Oh, I see what you misinterpreted now; I “blamed” humanity. I guess I should have put a 🤪 or whatever. This is not a matter of pointing the finger at Joe Normal and saying something to him in an angry voice like, You suck. 😡 You know, it’s like, You watch how people drive on the road, or what music they listen to, or how they resolve inter-personal or international conflict, it’s like, you’d kinda have to be a little uptight to say: Humanity—We’re Always The Best We Can Be. Most people are insane, you know. You just have to get used to it.

I cant help but despise humanity for destroying this planet & torturing helpless animals on a daily basis for consumption, entertainment, money. I hope for human extinction.

Dear Irina and Teddy:

I am so glad to see this Monday morning that the three reports for inappropriate content were removed from your posts, with no changes done to your posts (as far as I can see). I was concerned that such reporting will discourage the two of you from posting again, here on this thread and perhaps elsewhere in the forums. I know how badly I feel when my posts are reported for inappropriate content, and sadly, I know that any member can use and/ or misuse this Report feature. Irina and Teddy: please post again and may these forums be a safe place for you.

Dear Irina: in your one and only post, you expressed your intense suffering because of human cruelty to animals, which is done mostly in the context of industry farming. I appreciate your advocacy for treating animals humanely, and that even though your suffering has been immense, you tried-in your single post- to be positive: “BUT I have to thank to the writers before for writing about the little time we have had on this planet & that the earth will survive us… I understand now that I won’t help any kind with hatred & sadness in my heart & will try to heal by not getting so emotionally involved and becoming stronger“-

– it is this positivity, this graciousness, in the midst of suffering that gives me hope for a better today and a better tomorrow.

anita

Hi Helcat,

I’ve removed the part about wishing death upon all of humanity, as I can see how that could make some feel unsafe.

Irina: I think it’s wonderful that you do so much to help animals, and I’m glad you’re working on inflicting less pain on yourself!

Lori

Hi all

For  own sanity I minimize my intake on information on cruelty (I am not sticking my head in the sand). I help where I can globally signing petitions to stop harming the planet and its in habitants etc Locally I  try to garden organically and make a wildlife friendly habitat and actively look after my human community as well. I can not change my past actions, but I can improve my future ones. In general I have found beautiful kind positive actions work better than what can be perceived as aggressive dooms saying behavior. ie making a lovely tasty vegan/vegetarian meal rather than pushing graphic blaming literature. As the saying goes ” the way to a mans heart is thru his stomach” I have also made a space opened to the public to meditate, sit in the garden or just make themselves a cup of coffee and read a book from our library. If we each make our own home/ neighborhood a place of peace we add to the world wide well-being collective and relive ours & others suffering

Dear all,

I too am grateful for the original post and all the answers, and that the post is still here. Like others I found it searching for answers how to cope with animal cruelty and their suffering.

I recently turned to Buddhism and meditation for help, as my stress and hurt finally gave me physical symptoms. I understood I couldn’t go on living with the pain of others suffering. This thread is helpful in so many ways, realizing you are not alone is one of them.

As with everybody else here I know the pain, I too have tried to scream it into my pillow, feeling myself breaking into pieces. Your own powerlessness. The ignorance from others you just can’t understand. To me, ethical vegans, or anyone refusing to live in blissful ignorance, are the bravest of all, because I know what it takes to open your eyes and really see. Stare at the truth without flinching, when that’s all you want to do, knowing your life will never be the same again. I have had people covering their ears when I try to tell them, telling me to stop, they don’t want to know, a luxury I denied myself for the sake of animals. This is one of my struggles now, I want to try help people open their eyes, to be a voice for the animals. At the same time, I don’t want to inflict the pain I felt on my fellow humans.

So, I take it in small steps, trying to feel when someone is ready or not, and to be there when the curtain finally falls, to help them. Of course, some people will never try to see beyond that curtain, so I focus on the ones I can.  When I was younger, I, as many others, lost hope in humanity. But do you know what happened. I was informing about animal cruelty at a small stand in the city, and one man went really upset. Saying how humans didn’t deserve to live for what they inflict on animals. I discovered I ended up defending humans.

Today, I try in every choice I do to be the change I want to see. But I want to contribute to the change with love and compassion, not with hatred or cynicism. I sign petitions, I give money to charity, I make a statement with my diet, I volunteer for animal causes. Contributions that may seem small, at times insignificant. But they aren’t. As someone said, we can’t stop it all (yes, I’m still struggling to accept this), but we can contribute to the change together.

To me, Buddhism has so much to teach, and I regret not turning to it earlier. I’m still a novice, still a student, so I don’t know all the fancy Buddhist words for everything. But I am starting to understand the difference between compassion and empathy. In the beginning I was afraid I would lose my will to help if I allowed myself happiness in a world with so much suffering, but realized actually the opposite is true. Also, reading through this post hearing the suffering of others caring for animals, I want to tell them not to suffer, that they should allow themselves respite, their suffering is not taking away the suffering of the individual they are suffering for. That they are wonderful shining people making the world better and who deserves to be happy. Writing this, I understand this should also apply to myself.

With love
Anna

That was beautifully said Anna

I want to contribute to the change with love and compassion, not with hatred or cynicism… I was afraid I would lose my will to help

My own experience involved realizing the difference between healthy detachment and indifference. I also worried that without the energy of being angry I’d fall into indifference. With or without that ‘energy’ the trap for me with Buddhist practice , and I found out for many others, was indifference. How to be fully engaged and at the same time detached (healthy loving boundaries) without falling into indifference?

Currently I’m exploring the practice of Contemplation and Action