BECOMING A VEGETARIAN FOR 3 DAYS

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BECOMING A VEGETARIAN FOR 3 DAYS
Monday, May 19, 2008 1:50PM / Standard Entry / Members only
16 comments

為了幫四川災民祈福，我會食三天素，如果可以的話，請大家共同參與!

如果工作上不許可，請盡量不要大魚大肉，而且不要殺生！

相信好的願力和能量能夠幫助他們！

謝謝大家支持！

In order to help the victims and families that are suffering as a result of the Sichuan Earthquake, I have decided to become vegetarian for 3 days.

I believe that if more people participitated in this cause, it will bring good karma and intention to those affected.

If you can, will you join me?

If you cannot, please try to minimize eating meat/ fish and do not kill (yup, that includes mosquitos!!! haha)

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS CAUSE! :)

ELHCAY was very nice to offer up this link for those who need more info in becoming vegetarian: http://www.goveg.com/

I also found one diary entry of a rescuer working in Sichuan at the moment that I found very touching, our thanks go out to those brave volunteers out there! http://chinanews.sina.com/news/2008/0515/23212701496.html

消防醫生日記：為1%希望肩扛手扒出汗流淚

http://chinanews.sina.com 2008年05月15日 23:21 中國消防在線

　　5月15日晴

　　心疼，無比地疼。

　　昨天下午3時進入北川老縣城。眼前一片廢墟，不時可以看到尸體，幸存者焦慮地尋找埋在瓦礫、斷梁下的親人，有的則抱著被褥急切地等著救援人員到來。這樣的場景，以前只在電影里見過。而現在，卻活生生地出現在面前。

　　在一座倒塌的幼兒園，七八個焦急的父母在廢墟里尋找自己的孩子。聽說山上的懸湖要塌方，不少人正往城外逃命，但他們不肯離去，在廢墟中翻尋著，一遍遍呼喚孩子的小名。聽當地人介紹，地震發生時，幼兒園里有188個孩子正在吃飯，全園共有300多個孩子，大多數被埋在了下面。

　　一名憔悴不堪的男子迎上來，焦急地將我們領到一處瓦礫下：“那里有一個小女孩！”孩子下半身被壓著，從三角形的洞里，可以看到腦袋。孩子很勇敢，還能講話，回答我腳趾頭還能動。孩子應該受傷不重，我和戰友趕緊小心翼翼地上前扒。孩子被壓在一堵牆下，斷牆有1人多高。就在我們忙著救援時，再次發生了余震，我感到背後的牆搖晃著。大家都很緊張，手中還是沒停。

　　“叔叔，我要喝水！”細小的聲音從洞里傳來，我趕緊拿下軍用水壺，然而洞口太小，水壺夠不到孩子的嘴。“誰有塑料袋？誰有塑料袋？”人們焦急地傳遞著信息。袋子找到了，我將袋角撕開一個小口，放到孩子的嘴里，清徹的水，澆活了這個鮮嫩的生命。我們加緊切割斷梁，一些本地人也趕來幫忙，1個多小時後，女孩終于被救了出來。

　　她叫任思雨，6歲。我檢查了一下，孩子奇跡般地僅有些擦傷。這是我救出的第一個孩子。看著她，看著身邊被埋的許多已閉上眼睛的孩子，我忍不住想哭──生命在這里，是多麼頑強，又是多麼的脆弱。

　　“這里還有一個。”一個母親跪著，不停地哭喊著“毛頭、毛頭”，我們趕緊跑過去。她的孩子被埋著，隱隱約約可以看到腦袋。母親徒勞地用手去扒壓在孩子身上的牆塊，哭著喊救命。我和戰士們找來液壓剪、擴張器、頂桿，找准著力點以免傷到孩子。但是，牆塊太多太重，我們費了好大的勁，只能撬開一點點。母親看著我們，說：“你們已經盡力了，孩子埋得太深，難救，那邊還有許多孩子，你們快去吧。”

