cigarettes kill even less than alcohol. Alcohol even has a more immediate effect. Someone gets drunk, he goes out and someone else just provokes him. So they fight and then they kill each other or they're stabbed or wounded so that they damage each other's bodies. It's even more immediate. So why not put the warning on the alcohol bottle? I don't understand this.
Also, it damages your brain; everyone knows that. And the brain doesn't grow back. If you drink very little alcohol and you haven't had any at all for a span of time, then it gives that brain-damaged area time to grow back, but it won't grow back forever. If you keep killing it, it won't grow again. And if you drink very strong alcohol, you become brain-damaged forever. Whatever part it goes into becomes damaged and the nerves won't grow back. Many people know that. Nowadays, if you watch TV or read newspapers, you can't say you don't know. So why not put a warning label on alcohol bottles.
Then later, you also have to put it in meat shops, on everything that kills. Every piece of meat should have printed on it, "You are living on dead bodies," or "Some being has been killed brutally for your meal today." Then at least the person buying knows it and they have a choice. They should also put pictures of dead or brutally murdered cows all over the walls of the butcher shop. Then at least the consumers know what they're paying for. It's not an honest job to sell something and then blindfold the people who buy it. That's like cheating; it isn't honest.
D: Sometimes a piece of meat doesn't really look like meat; they make it like ham or sausage and the children just eat the sausage but they don't know where it comes from.
M: Yes, they don't know. I know one person who had a nephew only four years old who didn't like meat at all. He liked only things without meat, but the parents kept forcing him to eat it. Sometimes he even got sick so I said to that friend, "You have to convince the parents to let him make a choice." I don't know what has happened since then, but I tried my best.
Increasing public awareness can create a paradise on earth
So you cannot tell everyone in the world, but tell whomever you can. Do your best. If we all try together, it will bear fruit. Air it on TV, radio, in pamphlets, leaflets and everywhere: "Be a vegetarian. At least today, save one innocent life." And print a leaflet with a cow hanging on the ceiling from one leg. Print that one; let them have a look at how they kill cows.
D: Master, the Vegetarian Society in the UK does quite a lot of work on that. They have special programs for the schools and a T-shirt with a face.
M: Yes, I know. So just print a picture with a cow hanging from the ceiling and the butcher with a knife; that will be worth more than a thousand words. That will really hit someone, I hope, and do something. If you can't rescue them spiritually because the humans won't listen, at least rescue some poor animals.
What else should we do to clean up the planet? Place warnings in the schools as well. Put signs everywhere that say things like "Drugs kill," "Drugs make you less intelligent," "Drugs make you addicted and dependent," "Drugs deplete your money and impair your sexual function." They do! So why don't we just say all these things? It's really true. Drugs make you weak and dependent and pale and bad-looking and smelly and old and sick. Why don't they write all those things in the schools? Don't just say, "Ban drugs." We have to explain all this as well because not every kid can read all about it; they're too busy learning in school. And if the teacher doesn't say anything, or only says it once or twice, it's not enough.
You have to put slogans and things like that everywhere: about drugs, about alcohol and about meat, saying, "A living being has been murdered for your dinner today." Put that on a piece of beef or pork and see how many people still want to buy it. Let them think. Because to kill a person is called murder and to kill an animal is also murder. If the animal just runs around doing no harm to you and you go and kill it, that's deliberate murder. What else could it be? So we should say, "Someone has been murdered for this piece of meat in your meal." And then see what they think about that.
In the future, the world will get cleaner if the governments really do their job, if they have more morals and are stronger instead of just worrying about the economy. Because it's bad calculation if you collect taxes but then have to pay for the patients. And you inflict suffering, not just the pain of getting better since many people don't get better. Even if you give them a lot of medicine and treat them with the best equipment, they don't recover. So instead of that, just don't sell cigarettes or put something on the cigarettes and alcohol so that fewer people get sick. Then we won't have to pay for their medical bills, which costs even more than the taxes we take in. It's a loss of business, no? So any intelligent government should calculate and then they'll know what makes even the best business sense. Besides, warning people and protecting them is really the government's job. It's their duty to take care of the people's health and safety.
There are so many things that are good for you to follow: in my example, my footsteps and my teachings. And I don't even forbid you anything. You can wear nice jewelry, which I even design for you. You can wear nice clothes when we have a party. We don't always need that, but we can do it if we want to. If we don't have to, we don't need to. We're comfortable as we are. We're beautiful inside out. So we don't even need to wear certain clothes to look good, but if you want to I don't forbid you anything. I don't make you become an ascetic, only vegetarian because of compassion. The more beautiful you are inside, the more beautiful you are outside anyway. Your taste in clothing and everything is getting better each day.
