SACRIFICE Sacrifice as a concept is beautiful. One form of sacrifice involves depriving oneself of something basic or beloved in order to give something to someone else, be it a god or another entity, animate or inanimate. I made a huge sacrifice when I chose to live most of my life in India, and less of my life in America, when adorable mother was alive. In another form of sacrifice, yearning serves as a marker to help remember god, or a beloved, or to meditate. My daughter told me that if, as a vegan, I ever yearn for ice cream, I should use that yearning as a point of meditation on the suffering of cows. Sacrifice is not meant to be an exchange, buying favors from a god. Diwali, Eid, Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays, Rakhi—all of these are occasions for love. Hurting another to express love is symptomatic of a suffering soul. As educators, as people trying to inspire good, I think we need to keep broadcasting as loudly, merrily, angrily, joyously, and passionately as we can, that animals are ours only to cherish. Gadhimai and all the animal sacrifices taking place every day in small village temples need our voices to ring yet louder today than they rang out yesterday; louder tomorrow than today. ~ Erika Abrams
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 08:00:36 +0000
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