Problem at work (veganism issue)

[buddhanarchist_girl]

Hello to everybody. I work at a supermarket, recently I've become a hardcore vegan, used to be a vegetarian. And obviously I'm a buddhist, and a mad one.

Here's my problem: they make me organize and sell animal meat. I told them I can't do it, and they said if that's the case then I should look for another job but I can't do that either, not right now at least. What I do makes me feel terrible and I try to ignore myself, I simply disconnect. I tell myself that these animals are already dead, but I'm always aware of my own bullshit and I'm not sure for how long I can keep stable. I hate it, but I need the job. And I usually have to speak to these customers who ask me about the meat, stuff like whether the meat is fresh. And I have to be kind to these monsters. So you understand my problem.

I can't find the time to read the suttas, so I'd like to know if the Buddha said anything regarding such a situation? Also what is the kamma fruition of what I'm doing? Thank you.

With Metta
buddhanarchist_girl

[cooran]

What the Buddha said about eating meat
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/meat.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With metta,
Chris

[Nicolas]

Monks, a lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat [maṃsavaṇijjā], business in intoxicants, and business in poison.

From what I've read, Buddha said that business in meat is one of the five types of business that we should not engage in

The term ‘maṃsavaṇijjā’ means ‘butchery’, but in the traditional sense, not the modern one. Traditionally a butcher’s trade consisted in killing animals and then selling their meat; it is this that is wrong livelihood. Its modern equivalent would be the abattoir business. What we nowadays called a ‘butcher’ is usually just a meat-seller, not an animal-killer. This is not included in wrong livelihood. The same consideration applies to other occupations involved with the subsequent processing of the meat, including your own.

i.e. as long as you don't kill, you're good.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

It sounds like the perfect opportunity to overcome your defilements like contempt for people who eat meat, and may or may not be monsters.

See the Āmagandha Sutta

This body of ours is also made of meat, so you can also practise meditation on the 32 body parts.

[ihrjordan]

Quite the plot twist here

[SarathW]

It sounds like the perfect opportunity to overcome your defilements like contempt for people who eat meat, and may or may not be monsters.

See the Āmagandha Sutta

This body of ours is also made of meat, so you can also practise meditation on the 32 body parts.

I agree.
Very pragmatic Bhante.

[Ben]

I also agree with Venerable Pesala's advice.
I would also add that arranging the meat and talking to customers about it is an opportunity to reflect on your own attachment to a particular view and how it is creating suffering for yourself.
Kind regards,
Ben

[ryanM]

Also Bhikkhu Pesala has remarked before that you're not the one actually selling the meat/profiting from it, so, if I understand him/whatthebuddhasaid correctly, then there's no harm to what you're doing seeing that you're just an arbiter. Id recommend scouring his search history in order to find the posts on that topic. I'd advise you to look hard at being a 'hardcore' vegan. It's all well and good to practice veganism, but it's not really worth identifying with i.e. I'm a vegan!! It turns most people off and really, from what I've seen being a vegetarian/vegan for some years (still am), nobody really cares besides ourselves. Also, make a lesson out of this. When there's suffering, there's an opportunity to learn the Dhamma.

Cheers and good luck.

[Dan74]

I respect your passion, buddhanarchist_girl, but it seems to me a better state of mind as a vegetarian is to develop compassion for all living beings, rather that loathing for some. For instance as you handle the meat, quietly chant or pray for the dead animals, wishing them a better rebirth. You can also pray for the customers that their compassion extends to appreciating the suffering of the animals they consume.

We are very judgmental these days, elevating ourselves above others, filled with scorn for those who think differently, but actually there's not much difference at all between all of us, from the highest to the lowest, IMO.

[subaru]

yeah.. even after the excellent advice especially those with references to the Suttas, and you still have issues with handling meat... then you have to ask yourself if the mental conflict that you have is worth having that job... only you can answer that question and nobody else... because when you meditate, the idle thought processes that will arise to haunt you or help you... you, not anybody else..

[seeker242]

I'm a hardcore vegan also. I found that if you can manage to cultivate a strong metta attitude in your mind, then these things are no longer much of a problem. But of course the metta not only needs to be initially cultivated, but also maintained.