　　這是一個在廢墟里苦苦守候了50多個小時的母親說出的話。她的喉嚨因為焦急、呼喊已經嘶啞。她看到更多的孩子需要救助，可能比她的孩子容易救些，她忍著劇痛，願意放棄自己孩子的生命而成全他人。災難，你來得那麼猛烈而無情，但你打不垮人性的堅持與善良。

　　太多感動的故事，在那座廢墟里發生。領我們去救人的男子叫陳禮富，他的3歲雙胞胎兒子也被埋在了下面，而他因在上班的路上逃過一劫。他發了瘋似的衝到幼兒園，日夜不停地尋找。他沒找到自己的孩子，卻發現不少別的孩子還活著，領著我們去救並幫忙。

　　“任思雨！任思雨！”廢墟邊，一對年輕的夫妻哭喊著，逢人便問：“有沒有看到我的孩子？有沒有看到我的孩子？”這不是我們剛剛救下的那個女孩麼？我大聲應答。夫妻倆直奔過來，衝上去看了看擔架上的孩子：“是的！是的！”號啕大哭。這是孩子的姑姑、姑父，他們說，哥哥嫂子都死了，他們自己的孩子也沒逃過，他們留在這里不走，就是想找到這個孩子。

　　救人！救人！救人！只要有1%的希望，就要100%的努力。在那個善良的母親身邊，我和戰士們頑強地用手扒、用肩扛；天黑看不見，就打開手電；人手不夠，當地老鄉上來幫忙。奮戰3個多小時後，那個氣息微弱的孩子，被抱了出來。

　　戴著手套的手，扒出了血；戰士們的臉上，淚水和汗水攪在一起。手電筒的光越來越暗，城市黑得漸漸伸手不見五指。在又救出1個大人、1個小孩後，已是晚上10點，我們不得不撤退。

　　山頂的圍堰湖泊隨時可能決堤，我們的營地建在了半山腰。我們摸索著，艱難地往營地走。1個小時後，我累得躺倒在帳篷里，一動也不想動。我想哭。我是一個父親，我有一個5歲的兒子。那些失去生命的孩子，一個個在我眼前晃動。死亡的陰影，在災區的殘垣廢墟上徘徊游走，不斷傳播著悲愴的消息；我的眼睛一直蒙著層層淚水，看著那揪心的畫面和湧動的愛心，再堅強的人也忍不住淚流滿面。

　　我知道，這是一個不眠之夜。我盼著，天快點亮。

　　(常州消防支隊衛生隊副隊長兼醫師謝平華口述 )

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Entry comments (16)

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xibanyae
posted on Friday, May 23, 2008 2:30AM [Report]

vegetarian for 3 days! i hope u will survive such sacrifice... how much karma will u generate? *rolling eyes*
Elhcay
posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 8:01PM [Report]

Some videos on whipping up simple vegetarian meals:
http://www.suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=bmd&sfl=wr_subject%7C%7Cwr_content&stx=gift+of+love&sop=and
nobleterry
posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 3:24PM [Report]

It is so hard to see the photos, but if those photos and gestures like yours inspires people to act in good faith to help, that's all we can hope for! Thank you for doing your part!
JasonChau
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 7:17PM [Report]

That is a wonderful idea Celina! I couldn't agree a more worthy cause. Generating less karma from the eating of meat is a wise thing to do.

I personally believe in karma too like what you said...have done for most of my life.
I certainly think it exists, but more importantly I think it can be shown. To illustrate my point I want to show you this:

You know yesterday ago the troops tried to save the people in one of the villages. But they couldn't - do you know why? What happened was this.

Normally the villages that were rubble could be approached by the aid workers. But people at this particular village had a problem. At the top of their village was some mountainous areas, and a huge area of land had slid down about halfway down the mountain, just above the village. On top of this mound of rock and mud, a lake was formed. And it happened to be raining that day. The workers found should they approach and try to help that village of people, the risk would have been very high for the water or mud to slide down and engulf the village. And it happened as they approached that village there was also a major 5.8 quake. The result? The workers had no choice but to leave saving the people in that village.

