There's blood in your milk. The ethics of consumption

[appicchato]

I think, yes, it is ethical. Actually, I like meat and don't see any problem here. Calf meat is so delicious. The irony is I don't like milk and diary products

If you are worried about this practice I may suggest that you might think about it as only a temporary measure: very soon, perhaps in a few coming decades, science will allow us to produce an abundance of consumable proteins from inorganic substances and genetically modified mushrooms and microorganisms.

Wonderful...

[sphairos]

I think, yes, it is ethical. Actually, I like meat and don't see any problem here. Calf meat is so delicious. The irony is I don't like milk and diary products

If you are worried about this practice I may suggest that you might think about it as only a temporary measure: very soon, perhaps in a few coming decades, science will allow us to produce an abundance of consumable proteins from inorganic substances and genetically modified mushrooms and microorganisms.

Wonderful...

What do you mean?

[mirco]

http://vimeo.com/53988865

Thanks g*d I'm neither born as cow nor as slaughter.

[PsychedelicSunSet]

To my knowledge, milking cows/egg chickens typically have an even worse life than those that are simply bred for slaughter. The vast majority of milk cows develop some form of dementia from the torture they endure at the milking factories, and then once they can no longer produce milk are sent to the slaughter house. I've been Vegan for 7 years, so I may be biased, but I think that eating milk/egg products is unethical. That being said, I would never tell someone else they're unethical people for eating said animals products.

[Ben]

How can we totally abstain from taking them?

Read food labels. If the product contains diary, and in my case, any animal product or added sugar, I don't consume it.
Instead of chocolate bars, sweets and cakes you might like to try dried and fresh fruit and nuts. For hot beverages I have black unsweetened coffee and tea, and green tea. For a cold beverage I have a non-sweetened, non-flavoured mineral water.
kind regards,

Ben

[seeker242]

I only drink soy milk these days.

Cakes, chocolate bar, candy bars and various beverages have milk as part of their ingredients too.

How can we totally abstain from taking them?

It's not really all that difficult if you have access to good markets or natural foods stores, etc. Some have non-dairy cakes, etc. Homemade non dairy cake is quite easy. A lot of dark chocolate brands don't have dairy in them. They even have non dairy soy and coconut milk ice cream these days. Most natural foods stores carry a host of non dairy things and depending on where you live, even normal supermarkets will have some of that stuff.

[SarathW]

In Sri Lanka our family had a small farm with only one cow for milking purposes.
We milk the cow only in the morning and left the calf with the mother cow till evening.
We sold excess milk but used all the money just to buy the food for the cow.

We consume too much dairy products in western countries causing allergy reactions.
Too much pesticides are used for animal farming.
Now I consume soy products instead of cow milk.
It is not practical for a Buddhist monk to not to accept milk products as Dana.
By products of cows are found every ware. (shoes etc)

I think best thing is to live with one meal a day like a Buddhist monk.

[Spiny Norman]

I only drink soy milk these days.

Cakes, chocolate bar, candy bars and various beverages have milk as part of their ingredients too.
How can we totally abstain from taking them?

I'm not a vegan. But I've found that I've gradually gone off the more obvious dairy products like eggs and cheese. Eggs just seem like, well, eggs.

[mirco]

We consume too much dairy products in western countries causing allergy reactions.
Too much pesticides are used for animal farming.
Now I consume soy products instead of cow milk.

I already have a big round of allergy, also against raw soy stuff (beverage, sprouts).
To bad. I hope, that will get better over the years.

I think best thing is to live with one meal a day like a Buddhist monk.

Do you?

[Spiny Norman]

I think best thing is to live with one meal a day like a Buddhist monk.

I did some retreats at a monastery where they don't usually eat after midday, but they gave us cheese and chocolate at tea-time.

[PsychedelicSunSet]

Also I think it's important to note that anyone who's trying to cut milk and eggs out of their diet may want to get either almond, rice, or coconut milk, and not soy milk. As you'll probably have to be eating a lot of soy for your diet, which isn't necessarily that great for you.

[Ben]

Also I think it's important to note that anyone who's trying to cut milk and eggs out of their diet may want to get either almond, rice, or coconut milk, and not soy milk. As you'll probably have to be eating a lot of soy for your diet, which isn't necessarily that great for you.

According to whom?

[PsychedelicSunSet]

Also I think it's important to note that anyone who's trying to cut milk and eggs out of their diet may want to get either almond, rice, or coconut milk, and not soy milk. As you'll probably have to be eating a lot of soy for your diet, which isn't necessarily that great for you.

According to whom?

Due to the fact that the vast majority of soy in the US is Monsanto, and therefore genetically modified, eating a lot of it can lead to health issues.


http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1822466
http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/


Just two links I found by quickly searching dangers of soy. Some food for thought.

[SarathW]

Drinking too much water could be poisons, let alone soy milk!
The moderate (middle way) consumption is the key I suppose.

[SarathW]

We consume too much dairy products in western countries causing allergy reactions.
Too much pesticides are used for animal farming.
Now I consume soy products instead of cow milk.

I already have a big round of allergy, also against raw soy stuff (beverage, sprouts).
To bad. I hope, that will get better over the years.

I think best thing is to live with one meal a day like a Buddhist monk.

Do you?

Not eating after mid day is one of my objectives.
At this stage it is not practical for me, as I am still working.
I am convinced one meal a day could be beneficial to my practice and in general to the world as a whole..
I have already started not eating after 6.00 PM. (not possible to follow it all the time though) and found that it is helping me in various ways. (health etc)
I am planning to bring this forward to midday gradually.

May be someone should start a "one meal a day challenge” thread.