Full Moon Confession - 00

Click the title of this post for a list of the Buddhist precepts

A part of my path down this Road of Whatever I've taken it to be true that the first precept of not killing includes not eating anything that was basically killed for you. I also believe that there isn't as much difference between myself and other living things as most people believe. Just tiny details. And I wouldn't want to be killed for food, so I bet they don't either.

If I sit in the meat isle of my local grocer and look at all that packaged meat for what it really is (raw chunks of dead animals that were once alive and killed in a probably not-so-nice way) I get down and don't see brightly packaged blocks of mmmm mmmm good any more. I see dead animals in tiny plastic shapes and I stop being hungry. The square of white and read meat in front of me was once an animal that liked the sun and food and didn't like pain just like me.

But I don't always sit and look like that. Or care to. Its laziness and greed. Steak tastes good. Bacon tastes good. I push the thoughts of jumping pigs and happy heffers away so I can eat things I like. Then I tell myself next week I'll really start being a vegetarian.

So there's the first one: I eat meat even though I know I don't want to and say I won't. I do it when its convenient.

I lecture The Misses a lot on her temper and being mindful of when she's annoyed. She isn't a raving mad woman or anything, but its one of the few things I feel she does need to work on. Well, I'm not really that much better. The list of things that sets me off has been whittled down, but I'm no Jesus. I've yelled at The Misses and been an ass for no reason just because I'm annoyed.

So there's two: Watch my emotions, especially when I feel the need to tell others to do the same. I guess that means I didn't watch my speech close enough.

I've been having Ben and Jerry's ice cream like everyday after lunch. That isn't necessary or in line with my goal to be on a good, animal-product free diet. I'll go out of my way to get this ice cream. I've been really snacky.

Number three: I've overindulged in food.

I think that's good. I know its not the murder or rape you expected, but its like an everyday thing and I really want to live by the precepts and it bugs me constantly. Like background static that never stops. I'm just lazy. Hopefully this helps me see how lazy I am and fix it.

Next time I'll post more specific examples, I just wanted to get this out and started today. Like a warm up.

Be good!

- BuddhaDave

"Hey Dave, you want to go get a big steak and then get some Half Baked ice cream?"
*whimper*