Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Even today, as we consciously make an effort to live a life of no harm, we discover that we cannot literally follow the first precept of not killing. We must either starve ourselves or eat food that has been alive. Even if we are strict vegetarians, the life of living beings can only be supported by food that itself been alive.
The important thing for us, then, is to remain aware of our intrinsic connection with all beings, and to continuously cultivate our capacity for the beneficial mental states of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. How we actually live this precious live we have been given is the most important point. Although we may fervently wish to end all pain in the world, as many before us have wished, the best we may be able to do is not to add to it. If we add judgment and anger to the situation, it can only increase the suffering.’ (Seeds for a Boundless Life)