A few days ago, as I was traveling on the ferry that takes us to our ISKCON Center at Chodan island, a relatively young man approached me and started to talk to me. My Vaishnava (devotee) attire probably attracted him to me. He was asking me if I was a preist in a temple. To which I said "Yes". I asked him where he stays and what he does. He told me that he stays in Panjim and runs a chicken shop in Porvorim. I asked him his name and as I guessed, he happened to be a Muslim. I could see marks of dried up blood stains in different places in his shirt. I at once told him to try to switch his profession to one which involves less violence. I suggested to him to start a vegetable or a grocery shop.
He seemed to be taken a little aback by what might have appeared to him to be a stange suggestion by a stranger. I told him that killing innocent animals is not right. They too have life and feelings like us. He was hearing me out. He then asked me, if one can eat chicken or meat. I said, "No". He then asked if atleast fish is allowed. To which, again I said, "No". He started to think a little. Probably he was a little jolted. I felt that never ever in his life, he might have thought in this direction. Probably, no one told him, "It's wrong".
He said, "He will have to try to stop eating meat." Understanding his background, lifestyle and upbringing, I told him, "Don't do it suddenly. Reduce it little by little." I am not sure if he was at all serious about the discussion or whether he would even try. But the point that I made the point of stopping violence and the point that he atleast said, that he will try, is a good start. _As devotees of the Lord, as knowers of truth, it is our duty to present the truth to others. Whether others follow it or not, is not in our hands. We have to do our duty of sharing the truth and then be detached from the result._
Srila Prabhupada would always make it a point to discuss with Christian priests (whenever he met them) as to why the Christians eat meat when Jesus has said in his commandments, "Thou shall not kill". Prabhupada knew that his point may in all probability go in deaf ears but nevertheless it was his duty to make the point. And this comes from the natural compassion that every devotee should have i.e. not wanting to see other creatures in pain and suffering.
A few days prior to this as I was travelling on the same ferry, I saw 6-7 small fishes scooped out of the river by the ferry vessel. I was seeing them flapping so desperately for their lives. I managed to put few of them back into the river. Rest, I couldn't save. I felt nice about the few fishes I managed to save but I also felt bad that I couldn't save all of them. All this while, people were driving out of the ferry on their vehicles a little oblivious to the suffering of these tiny creatures. Actually, I am always a little watchful to see if I can try rescue the fishes everytime I travel in the ferry. But, I also feel a little self-conscious to do it when everyone is watching me save the fishes. But I still overcome my self-conciousness and try to save them because their pain and suffering is unbearable to see. I am not mentioning this to glorify myself but just to make a point that, being empathetic to other's suffering is so natural yet is becoming so uncommon and rare. People seem so numb and disconnected from the suffering of innocent creatures just because they are engrossed in their own world of enjoyment. Their world matters, not the world of others. Real education and advancement of society is dependent on this value of compassion and love. The world may not change overnight but it is our sacred duty to try to make our point by our actions and by our words, and hope and pray that the world will someday understand this simple but an essential point.
- Achyut Gopal Das
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