Awakening Compassion

Yesterday afternoon, my friend came into my office and plopped himself down in one of my chairs. He then asked me had I heard about this dog fighting controversy with Michael Vick. I said I had heard a little, but hadn't looked at it closely. He proceeded to tell me a horrific story -- of people breeding and training dogs to fight each other, of dogs that aren't considered good enough fighters being killed in cruel ways (hanging, electrocuting, slamming their heads into the ground), of female dogs put into crates that immobilize them in order to impregnate them. I sat behind my desk completely stunned. I nearly cried as I thought of the fear a dog must feel as a human hangs it or slams its head to the ground. The cruelty of this is shocking.

Those who know me, already know that I don't eat meat (although in a spirit of confession I will say that recently I did try to eat a few eggs and a piece of fish on the advice of a nutritionist -- I have, however, happily returned to a diet free of animal products) and am not restocking myself with leather shoes, belts or purses as old ones deteriorate. I tend not to be a proselytizer of my way of life, other than to encourage people to be healthy and to think about their food choices. But, as I drove home from work, this dog fighting story was being discussed on the radio, and even the DJ recognized the inherent contradiction in our disgust over Michael Vick's behavior...You see, he wondered out loud how he could be so angered and saddened by doing this to dogs and not think anything of what is done to cows and pigs and chickens and turkeys, which, let's be honest, is cruel. They are routinely kept in small spaces, forced to breed, and killed for efficiency first, humane concerns second.

So, perhaps something good will come of this terrible discovery in Virginia. Perhaps more people will wonder how we can say that an animal like a dog has feelings and shouldn't be tortured, while simultaneously supporting the mass killing of other animals. Perhaps those of us who are already on the path and feeling our compassion awaken, will consider ways in which we can lessen the burden of suffering and violence in our world.

"He alone sees truly who sees the Lord the same in every creature, who sees the Deathless in the hearts of all that die. Seeing the same Lord everywhere, he does not harm himself or others. Thus he attains the supreme goal." Bhagavad Gita