In the very old times, for example in China, the king was the spiritual Master, like King Yao and King Shun were Masters, and the kings took care of the people as if they were their own children. The people at that time didn't even need to lock their doors and they didn't pay taxes to the king. They didn't need to do anything for the king at all, and that's the way it should be.
So, the governments should give us an award: "You're doing good. You're helping us." We're even free of charge; they don't have to pay us! Because the government has to pay the police or army to suppress the criminals and protect the people. We're doing just that without getting paid, without clashing with the police, without harming anyone, without having any weapons to harm anyone to begin with. So how can we be bad? How can any government not recognize this? The affairs of this world are still backward but of course God doesn't hold a grudge against anyone; Hes is still helping everyone to go up, up, up.
Otherwise, imagine if everyone did what we do. Even if they didn't eat vegetarian, maybe just no alcohol, no drugs and no cigarettes to begin with, we'd be cleaner, healthier and save a lot of money. And everyone would be happier; they could have a good house, good car, good health and good family and this would set a good example for the children in the schools. If we take away the alcohol, meat and cigarettes, the family will already be much better and school will be a better place.
So the effect of a clean life is really big; it does affect everything, not just one person or one family; it affects the whole society. That's why I think the world should do this. If people just follow our example, they don't even need to study meditation with me or all become saints. I don't need to teach them, and they don't need to come see me. All they have to do is live a clean life. They can pray to God or pray to whomever they want, but their virtues, their good life will affect the whole world, and the whole world will become a paradise with no need of me.
Why doesn't the world see this? Why don't more leaders of nations reinforce this kind of clean living, this happy, peaceful Heaven for everyone? If they really want to take care of their families, then that's the way. At least reinforce it, set an example because that's what you have power for: You can change the world, or if you're the leader of a nation you can at least change your nation.
Just do it step by step and it will be easy. Meanwhile, we can hope and dream about a clean society and the things that the governments of the world should do and perhaps will do. It's already beginning.
Because I still think the root of the problem is drinking, smoking and drugs. From there, everything goes bad. Once you lose your mind, you might do anything. There's a story from the Buddha's time where someone said to a man, "OK, you have to keep all the Precepts: Don't kill. Don't steal. Don't commit adultery. Don't tell lies. And don't drink." And the man said, "I can keep the first four, but the 'Don't drink' I can't." And then he drank, and he killed, and then told lies, and all kinds of things happened because he drank and got drunk. When he was drunk, if anyone got in his way he just killed them. If they tried to stop him, he would just kill because he had already lost control; he didn't know what he was doing anymore.
So I just hope that in the future all governments will do that. First, write warnings about alcohol and post them in every alcohol shop. Next, write meat or fish warnings that say, "Some being has just been murdered for you" at least to tell them the truth, to tell people so they have a choice because the people may not know. They know that they eat meat, but they've been eating it every day so they don't even think. The majority of people aren't taught by anyone and so they only know about the advertised "good" meat and strong alcohol and so on. It's all lies. So, if you make them understand that this is a choice they make, then they might think. You don't have to be forceful and say, "You have to be vegetarian." Just give people knowledge about why they should be vegetarian--"There is an alternative. You don't have to kill to stay alive." Then the person can choose because they know it's a wise choice, but they have to have the knowledge to choose it.
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/164/index2.htm
I will try to explain more. In your life, do you understand who is living now? It's the awareness, the real 'I' that is living through the perceiving agents of the hands, the feet, the eyes, the ears, the mouth, the feelings, and the brain. That's it. And should 'I', this awareness, always get stuck with these feelings, with this thinking, with this information, then the 'I' cannot be free from the feelings, from the thinking, from the preconceived collective ideas of society, of the environment, of the habits. And of course, that true awareness, that true 'I' has to come back again. But should this true 'I' always understand that he, the true 'I', the true awareness, is only the witness of all these feelings, all this thinking, all these collective thoughts, then this 'I' never gets stuck with these feelings or ideas, and is always free. So when he dies, he knows absolutely that he is not these feelings, not these bindings, not these surroundings, not these ideas; then he is free. He marches back to the whole, to the whole river of life, and doesn't get stuck in that corner of so-called thinking, feeling, hate and love. So we have to awaken our awareness again, pull it back and keep reminding it all the time, "You are not this feeling, you are not this idea, you are not this, and you are not that." Understand? Nothing is you!
身 (6)