Pearls of Wisdom

The Reasons for Becoming a VegetarianCompassion

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Malaysia, Oct. 1, 1989
(Originally in English) Videotape #99

We must see the suffering of other creatures as our own. Therefore, we should not rejoice in the killing of animals, and then eat them. That's the reason why we should be vegetarians. That's what I mean by leaning more and more towards compassion and extending love to all creatures. Every religion, not one doesn't mention that we should extend our love to all beings, not only human beings. So, whether we believe in any religion or not, we all can believe in the goodness, in the compassion of our hearts. So we try to save as many lives as possible. That doesn't mean that if you eat one piece of meat less, many things will change. But it is the principle of training our hearts towards compassion. Let our compassion grow; don't kill our compassion. The intention is important.