Now could we say this was their fate? Maybe. But it certainly had shown the Buddhist belief that karma certainly exists. That even an approaching group of aid workers has to turn away. If that is not karma, I don't know what is.

The karma doesn't end there with the buried. The sad thing is it was even happening with those who were found as survivors. I only found out last night that quite a few of the families who had relatives on the drip, had seen their own members die in front of them helpless because of a lack of medical supplies. Even when the survivors were found, they still died due to this.....

This quake is so tragic....I think the only thing we can do now, is hope the authorities get more medical and food supplies soon, and pray that no more quakes occur which will make the recovery efforts difficult.
Wing Liu
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 5:33PM [Report]

It is such a beautiful thing to do even for 3 days. I am a meat lover but will try to do that. Let's hope the rescue will still get survivors even though it is more than 1 week.

BTW, I had gone for the 3 minutes silence tribute at Time Square and took some photos. One of them was an old lady shredding one long drop of tear (that really sums up our mood at the event). Thanks everyone for supporting the quake victims.
Celina Jade
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 5:26PM

I completely agree with you, and that is something I have to remind myself too :)

The beauty though is seeing how people have pulled together in these rough times, reminds us that there is beauty in this world.
bobbyty
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 5:23PM [Report]

Thanks for your explanation!
It would be great if everyone could change their daily habits long-term (and influence others to do the same) instead of waiting for catastrophes to propel us into short-term, temporary action. What I hope is that people remember your message long after this disaster, and continue to do good.
rottendoubt
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 5:15PM [Report]

i donated. so, umm, can i eat meat?
Celina Jade
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 5:00PM

I completely agree that donating to help the Sichuan victims is the best practical solution sought after and it was the first thing I did after hearing about the disaster.

I personally believe in Karma, that we actively create our past, present and future experiences, the pain and joy we bring ourselves as well as onto others in a cycle of cause and effect that we call samsara.

In buddhism, intention is everything, by practicing good intention and not killing animals for food/ killing life, we create good energy that can be dedicated to those affected by the earthquake.

Obviously there is no proof that this will work, but whilst we are unable to volunteer over there and since we've donated what we can already, why not try different spiritual avenues that may make a difference. The intention of many together can be a powerful force... can't it?

Also, in my opinion, when ppl are suffering and are starving just across the border, I personally would rather choose not to overindulge myself as the smallest token of empathy to their experiences.

And like you said, it has added benefits for both health, environmental and economics reasons...

So all in all, why not? :)
bobbyty
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 4:18PM [Report]

I'm not sure I understand how your fasting helps the quake victims? Wouldn't it be better to send money or food to Sichuan? Sorry, I don't understand. That said, I agree we should all cut back on meat consumption for both health and environmental and economic reason (e.g. to save energy/food costs). Especially beef, which takes an enormous investment in energy and feed (e.g. corn).
Celina Jade
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 3:50PM

THANK YOU ELHCAY for your link on going vegetarian http://goveg.com I'm sure this will be useful to a lot of us doing this for the first time :)
ButtNekkid
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 3:47PM [Report]

That's a very generous gesture! I'll try to keep the 大魚大肉 to a low! (not like I splurge like that anyway haha)

But this 四川incident is truly terrible! I was watching the news last night, and they reported an aftershock rated at 6 on the richter scale! 6! - absolutely ridiculous!
Elhcay
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 3:46PM [Report]

Thank you so much for being a vegetarian even for three days. The animals would be grateful to you and rejoicing for these three days. And it's good for the environment too.

http://goveg.com
Michael Chan
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 2:30PM [Report]

wow. this is really a fine idea!
leandro
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 2:12PM [Report]

i am in this cause. congratulations. =]
the world faces problems with the lack of food.

mosquitos in your country is like mosquitos in my country?

in my country only has plantings of soybeans. and this is bad.
charlynlim89
posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 1:55PM [Report]

Good cause Celina !!