Thread: Pigs, Dolphins and Polar Bears

In Toraja land at the very big important (and sometimes not so important) funerals pigs and buffalos are killed in public. Normally one cut of a very sharp sword is used for the buffalo and the pigs are killed somewhat similar to his pigs.

Meat is rare in the villages but is always killed and butchered by village folk. We westerners and our supermarket plasticised meat packaging are far to sensitive about such matters. I have always believed if we want to eat meat we should have to kill it first. We would not then be so critical of those who do.

However if you want to be or are a vegitarian you should have that choice. Me I like meat and have no problems catching or killing it but I do not subscribe in any way to cruelty in doing so.

When I was in Irian Jaya some years ago I used to go into the jungle with my workers and supplement the tins of corn beef with real meat by hunting for it with bows and arrows. I cannot tell you of how satisfied this made me with the meat I killed.

Allen

Maria is a first class cook and I am an excellent one pan chef but we go out from time to time to enjoy other types of food and so should you just to have a break and appreciate Ina even more than you obviously do now. Unless of course you are a tight git :-)

Originally Posted by tintin

Bert,

For example, see Kadek's post which I took to be a serious remark. (Is Kadek a Jain?))

Yes the remark was meant to be serious and NO, I am not a follower of Jainism.

Jimbo wrote:

Meat is rare in the villages but is always killed and butchered by village folk. We westerners and our supermarket plasticised meat packaging are far to sensitive about such matters. I have always believed if we want to eat meat we should have to kill it first. We would not then be so critical of those who do.

I do agree with Jimbo, that living in the city and with all the conveniences have made us too sensitive and remote from nature. We have lost the connection to the basic things for our survival. When reading Bert's posting, I can vividly remember the many occasions when I was little, when I got up early in the morning and joined other kids to watch the killing of pigs for ceremonies like Galungan and Kuningan. It was a very real and confronting thing to witness for a child. Though it made me very queasy and uneasy, kind of scared also but I was very curious at the same time. Beside they happened right at my parent's back yard, so couldn't hide even if I want to. The boys were even playing with a part of the pig which was like a balloon (can't think of the English word).

I don't remember being disgusted by it or that I grew up traumatized by this experience. So my point is having witnessed such killing of husbandry animals for food, have made me aware of where our food are coming from and how other animals and living things (plants) have to die for me to be able to eat them. So when I go to the supermarket and bought a piece of pork for dinner, I understand that a pig has to be raised and looked after then killed then processed then put in the supermarket selves for me to purchase.

There have been some studies/surveys done that asked children here of where they think meat and eggs are coming from. Many children answered - from the supermarkets! They don't understand the process and the real living sequence of how the things in the supermarket selves got there in the first place. So, when they see cows or pigs in an animal farm brought to the city for such things as fun day or show, many children don’t associate or made the connection that these very same animals will be served for dinner in the future.

So many (all of) our actions are interconnected with other things and all have consequences or result in other things to happen, die, dying etc. To think that by being vegetarian you are better than those that eat meat is simply ridiculous and arrogance – in my opinion. And beside, what’s the point of being vegetarian when (some vegetarians admit to consuming this and there are products made to cater for them) you are still eating products that resemble animal products with the right consistency and even taste?? (for examples vegetable sausages, vegetable mince etc? or even making food that have the appearance of animals)? So wouldn’t the intent of killing animals be still there?

And Truth Sayer, you obviously don’t quite understand (maybe cannot accept) that practices of Hindu India and especially the Hare Krishna practices of Bhakti Yoga IS NOT the Bhakti Yoga as it is practiced and adopted in Hindu Bali! So you think by converting Bali to follow Hare Krishna practices will return Bali to the good old days? If I may say so, don’t you think, that you are part of the movement and people who will undermine or is undermining Balinese culture (which you so desperately want to protect and revive amongst its young people – as you claimed)?

Regards

Kadek