Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

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Michael126unknown
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Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by Michael126unknown »

Can we kill or hunt if we are a Dzogchen practitioner, or should we avoid killing animals unless it is necessary?
Further, may the meat/corpse from a dying animal be given in any type of offering practice (At least visualizing it as offered) or would it be disrespectful (not sure if this is the right term) toward the deities?
Thank you.
Malcolm
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by Malcolm »

Only if you can bring them back to life.

Michael126unknown wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 9:46 pm Can we kill or hunt if we are a Dzogchen practitioner, or should we avoid killing animals unless it is necessary?
Further, may the meat/corpse from a dying animal be given in any type of offering practice (At least visualizing it as offered) or would it be disrespectful (not sure if this is the right term) toward the deities?
Thank you.
tingdzin
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by tingdzin »

Do not regard Dzogchen as something separate from ethics. That's a mistake beloved of the "it's-all-good" failed hippie mindset.
madhusudan
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by madhusudan »

"After you have resolved that all things are empty, if then in your conduct you abandon virtue and no longer shrink from vice, you have fallen under the spell of a demon of infinite and intense evil." - Lama Shabkar
Giovanni
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by Giovanni »

madhusudan wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 6:40 am "After you have resolved that all things are empty, if then in your conduct you abandon virtue and no longer shrink from vice, you have fallen under the spell of a demon of infinite and intense evil." - Lama Shabkar
This could serve as a good addition to several threads recently. The way to realize the Emptiness of phenomena is not by ignoring conventional right action and right speech. That just adds more twists to Samsaras winding path.
Our natural mind is not that of a killer.
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Michael126unknown
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by Michael126unknown »

tingdzin wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 4:34 am Do not regard Dzogchen as something separate from ethics. That's a mistake beloved of the "it's-all-good" failed hippie mindset.
That is not what I meant at all, I know a lot of people have a mistaken idea dzogchen is separate from karma etc. I meant whether in general it is acceptable for Buddhists to kill an animal. Thank you for the responses everyone
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Michael126unknown wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:26 pm
tingdzin wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 4:34 am Do not regard Dzogchen as something separate from ethics. That's a mistake beloved of the "it's-all-good" failed hippie mindset.
That is not what I meant at all, I know a lot of people have a mistaken idea dzogchen is separate from karma etc. I meant whether in general it is acceptable for Buddhists to kill an animal. Thank you for the responses everyone
In general no, it is not. Of course reality is what it is.

Obviously Buddhists should avoid killing whenever possible, this is not a thing that changes much no matter which vehicle. There are not many instances where intentional killing of beings is any kind of beneficial action, so it is not that complicated to simply avoid doing so.

Naturally if one saving a bunch of lives by killing one etc. it is a different calculus, but it’s probably best to just keep it simple.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
krodha
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by krodha »

Michael126unknown wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 9:46 pm Can we kill or hunt if we are a Dzogchen practitioner, or should we avoid killing animals unless it is necessary?
Further, may the meat/corpse from a dying animal be given in any type of offering practice (At least visualizing it as offered) or would it be disrespectful (not sure if this is the right term) toward the deities?
Thank you.
In the context of the samayas of body, speech and mind, taking life is the heaviest transgression related to the samaya of the body. If you are a serious Dzogchen practitioner it is best to avoid intentional killing.
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Michael126unknown
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Re: Killing animals... Is it acceptable in Dzogchen

Post by Michael126unknown »

krodha wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 12:55 am
Michael126unknown wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 9:46 pm Can we kill or hunt if we are a Dzogchen practitioner, or should we avoid killing animals unless it is necessary?
Further, may the meat/corpse from a dying animal be given in any type of offering practice (At least visualizing it as offered) or would it be disrespectful (not sure if this is the right term) toward the deities?
Thank you.
In the context of the samayas of body, speech and mind, taking life is the heaviest transgression related to the samaya of the body. If you are a serious Dzogchen practitioner it is best to avoid intentional killing.
Yes. To benefit others I will certainly do my best to avoid such an action.
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